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In Hawaii, the Search for Sustainable Tourism

John De Fries, the first native Hawaiian to lead the state’s tourism authority, discusses the delicate balance of tourism, culture and the environment — and why he got hooked on the TV show “The White Lotus.”

impacts of tourism in hawaii

By Paige McClanahan

When John De Fries’s mother was in high school in the 1940s, she was forbidden from dancing the hula and speaking Hawaiian, the language of her ancestors. The school she attended was for children of Hawaiian descent, but instead of encouraging students to embrace that heritage, it tried to erase it.

“That whole generation was the byproduct of this sweeping Americanization, Westernization,” Mr. De Fries recalled recently. “What’s ironic is that, 51 years later, my mother’s great-granddaughter graduated from the same school. And by then, fluency in native Hawaiian had become a requirement — but it took half a century to get there.”

In September 2020, when Hawaii’s tourism industry was in pandemic-induced free fall, Mr. De Fries took over the top tourism role in his home state, becoming the first native Hawaiian to hold the position. As the president and chief executive of the Hawaii Tourism Authority, he is now responsible for supporting the industry that, before the pandemic, brought in $2 billion in state tax revenue and employed more than 200,000 people.

The position he holds has recently been in flux, Mr. De Fries told me when I reached him on a video call at his home on the Big Island. A few years ago, H.T.A.’s main job was to brand Hawaii and market the islands to potential visitors. The agency still does those things, but these days its official remit has expanded to include natural resources, community — and Hawaiian culture.

Over the course of our conversation, Mr. De Fries, 71, described how the lessons he learned as a child in Waikiki inform his work, what it felt like when Hawaii was empty of tourists and why he got hooked on the television show “The White Lotus,” which takes place in Hawaii.

Our conversation has been edited for length and clarity.

You grew up in Waikiki in the 1950s. How does that experience inform your work?

I was born and raised two blocks from Waikiki Beach, a half-block from Honolulu Zoo, so literally about 2,000 yards from the foot of Diamond Head. The waters there had been my family’s fishing grounds for a century before I was born, and when I was growing up, we would fish them every week. What I learned as a kid was that Waikiki was first a source of food, then it was a source of medicine — from seaweeds and sea urchins and other things — and then it was a place of recreation and well-being. There was a hierarchical order there: food, medicine, recreation. But in the development of Waikiki, we inverted that order, and we put recreation on top.

So as we think about creating a regenerative model for tourism, we have to go back to lessons that we were learning back in the day. Native Hawaiians always understood that their ability to sustain life in the middle of the Pacific had to do with living inside the boundaries of the natural environment. So when I look at the future and the opportunities we have for tourism, I don’t see how we do it at scale unless we start to evolve a 21st-century version of that kind of thinking. Not everybody in the industry is ready for that, but I don’t think we have a choice.

Did the pandemic shift local attitudes toward Hawaii’s tourists?

We ended 2019 with a record number of visitor arrivals: 10.4 million. And six months later, in July 2020, visitor arrivals were hovering around zero. I remember I was standing on Kalakaua Avenue in Waikiki one night at 9 p.m., and there was not a single moving vehicle in either direction. It felt like a film set, frankly — it was eerie. An economic collapse of that scale is like a large building collapsing in on itself, and people are trapped underneath. People are getting hurt.

But at the same time, for the local community, it was euphoric, right? No traffic. No crowds at the beach. The beach parks were open. The forest trails were open. And local residents felt like we got our islands back. I experienced the euphoria, too. But I also knew it was like the equivalent of a sugar high, because there was this whole massive body of work that we would have to do to get this system re-erected.

So how do you rebuild tourism in a way that works for everyone?

Each island has developed its own action plan, so the answer to that question is going to be very island specific. The committees that developed those plans were very diverse — you might have had a restaurant owner, a schoolteacher, a hotel owner. The whole intent of that planning process was to give the community the chance to codesign and co-define what a sustainable model of tourism might look like. But in general, you’re going to have people who think 6 million visitors a year is enough. And you’re going to have others saying we can do 10 million again. So there’s that kind of tension in that debate, but there’s also an agreement to be open-minded and civil in the discussion.

“The White Lotus,” a television show set in a fictional Hawaiian resort, has attracted a lot of attention recently. Have you seen the show?

I watched the first episode and I thought to myself, “This is completely ludicrous.” And then I couldn’t stop watching it. My wife and I just became kind of hooked on it, because boy was it close to some experiences I’ve had. Knowing full well that there’s creative license taken in it, I thought they did a great job. In particular, when the young woman is having a discussion with the local guy who’s in the luau show and she recognizes that the culture is being marginalized and she’s asking, “How can this happen?” Those are alarm bells that have been going off on the ground here for quite some time. There’s a whole conversation about how to build people’s capacity to deliver authentic cultural experiences and derive financial benefit for themselves and their families — but without making people feel like they’re having to surrender their own power.

How do you create cultural experiences for tourists that don’t feel exploitative?

People need to feel their cultural identity and way of living is in fact being valued. And I’m optimistic about it because I believe the market is going to help drive this change. You cannot counterfeit culture; you can attempt to, but you’re not going to be successful. So when the market starts calling for more authentic cultural experiences, it will begin to make commercial sense. Because in order to shift a system of this scale, the commercial drivers become really important.

What message would you like to share with visitors to Hawaii?

You know, local residents have a responsibility to host visitors in a way that is appropriate. Conversely, visitors have a responsibility to be aware that their destination is someone’s home, someone’s neighborhood, someone’s community. Approaching travel in that way will produce better experiences for both the visitor and the local resident, so I would encourage everyone to keep that in mind. And enjoy your mai tai at sunset! Don’t forget that.

Paige McClanahan , a regular contributor to the Travel section, is also the host of The Better Travel Podcast .

Follow New York Times Travel on Instagram , Twitter and Facebook . And sign up for our weekly Travel Dispatch newsletter to receive expert tips on traveling smarter and inspiration for your next vacation. Dreaming up a future getaway or just armchair traveling? Check out our 52 Places list for 2022 .

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The novel coronavirus, first detected at the end of 2019, has caused a global pandemic.

The Coronavirus Crisis

Facing economic devastation, hawaii attempts to revive tourism.

