For complete vacation information visit the Hawaii State Vacation Planner . There are fewer jobs than people, and when the music stops some are going to be left standing. High unemployment that resulted when sugar plantations closed continues to make jobs scarce. The construction industry is slumping, and tourism has only recently begun to show signs of pulling out of the doldrums. But the future is not necessarily bleak.
Economists insist the Big Island is about to turn the corner on economic prosperity.
Indeed, the Big Island's visitor count is soaring with the addition of new direct flights from Japan and the mainland U.S. that began in 1996. And the large Kona-Kohala Coast resort hotels are beginning to see higher occupancy levels. Also, a vibrant health care industry is developing, highlighted by the recent opening of the progressive new North Hawaii Community Hospital in Waimea. With one of the best views of the heavens on earth, the Big Island can boast of increasing high-tech jobs in the growing field of astronomy and research. The University of Hawaii's Joint Astronomy Center, which coordinates the numerous observatories at the summit of Mauna Kea, is now located in the university's promising new research and technology park that is being developed on the University of Hawaii at Hilo campus.