A planned underwater dive attractions program for Hawaii

A program is planned for Hawaii, which will reuse derelict vessels as underwater attractions to reduce dive tour pressure at heavily used natural reef sites and to develop new niche opportunities for marine tourism growth. The program is needed to accommodate projected visitor increases and expected growth in demand for dive tourism. Current standard practice is to clean these vessels at government expense for deep ocean disposal. This cost is non-recoverable and does not provide any economic return to island communities or the State. The underwater dive attractions program will convert this cost into an investment in marine tourism infrastructure, while creating a public-private partnership to make the program self-sustaining. The program makes best economic use of these vessels and is distinctly different from existing state programs for artificial reefs and marine life conservation districts