Ryan Finnerty

impacts of tourism in hawaii

Hawaiian Airlines jets outside Daniel K. Inouye International Airport in Honolulu. Hawaii has seen a more than 90% reduction in the number of air travelers arriving since the start of the pandemic. Ryan Finnerty/Hawaii Public Radio hide caption

Hawaii has some the highest levels of unemployment in the country. Joblessness rose to Great Depression-levels in the spring following shutdown orders that local authorities issued in March.

In addition to the business closures and restrictions on large gatherings common across the country, Hawaii was also the first state to require out-of-state travelers to quarantine upon arrival.

That, combined with public concerns over the safety of flying, tanked Hawaii's tourism-centric economy.

For seven months, Honolulu's Daniel K. Inouye International Airport has been largely empty. The concourses have been marked by shuttered concessions shops and public address announcements directing people to quarantine.

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The scene represents a stark reversal from the time before COVID-19. Roughly 30,000 people arrived in Hawaii every day during 2019, although the number approached 40,000 during the summer travel season.

That number has declined dramatically since the onset of the pandemic. During the initial lockdowns in the spring, the number of daily arrivals dropped below 500.

The drop coincided with Gov. David Ige's order in March that all travelers arriving from out of state undergo a 14-day self-quarantine upon arrival.

While the measure was initially successful in preventing the spread of the virus, it came at a steep cost. The drop in visitors sent a shockwave through the state's $18 billion tourism industry, which represents the foundation of Hawaii's economy.

Unemployment surged, reaching almost 24% in April and May.

Although the situation has improved somewhat since then, 1 in 6 workers are still out of a job. They are people like Christina Hilfiker, who was a restaurant server in the popular tourist destination of Haleiwa on Oahu's iconic North Shore.

Hilfiker lost her job in March and said she is struggling to get by.

"I'm sort of hanging on by a thread, relying on friends and family. You can get a lot of miles out of a loaf of bread and a jar of peanut butter," she said in an interview.

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Hilfiker is one of thousands of Hawaii residents who have experienced lengthy delays in getting approved for jobless benefits.

Like many states, Hawaii's unemployment system has been overwhelmed, saddling applicants with the financial and emotional stress of no income for weeks and even months.

Hawaii's local businesses are also struggling. They have endured not just one, but two full lockdowns — one in the spring and a second later in the summer when the state experienced a surge of new infections.

Many businesses were being sustained by federal benefits from the CARES Act, but those have long since run out.

"It's just really crushing not to get the help," said Melissa Bow, owner of Via Gelato, an ice cream shop in the Honolulu neighborhood of Kaimuki.

She said in an interview that during the second lockdown , many small-business owners were at the end of their rope, struggling to make rent with being able to generate revenue.

"They're just so, so tired," Bow said of her fellow entrepreneurs. "Not sleeping at night, zero income for a long time. No help on the horizon. They're thinking about shuttering their business."

However, help may be on the way. The state of Hawaii recently adjusted its travel rules , allowing incoming passengers who test negative for the coronavirus to skip the quarantine.

That is significant because tourism represents nearly a quarter of Hawaii's economy , according to Sumner La Croix, an economist with the University of Hawaii Economic Research Organization and author of Hawai'i: Eight Hundred Years of Political and Economic Change.

"That's a huge chunk and if that 23% isn't operating, it will look something like depression here," La Croix said.

'Will I Have A Place To Live?' Scrambling To Survive After $600 Benefits End

'Will I Have A Place To Live?' Scrambling To Survive After $600 Benefits End

On the first day of the relaxed travel rules, the number arriving airline passengers more than tripled compared with recent weeks but still represented a fraction of the pre-pandemic level.

Major players in Hawaii's visitor industry hope the relaxed quarantine will help relaunch tourism but are preparing for a slow recovery .

Hawaiian Airlines recently announced layoffs for 30% of its staff. Ahead of the changes, Avi Mannis, the airline's senior vice president of marketing, predicted that the relaxed rules will entice some travelers to fly but many are expected to stay grounded well into 2021.

"How quickly we can put people back to work is going to depend on the success of public health interventions, and testing, and screening that the state is putting in place," Mannis said.

The importance of public health measures has been reiterated by local hoteliers, for whom the lucrative end-of-year holiday season is normally a critical period.

Currently, only around half of the hotels have reopened, according to the Hawaii Lodging and Tourism Association. The group's president, Mufi Hannemann, said it is not yet clear if people will be willing to travel.

"I think October, and how we handle October into November, will be critical in determining what kind of holiday season we have here," he said, adding that a new spike in cases would likely depress travel again.

A winter surge of COVID-19 would be devastating — not just for hotels and other businesses but for the 80,000 Hawaii workers currently out of a job.

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Community Voice

Hawaii’s Unhealthy Relationship With Tourism

It’s time to shift focus and invest in our own communities, residents and industries.

By Kayte Jones

July 24, 2020 · 6 min read

impacts of tourism in hawaii

About the Author

impacts of tourism in hawaii

Kayte Jones

Growing up on the windward side of Oahu, I was used to crowds of tourists. I saw a few tourists increase to busloads of tourists over the years.

impacts of tourism in hawaii

In the last few years, my family made the decision to move to Big Island, for many reasons. Although it is not the primary reason, I can’t deny that being “priced out” of Oahu was a contributing factor. We moved to the windward side of the island, since that is my comfort zone, where we have found a new home and community that we love.

I couldn’t help but notice the difference in services and infrastructure. I saw the lack of public transportation. There’s a bus system here on Big Island, made up of retired tour buses and City and County of Honolulu buses, that doesn’t run that often or go to most residential areas.

Manini Beach KealaKekua Bay Kona Hawaii island1

Well, that’s funny. This island is huge. Public transportation would be so beneficial to the residents. Not only would a better bus system create more jobs, it would connect people with more job opportunities in different areas.

I shared my thoughts with a friend who told me, “Well, the county of Hawaii has less tourism, so therefore has less money. What did you expect?”

Abundance Of Opportunity

Recently, I took a trip to the Kona side, which is filled with hotels, strip malls, golf courses, just like Oahu. As I walked through a perfectly manicured strip mall, I felt myself becoming angry and resentful. All of a sudden I felt this boiling resentment. No one invests in locals, the people that actually live here. We only build nice things for tourists.

