Hawaii offers free round trips for remote workers

Nov. 30 (UPI) -- The state of Hawaii announced it is offering free round-trip tickets to Honolulu to people who work remotely and are willing to dedicate some of their time toward contributing to the community.

The temporary residency program, dubbed "Movers and Shakas" in reference to the Hawaiian hand gesture often interpreted as "hang loose," offers people who work remotely online the chance to do their jobs from the comforts of the tropical state.

Applications for the first group of temporary residents are being accepted through Dec. 15, and 50 people will be chosen for the first group of Movers and Shakas.

"Subsequent applicants will be accepted to the program on a rolling basis," officials said in a news release. "Hawaii currently has the lowest rate per capita of COVID infections in the country, also making it one of the safest places to live and work."

Applicants for the program are being asked to promise to respect the state's culture and natural resources. Officials said the accepted applicants will be asked to dedicate some of their time to local businesses and non-profits.

"We wanted to help fill the gap from the decrease we've experienced in the 7-day visitors to our state," said Jason Higa, CEO of FCH Enterprises, one of the program's sponsors.

"Now that many people have the choice to work remotely, there's an opportunity for former local residents to return home and for out-of-state individuals and families to live and work from Hawaii for a longer period of time. We believe this program will attract many former Hawaii residents and professionals seeking a safe, warm environment to continue living their normal lives while contributing to the Hawaii community," Higa said.