My “bold and creative” solution for the future of Hawaii is to shift our focus from tourism and invest in our own communities, our own residents and our own industries. Tourism has been profitable for our state. However, the impacts of COVID-19 on tourism highlighted just how completely dependent our state is on tourism — and it’s an unhealthy relationship.

We should continue to attract tourists and profit from it, but we should not be completely dependent on it. It’s time to shift our focus.

Don’t we have more to offer than the exploitation of our land, people and culture? Couldn’t we be a model of sustainability for the future through research of our unique ecosystem and climate? Through developments in agriculture and green energy like solar power, wind power, algae farms and geothermal energy? Couldn’t we be an educational destination through investment and development into our university system?

I recently read an article about opportunity zones in Civil Beat, which stated, “More than two years after Congress created opportunity zones as part of the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, business advocates on Hawaii island say there’s frustration among local entrepreneurs about a perceived lack of movement from the state to bring new investment into the island’s economically disadvantaged communities.”

I followed the link and clicked my way to the Factsheets section where there was a handy-dandy break down of “Investment Drivers” for each area there are Opportunity Zones, including Hilo, Kona, Honolulu, Kahului and Molokai. On the factsheet for Hilo, I found multiple “investment drivers” listed: economic, health care, government, education and research, ports and cultural, along with areas, institutions and businesses ripe for investment in each category.

Apparently, there is an abundance of opportunity out there. Imagine my surprise to see all of this opportunity in my own community, listed so neatly on this factsheet.

Hawaii has more to offer than hotels, luaus and Instagram-worthy photos. Our tropical climate and fertile land are ideal for agricultural development, yet we import most of our food. Investing in our agricultural industry would not only shift our focus from tourism and support local farms, but would also help Hawaii to be less dependent on exports for food.

Hawaii’s climate also creates a unique opportunity for our state to be a model of sustainability via research and development into sustainable sources of energy, such as solar power, wind farms, geothermal and algae farms. The University of Hawaii is a land-, sea- and space- grant institution recognized as a research university. Investing in research and education can make Hawaii an educational destination.

Lastly, and most importantly, we can shift our focus from tourism to our people here at home through infrastructure investments. That means that even areas with low tourism rates get nice things too. Why should we expect outside investors to come in and invest in areas of our state that we don’t invest in ourselves?

Not only would strengthening agricultural infrastructure help Hawaii become less dependent on exports, it will keep our money in the state. Every time there is a crisis, or a natural disaster, residents of Hawaii worry about whether or not cargo ships will make it into our harbors. We worry because most of us are accurately aware of our state’s dependence on exports.

I’m not OK with accepting that my new home has less infrastructure because we have less tourists.

While I loved living on Oahu, I love living on Big Island for different reasons. But this move has shown me the differences between an island catered to and funded by tourism and an island sustained by residents. I have no problem going to the post office to get my mail because we don’t have mail service.

I don’t mind that county water isn’t available in many areas. I enjoy living off the water grid and utilizing a catchment system because I want to live sustainably. I don’t mind some unpaved roads. A poor bus system doesn’t bother me, because I have a car.

What I’m not OK with is accepting that my new home has less infrastructure because we have less tourists.

A community’s value is not determined by its average number of tourists. Our state is more than a tourist destination. Our culture is not meant to be marketed and sold. The people of Hawaii are worthy of investments that improve residents’ standard of living, and not just projects that attract more tourists.

We’ve known for decades that we need to diversify our economy to be less reliant on tourism. It’s time to shift our focus to a more sustainable future for Hawaii.

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Community Voices aims to encourage broad discussion on many topics of community interest. It’s kind of a cross between Letters to the Editor and op-eds. This is your space to talk about important issues or interesting people who are making a difference in our world. Column lengths should be no more than 800 words and we need a photo of the author and a bio. We welcome video commentary and other multimedia formats. Send to [email protected] . The opinions and information expressed in Community Voices are solely those of the authors and not Civil Beat.

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impacts of tourism in hawaii

Pritchett: Excess Baggage

By John Pritchett · July 26, 2020 · 0 min read

Local reporting when you need it most

Support timely, accurate, independent journalism.

Honolulu Civil Beat is a nonprofit organization, and your donation helps us produce local reporting that serves all of Hawaii.

Kayte Jones, originally from Oahu, is a resident of the Big Island where she works in the mental health field.

Latest Comments (0)

This article makes a great point but the author forgets that many people today are against progress unless it's progress to build new stores. The NIMBYs and CAVE people do their best to stop progress. They are against geothermal energy, carbon neutral energy, space exploration(from telescopes to space ports), and any other form of progress that would give Big Island a step away from relying on tourism. We sit between a rock and a hard place. Whomever figures out this problem and gets everyone on board will be in the running for the Nobel Prize.

hawaiianreyes · 3 years ago

PLEASE send this thoughtful, well written article to Governor Ige, Lt. Governor Green and all county Mayors!

Jimmy · 3 years ago

Mahalo for this piece.I totally agree we need to move towards self-sustainablilty and protecting this beautiful culture, people and land.

Judy · 3 years ago

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The Case for Caps: Overtourism in Hawaii

In January 2022, the Hawaii Tourism Authority (HTA) marked the first time Native Hawaiians— kanaka maoli —comprised a majority of its 12-member board of directors. As tourism represents the largest industry in Hawaii, around 21 percent of the state’s economy, this situation provided an opportunity for much greater influence and input from kanaka maoli on the policies that effectively determine the fate of their islands. In particular, the Board was exploring changes in fees, reservations, and education policy. At the heart of these changes, the Board discussed the fundamental issue of their mission : Their primary focus shifted from “marketing and brand management” to “destination management.” Through their Destination Management Action Plans (DMAPs), they aim to “rebuild, redefine and reset tourism’s direction,” with a “ focus [on] stabilization, recovery, and rebuilding. ” Unfortunately, these goals still fail to address the fundamental problem of tourism in Hawaii: The islands, their environment, and infrastructure cannot support the sheer number of tourists visiting the islands. To address this, the State of Hawaii must cap the number of visitors it allows into the islands.

Within the United States, Hawaii is one of the most popular tourist destinations. Despite its relatively modest population, Honolulu is the seventh most-visited city in the United States, with a record 2.75 million tourists in 2019. At the time, around 216,000 jobs were directly involved in or depended on the tourism industry. The surplus of tourists in 2019 allowed the State of Hawaii to raise over two billion dollars in taxes, but these benefits aren’t without their consequences.

While tourism is the largest sector of the state’s economy, it is also the root cause of many of Hawaii’s fundamental problems. Tourists, who outnumber locals seven to one, severely strain the infrastructure designed for Hawaii’s small population. Perhaps the lack of water best illustrates this phenomenon. Currently, tourism accounts for 44.7 percent of total water consumption. While local residents suffer from droughts and face restrictions on watering their lawns or washing their cars, the tourism industry enjoys seemingly unfettered access to Hawaii’s water supply. The tourism industry also consumes a significant amount of energy. Researchers from the University of Hawaii at Mānoa found that at one point, hotels and their guests consumed around 60 percent of Hawaii’s fuel and electricity. Even facing the challenges to the tourism sector during the coronavirus pandemic, in 2020, hotels alone were responsible for 8.7 percent of electricity consumption on the island of Oahu. Tourists are also responsible for propagating an already dire affordable housing crisis. For decades, tourists have participated in illegal short-term vacation rentals, eager to capitalize on the islands’ popularity. Expensive rentals on Airbnb and VRBO, and rising prices of homes, condos and apartments make housing practically unaffordable for local communities. Even with surplus taxation from the tourism sector, most of the money from tourism unfortunately leaves the islands in the hands of shareholders of the Hilton, Marriott, and other multinational hospitality companies.

These issues led resident sentiment to turn on tourism in recent years. During Hawaii’s strict Covid-19 policies, some residents claimed that they “got their islands back” on account of the lack of tourists. But when the islands reopened, many called for continued controls on tourism. In July 2021, the Mayor of Maui, for example, asked airlines to pause their post-lockdown frenzy of flights. An additional 2022 survey found that 67 percent of Hawaii residents believed that their island was “being run for tourists at the expense of local people,” and 66 percent supported halting approval of new hotels, condos, and timeshares. This shift in attitude served as an inspiration for the HTA’s new destination management vision. 

One of HTA’s new destination management policies is educating tourists on the concepts of traveling pono (exploring with care) and mālama (to take care of). This change, however, arguably does nothing substantial to curb tourism’s greater effects. A recent effort by Hawaiian Airlines, for example, displayed a five minute video on being a “good tourist,” full of seemingly obvious reminders such as not approaching endangered species. But recent air incidents (such as Southwest Flight 1380, where passengers didn’t know how to use oxygen masks properly) illustrate that many people likely do not pay attention to the in-flight safety briefings. Most importantly, these “crash courses” fail to consider that even educated tourists are still tourists. 

Education isn’t the only nonanswer being propagated in discussions surrounding tourism  in Hawaii. One popular policy pushed by activists and politicians is the instatement of a tourist “green fee,” a $50 per visitor fee that would fund environmental conservation. This policy has already been implemented in other destinations in the Pacific, but their success is questionable. In the Micronesian nation of Palau, for example, a $100 “Pristine Paradise Environmental Fee” added to the cost of flights had little observable effect on the trend of tourism in Palau. In Hawaii, a territory that receives an average of 195 percent more (or an average of 7.45 million more) tourists a year than Palau, a green fee would certainly bring in revenue –about $400 million based on 2019 numbers–but would not do much to address the sheer number of tourists the islands see every year. 

Ultimately, the problem lies in the proximity that the mainland United States has to the island, facilitating the massive influx of tourists. Even amid a pandemic, visits to Hawaii skyrocketed when tourism reopened . Faced with a lack of hotel rooms and rental cars, tourists even resorted to renting out U-Hauls and camping on the beach, while local residents were ordered to decrease their water usage to provide for the resorts. No matter the barriers, economic or otherwise, tourists will flock to Hawaii. Ultimately, the solution to Hawaii’s tourism problem is for the government to step in and limit the amount of tourists allowed to travel to the islands. 

The most straightforward way for the government to limit tourists would be supplementing the proposed “green fee” with a “green cap” on tourists, a policy that has already been implemented  in Bhutan . The HTA and private organizations are already pursuing some similar policies on a smaller scale by enforcing a reservations policy for beaches and state parks in the islands, limiting the number of visitors to popular sites like Diamond Head. According to the CEO of HTA John De Fries, limiting visits to state parks reduces the daily tourist strain on these locations, “ protecting its natural environment and cultural sites.” A similar statewide implementation would reduce the strain on the existing infrastructure. Limiting visitors to Hawaii, however, does raise a cause for concern. As the largest single sector of Hawaii’s economy, a downsizing of tourism would have consequences for the state’s 242,000 employees in tourism, and could send a ripple effect through its connected industries.

Hawaii’s current relationship with tourism is unsustainable for the islands and their residents. But despite the well-intentioned efforts, policies, and proposals of the Tourism Authority and activist groups, these fail to address the root of the problem: tourists put immense pressure on Hawaii’s modest infrastructure–whether it be roads, water, or energy–and educating them or making them pay a fee does not change this. Ultimately, Hawaii must be seen through the words of Maui Mayor Michael Victorino: “a community first and a vacation destination second.” The State of Hawaii must put heavier emphasis on its community, even at the detriment of tourism. Until then, maybe rethink your vacation.

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The Impact Of Tourism On Hawaii’s Environment And Culture

Hawaii, a tropical paradise known for its breathtaking landscapes, vibrant culture, and warm hospitality, attracts millions of tourists yearly. While tourism has brought significant economic benefits to the islands, it has also raised concerns about its impact on Hawaii’s delicate environment and rich cultural heritage. This article will explore the effects of tourism on Hawaii’s environment and culture, examining both the positive and negative aspects.

Exploring the Effects of Tourism on Hawaii’s Environment

Tourism

Tourism has undeniably had a profound impact on Hawaii’s environment. On the one hand, it has contributed to preserving natural resources and supported conservation efforts. On the other hand, it has put immense strain on these resources, leading to detrimental consequences for local ecosystems and wildlife. Understanding these impacts is crucial for developing strategies to minimize the negative effects while maximizing the positive contributions of tourism.

Unraveling the Impact of Tourism on Hawaiian Culture

Tourism has influenced Hawaiian culture in myriad ways. It has played a crucial role in preserving and promoting traditional customs and practices while exposing them to the risk of commercialization and erosion. As we delve deeper into these topics, we must consider the role of tourism in fostering cultural exchange and understanding, as well as the potential consequences of unchecked commercialization and globalization.

Positive Contributions of Tourism to the Environment

Tourism

Tourism has significantly contributed to environmental preservation in Hawaii. For example, the revenue generated from ecotourism is often invested in conservation efforts, helping protect endangered species and restore damaged ecosystems. Furthermore, tourism has been instrumental in promoting environmental awareness and responsible travel. Visitors to Hawaii often learn about the importance of preserving the islands’ natural resources, encouraging them to adopt sustainable practices during their stay.

Additionally, the growth of ecotourism has spurred the creation of environmentally friendly accommodations and attractions. These establishments prioritize sustainability, reducing their carbon footprint and encouraging responsible tourism. As a result, the demand for eco-conscious travel options has grown, creating a positive feedback loop that drives the development of even more sustainable tourism initiatives in Hawaii.

The Threat Of Overtourism On Hawaii’s Fragile Ecosystems

Tourism

Despite its positive contributions, tourism also poses a significant threat to Hawaii’s fragile ecosystems. Overtourism has led to the degradation of precious natural resources, such as coral reefs and native forests. Increased foot traffic in sensitive areas can result in habitat destruction, pollution, and the displacement of native species.

Large resorts consume vast amounts of water and energy, exacerbating environmental challenges like scarcity and climate change. Moreover, the excessive use of water and energy by tourist facilities puts additional strain on Hawaii’s resources. The resulting consequences of over-tourism are difficult to ignore, and they necessitate a renewed focus on finding sustainable solutions.

Balancing Economic Growth and Environmental Sustainability

Tourism

Tourism is vital to Hawaii’s economy, providing jobs and revenue for the islands. However, the need for economic growth must be balanced with the imperative to protect the environment. Sustainable development is essential to ensure that Hawaii remains a thriving destination for future generations.

Collaboration between the government, local communities, and the tourism industry is crucial to achieving this balance. Implementing policies that promote sustainable practices, such as limiting visitor numbers in fragile areas and encouraging eco-friendly accommodations, can help mitigate the negative effects of tourism. Investing in renewable energy sources and public transportation systems can reduce the industry’s environmental footprint.

Tourism As A Catalyst For Cultural Exchange

Tourism

Tourism has played a significant role in fostering cultural exchange and understanding between Hawaiians and visitors. As tourists explore the islands, they learn about Hawaii’s rich history, customs, and traditions, leading to a deeper appreciation of its unique culture. This cultural exchange can revitalize traditional Hawaiian practices, such as hula dancing, lei making, and native language revitalization, as they are showcased to a global audience.

Tourists interacting with local communities develop a deeper respect for Hawaii’s customs and traditions, leading to a more meaningful and enriching travel experience. Hawaiians can share their stories and values, fostering a greater sense of cultural pride. Moreover, exposure to different cultures and perspectives can foster a sense of global unity and understanding.

The Commercialization Of Hawaiian Culture

Tourism

While tourism has helped to preserve and promote Hawaiian culture, it has also led to some negative consequences, such as commodification and cultural appropriation. Commercializing cultural elements, such as luaus and traditional crafts, can result in the loss of authenticity and the erosion of cultural identity. This commodification can also perpetuate stereotypes and misrepresentations of Hawaiian culture, further contributing to losing its unique character.

Preserving the integrity of Hawaiian culture while embracing the opportunities tourism offers is a delicate balancing act that requires ongoing attention and effort. Furthermore, the influx of tourists can lead to the erosion of local traditions and values as global influences overshadow indigenous practices. This cultural dilution can be particularly harmful to Hawaii’s younger generations, who may struggle to maintain a connection to their heritage in the face of rapidly changing cultural norms.

Promoting Sustainable and Culturally Respectful Tourism in Hawaii

Tourism

To minimize the negative impacts of tourism on Hawaii’s environment and culture, it is essential to promote sustainable and culturally respectful tourism practices. Visitors should be encouraged to engage with local communities, learn about the islands’ unique history and customs, and respect the natural environment by practicing responsible travel habits.

Collaboration between the government, local communities, and the tourism industry is crucial for implementing sustainable practices. By working together, stakeholders can ensure that tourism remains a positive force for Hawaii’s environment and culture. This collaboration can include developing educational programs for tourists, supporting eco-friendly accommodations and attractions, and creating policies that protect cultural heritage sites and natural resources.

Tourism Has Had Quite The Impact On Hawaii!

The impact of tourism on Hawaii’s environment and culture is a complex issue that presents both opportunities and challenges. While tourism has undoubtedly contributed to preserving and promoting Hawaiian culture and the environment, it has also put significant strain on these resources. As travelers, you must strive to be conscious and responsible visitors, positively impacting the places you visit. By embracing sustainable and culturally respectful tourism practices, you can help preserve Hawaii’s beauty and cultural richness for future generations.

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New study reveals tourists love Hawaiian coral reefs just a little too much

Researchers combine social media with aerial mapping of sea floor to find tourism negatively impacts coral reefs.

Tourists fill a Hawaiian beach.

Hawaiian coral reefs are popular tourist sites. This is cause for concern, as highly visited coral reefs are negatively impacted by elevated pollution, infrastructure and development, as well as on-reef visitation and the physical damages accrued through recreating tourists. Photo by Greg Asner

Coral reefs are vibrant ecosystems for marine life and provide vital environmental benefits for humanity, such as storm wave mitigation, bountiful fish stocks and ocean-based livelihoods. They are also a global attraction for tourists, drawing millions of visitors every year and billions of dollars in tourism revenue.

However, reef ecosystems are also as fragile as they are beautiful. Coral reefs are swiftly and steadily declining due to the combined effects of global warming and local human stressors. A new study by Arizona State University and Princeton University provides insights into the local impacts of tourist visitation on live coral cover, as well as the draw reefs can have for coastal visitation.

The study , published Jan. 9 in the journal Nature Sustainability, provides novel evidence that live coral reef cover is both an attraction for and victim of tourists at a large scale, raising complex trade-offs between environment and the economy.

Even though tourism revenue is a boon to the economy and can benefit reef preservation efforts, when unmanaged, increased tourism also negatively impacts the health of coral reefs directly, both through tourism-related development and pollution, as well as on-reef activities such as swimming, scuba diving and snorkeling.

“We took the world's first live coral maps and combined them with the power of social media and data analytics to derive wholly new information on the interaction between people and reefs,” said Greg Asner , co-author on the study and director of the ASU Center for Global Discovery and Conservation Science in the Julie Ann Wrigley Global Futures Laboratory .

“The results were astonishing to see at such a large geographic scale and yet also corroborative at the local scales in which some communities have voiced significant concern about coral reef tourism,” Asner said.

“ Coastal tourism is a multibillion-dollar industry and will increasingly feature in the future use of marine resources,” said Bing Lin, a doctoral student at Princeton University’s School of Public and International Affairs and lead author of the study. “It is only through an adequate understanding of tourism’s large-scale impacts on reef ecosystems that we can appropriately pinpoint pathways to make it more sustainable."

The research team created unique, high-resolution datasets collected at the archipelago scale across the state of Hawaii, a prime coastal tourism hotspot. To determine coastal visitation rates, Lin web-scraped hundreds of thousands of Instagram posts to quantify both on-reef and overall coastal visitation. To quantify live coral cover, the authors used a high-resolution airborne mapping and a machine learning procedure to map the seafloor, a method developed by Asner and colleagues. Lin then obtained additional information from the Ocean Tipping Points project and the Hawaii Statewide GIS Program on various metrics of site accessibility, human activity and water conditions to determine the relationship between tourist visitation and live coral cover across hundreds of coastal sites in Hawaii.

Plane flying over a coastline.

ASU researchers used high-resolution airborne mapping and a machine learning procedure to map the Hawaiian sea floor. This image shows the ASU Global Airborne Observatory in action. Photo by ASU

They found that high-quality coral reefs are popular tourist sites for both overall and on-reef specific visitation. At the most highly visited sites, coral reefs were also doubly at risk from tourism. They are indirectly impacted by the elevated pollution and infrastructure development it brings and directly impacted by on-reef visitation and the physical damages accrued through recreating tourists.

These findings provide new insights into the role of local human activities in impacting coral reef health, a finding only possible through the high-resolution, meter-scale mapping methods used in this study.

“Whether it's through our airborne program in regions like Hawaii or via our global reef monitoring program, we are constantly reminded that negative local-scale impacts are outpacing climate change-related impacts on coral reefs,” Asner said. 

“Local stressors to the world’s reefs are often overshadowed by the large, looming threat of global climate change and subsequent coral bleaching. However, our research underscores the importance of localized stressors in also contributing to coral decline,” Lin said.

This study also highlights the importance of both strong reef-protecting policies and coral restoration measures, especially at popular tourist sites across Hawaii and beyond. Higher rates of on-reef visitation occur when there is better reef quality, site accessibility and water quality. This suggests that potential synergies also exist in promoting stronger coastal management practices that can simultaneously improve both reef quality and revenues generated from tourism.

This study was supported through funding from the High Meadows Foundation and the Lenfest Ocean Program of The Pew Charitable Trusts.

Keely Swan with Princeton University contributed to this article.

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  • Smart Living

Native Hawaiians Are Asking For a Reduction in Tourism, and We Should Listen

Published on 9/2/2021 at 3:35 PM

Scenic views of Kauai from above. Keâ??e Beach is at the end of the road on the North Shore.

In 2014, my family traveled to the island of Oahu in Hawaii. I fondly recall climbing the dormant volcano Diamond Head, attending my first luau, and searching for a humuhumunukunukuapua'a while snorkeling in Hanauma Bay. All things considered, we were a typical "tourist family" seeking both adventure and knowledge as we navigated the island's hotspots.

Five years later, we were privileged enough to return, and this time we attempted to broaden our horizons and look for beaches , trails, and restaurants that were frequented by more locals than tourists. This approach to traveling has become an increasingly popular option for travelers today. Though this may seem harmless, there's been mounting concern among Native Hawaiians and locals about the ethics and sustainability of these tourism trends, and those feelings have only been exacerbated by the pandemic.

According to the 2021 Hawaii Tourism Authority's Resident Sentiment Survey, only 53 percent of Hawaiians feel that tourism has been more beneficial than harmful . "It's the lowest measure since we started taking the survey in 1988," Chris Kam, the president and COO of Omnitrak, told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser . Kam explained that some of the primary issues residents are facing include overcrowding, damage to the environment, and higher cost of living. Compounded together, it makes sense that attitudes toward tourism have become more and more negative, hence the calls for a decrease in travel.

According to the 2021 Hawaii Tourism Authority's Resident Sentiment Survey, only 53 percent of Hawaiians feel that tourism has been more beneficial than harmful.

In 2019, a record 10 million tourists visited Hawaii , a group of islands with a population of 1.5 million. A year after the pandemic halted travel, 2021's numbers are quickly approaching — and even surpassing — that rate, creating issues with overcrowding.

This summer, for example, the islands experienced a rental-car crisis . Companies like Hertz and Avis had sold portions of their fleets during the pandemic to save cash, decreasing the number of cars available by more than 40 percent , according to the Hawaii Tourism Authority (HTA). Then, as travel resurged, the issue of supply and demand created astronomical rental prices that were capping at $700 per day, compared to the prepandemic $50.

Shocked, some tourists began renting U-Hauls instead. This transportation loophole left a number of offices unable to provide equipment to locals who needed to move, prompting the HTA to release a statement saying they "[do] not condone visitors renting moving trucks and vans for leisure purposes."

The displacement of Native Hawaiian people has been a harmful runoff effect of overcrowding for years. Micah Doane, cofounder of the beach-cleaning nonprofit Protectors of Paradise, told The Guardian that his grandmother's family was evicted from the Makua Beach area during World War II so a military training facility could be built. Similarly, the building of luxury hotels has also been used to displace locals. Today, places like Makua Beach are frequented by resort guests who disregard the rules and leave behind excess waste. "You see every day these disrespectful people come and do whatever they want . . . It's to the point where it's kind of hurt an entire community," Doane said.

The pandemic had returned a sort of peace to the islands in which nature and wildlife were able to thrive. Without the usual influx of tourists, researchers from the University of Hawaii were able to see clearer waters, schools of larger fish, and monk seals at Hanauma Bay for the first time in years. Kyle Kajihiro, an activist and lecturer at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, told The New York Times that tourists tend to treat the islands like a "play land" and ignore their history and the residents' social-justice and environmental concerns. That's why we too often see trash left on beaches , coral reefs damaged by unapproved sunscreens, and sacred sites disrespected.

If not for the fact that countless endangered and threatened plant and animal species call the islands home, tourists should care about and respect the environment simply because Natives and locals are asking them to. Resorts are often owned and run by non-Hawaiians, whose interest in purchasing property (commercial or otherwise) is largely responsible for the state's high cost of living. Meanwhile, Native Hawaiians are disproportionately employed by the tourism industry in low-paying service jobs.

It's important to remember that as tourists, we get to experience the best our destination has to offer without dealing with the realities and stresses of everyday life for those who call Hawaii home.

During an interview with Hawaii News Now , Lawrence Boyd, an economist and associate specialist with the University of Hawaii Center for Labor Education, touched on the rampant economic inequality in Hawaii. "Basically what Hawaii has become is a preferred place for the international 1 percent to buy property ," he said. Today, the median price for a single-family home in Honolulu sits at $992,500 , while the median household income in Honolulu is $87,470 .

Together, it's easy to see how these conditions have led to Hawaii having the highest rate of homelessness per capita in the nation , with Native Hawaiians being disproportionately affected. "There historically hasn't been enough consideration for how tourism and tourists can contribute to making life sustainable and really livable for the locals who serve them here," Bryant de Venecia, a communications organizer for the workers' union in Honolulu, Unite Here Local 5, told The New York Times .

It's important to remember that as tourists, we get to experience the best our destination has to offer without dealing with the realities and stresses of everyday life for those who call Hawaii home. So before jumping on the next plane to experience your own White Lotus -style vacation , take some time to reflect on the role you would play on the islands and how that would affect the Native population and environment. As tourism continues to evolve based on people's needs, one of the best things we can do as visitors is respect the wishes of the locals who want to preserve their community, culture, and environment.

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  • Saturday, March 16, 2024
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Tourism slowdown contributes to lower economic growth in hawaii.

impacts of tourism in hawaii

CINDY ELLEN RUSSELL / FEB. 26

This year the state Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism expects visitor arrivals to reach 9.8 million, which is 5% below the peak 10.3 million out-of-state visitors that came to Hawaii in 2019. Loungers and umbrellas line the beach in Waikiki.

impacts of tourism in hawaii

Waikiki Beach Walk was quiet on a Monday morning in February.

impacts of tourism in hawaii

A woman waits to cross Royal Hawaiian Avenue at Kalakaua Avenue in Waikiki.

impacts of tourism in hawaii

STAR-ADVERTISER

“Our economy is going to grow slowly in 2024, and while it is not a recession, it will be slower than our growth last year and slower than the nation’s economic growth.”

Jimmy Tokioka

Director, state Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism

Visitor arrivals to Hawaii are not expected to fully recover until 2027, according to the latest economic forecast from the Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism. Read more

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Visitor arrivals to Hawaii are not expected to fully recover until 2027, according to the latest economic forecast from the Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism.

The overall theme of DBEDT’s first-quarter 2024 Statistical and Economic Report released Wednesday was continued lower economic growth in Hawaii, including tourism, which has lagged behind the recovery of the state’s overall economy.

In its latest forecast, DBEDT revised slightly upward its economic growth projections for 2024 to 1.5% of real gross domestic product from an earlier forecast of 1.3%. DBEDT’s projections for 2025-2027 remain at about 2% economic growth.

Still, that’s a drop in real GDP growth from the 4% or so that Hawaii has averaged over the past three years. Why does it matter? Put simply, real GDP is an inflation-­adjusted calculation reflecting the value of all the goods and serv­ices produced by an economy in a given year. A decrease in GDP signals that an economy is shrinking.

DBEDT Director Jimmy Tokioka said in a statement, “Our new forecast has three implications: (1) our economy is going to grow slowly in 2024, and while it is not a recession, it will be slower than our growth last year and slower than the nation’s economic growth; (2) it will take longer than expected for our economy to recover to the pre-pandemic level, about seven years for tourism and job recovery; and (3) the impacts of the Maui wildfires may last a few years and the impacts will continue to affect the other counties.”

The economic results reiterate that tourism, which in 2017 comprised at least 17.2% of the statewide economy, plays a major role in how Hawaii’s economy fares.

For instance, Hawaii’s real GDP in the third quarter of 2023, the latest estimate available, recovered to 97.7% of the same period in 2019, according to data from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. But Hawaii’s tourism sector was the drag with a recovery of about 90% of the 2019 level in the third quarter of 2023 compared to Hawaii’s nontourism sectors, which were fully recovered. The tourism sector includes transportation, retail trade, entertainment and recreation, accommodation, and food service industries

This year DBEDT expects visitor arrivals to Hawaii will reach 9.8 million. That’s less than 5% below the peak 10.3 million out-of-state visitors that came to Hawaii in 2019. Still, given the softening, DBEDT does not expect Hawaii tourism arrivals to fully recover until 2027 with 10.4 million visitors.

DBEDT has forecast that nominal visitor spending, which hasn’t been adjusted for inflation, will reach $21.4 billion this year and will increase to $23.7 billion by 2027. That compares to $20.78 billion in visitor spending in 2023, $19.70 billion in 2022, and $17.72 billion in 2019.

The DBEDT results were released as the Hawaii Tourism Authority and its stakeholders gathered for a virtual spring marketing update from HTA’s global marketing teams.

Mufi Hannemann, Hawaii Tourism Authority board chair, said during the HTA’s spring marketing update, “We have before us some unprecedented challenges, but I’ve always believed that every crisis presents an opportunity. Today it’s all about a tourism update where we will unveil what the proactive plans are for the Hawaii Tourism Authority.”

The pressure is on HTA’s global marketing teams to bolster Hawaii’s economy by stimulating travel demand, while ensuring that tourism’s impact does not outweigh the economic benefits.

“Today is all about learning more about our plans to bring back travel from our base market, the United States; Canada; our international markets, bringing more business here for our convention center,” Hannemann said. “Our pledge from the board to our marketing partners is that we’ll do whatever it takes — whether it’s seeking additional funding, whether it’s supporting their efforts, whether it’s helping with their messaging — to make sure that everyone understands, ‘Now is the time to return to Hawaii.’”

HTA’S newly formed stewardship team is headed by HTA Chief Stewardship Officer Kalanai Ka‘ana‘ana, who said branding and stewardship efforts must stay linked.

“Really when we think about it quite simply (stewardship) is about ‘How do we protect what makes Hawaii so special? How do we make sure that we as an industry can be more sustainable in what we do from an environmental standpoint as well as economic and justice and other (diversity, equity and inclusion) opportunities? And then again, how do we highlight and showcase the best that Hawaii has to offer?’”

Hannemann offered Makaukau (We are Ready) Maui as an example of a campaign that fuses branding with stewardship. Makaukau, which is part of HTA’s strategy to support Maui’s recovery, sends a message to visitors that Maui residents are now ready to welcome them.

“Makaukau Maui was an opportunity to convey a message of hope and of optimism — not only because we want to see economic recovery take place on that very special island with residents saying, in effect, that they want people to come back and experience what has made Maui so special through the years — the spirit of aloha, the warmth, the beauty of Maui. But it’s also an opportunity to give a psychological boost to a community that has been suffering incredibly,” he said. “We want to support the efforts of our Gov. Josh Green, of Maui Mayor Richard Bissen, the state Legislature, the (Maui) County Council — all pulling together in recognizing that this is the industry that is the revenue generator in the state.”

While travel from Hawaii’s core domestic markets continues to decline, recovery is underway for Hawaii’s international markets — albeit not at a level to fully offset the dampening in domestic arrivals.

Tokioka said, “Though it will take time for our economy to recover and grow, we see signs of improvement. The recovery of airlift from Japan and other international destinations is promising, and we saw the passenger count from Japan increase by 84% during the first two months of 2024 compared to the same period a year ago. As we expected, the passenger count from Japan in the first two months of 2024 reached more than 60% of the level from same period in 2019. We are hopeful that this trend will continue for the rest of the year.”

Eric Takahata, managing director for Hawai‘i Tourism Japan, said new campaigns for the market are pivoting away from Malama (take care of Hawaii) core brand messaging of the COVID- 19 and early-post COVID era.

“You’ll see our messaging start to get a little more aggressive and really just concentrating on returning the business as quick as possible,” Takahata said.

He said a campaign called Beautiful Hawaii was launched in October, and another called Yappari Hawai‘i (It’s Got To Be Hawaii) started over the holidays and has continued into the first quarter.

Branding in HTA’s other global markets focused more on the Malama campaign. However, the messaging was more welcoming than during the COVID-era, or in the aftermath of the Aug. 8 Maui wildfires, when government officials and celebrities initially told visitors to stay home.

Jay Talwar, chief marketing officer for Hawai‘i Tourism USA, said, “Our messaging strategy is really two-pronged: It continues to invite visitors to our destination. Show the benefits of a vacation in Hawaii versus other destinations before they’ve made that selection. And, once they have selected to come to Hawaii, share a bit more of the kuleana (responsibility) or education messaging with them pre-arrival.”

Some of the new marketing taglines are: “No filter necessary,” “POV: You’re on your way to Hawaii,” “Fresh Perspectives,” and “Hawaii Cuisine.”

Talwar said the latest social media campaigns, including one interactive creative that replicates the concept of a phone photo library, will come out in March. He added that videos will come out in June as part of the Malama campaign’s next phase.

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Public input sought to shape governance of tourism in hawai‘i.

For Immediate Release: March 13, 2024 HTA Release (24-06)

24-06 HTA Governance Study Survey_FNL.pdf

HONOLULU – A team engaged by the Hawai‘i Tourism Authority (HTA) is conducting research on how Hawai‘i can shape the governance of the state’s tourism industry for long-term success. As a part of this process, Better Destinations is seeking input from the community, stakeholders and visitor industry representatives throughout the state.

“Tourism remains our state’s top economic driver, fostering jobs and career growth for kama‘āina and ensuring the well-being of our communities,” said Mufi Hannemann, HTA board chair. “We are not resting on our laurels. We must continue to evaluate our current systems, adapt to improve efficiencies, and plan ahead to sustain a vibrant industry and future Hawai‘i.”

To provide the public with information about the governance study process underway, a website has been launched at https://hawaiitourismgovernance.com . It includes an online survey for the public to provide their input. Anyone who has an interest in Hawai‘i tourism is invited to take the survey and share their thoughts on the most important considerations for structuring the management of tourism.

“This effort to gather diverse viewpoints is just the first step in the process,” said Stephanie Iona, HTA board member and co-chair of the governance study permitted interaction group. “With the valuable insights we receive from our community, decision makers, industry stakeholders, and leaders across Hawaiʻi, the HTA board and our team will work to build a stronger, more regenerative tourism model for our sustainable future.” 

"We are bringing together local and global expertise to explore possibilities for creating a strong, responsive system of governance of Hawai‘i tourism," said Cathy Ritter, founder and CEO of Better Destinations LLC. "Most importantly, we are engaging with the true experts — those who have an interest in the future of Hawai‘i tourism — to identify the best approach for providing long-term guidance and support for a regenerative tourism economy that benefits people and communities across Hawai‘i."

Better Destinations is collaborating with Maui-based Karey Kapoi LLC to secure a wide range of input and participation in the study. The consulting team also includes Place Generation co-founders Frank Cuypers and Elke Dens, as well as Denise Miller, executive vice president for SMARInsights, a leading tourism research firm.

Set to be delivered in May, the study aims to determine whether an alternative tourism governance system is necessary, identify areas that need reform, and propose policy ideas and modifications to HTA’s Hawai‘i Revised Statutes, Chapter 201B, to ensure better governance. The study will also identify the organizational structure required to support the strategic direction. 

Better Destinations has already commenced engagement with tourism leaders and operators, government decision-makers, and representatives of community and cultural organizations on O‘ahu, Kaua‘i, Maui and the island of Hawai‘i. The team is also conducting interviews and meetings with HTA staff, board members, and stakeholders. A situation analysis will be shared in April describing the findings of desktop research, U.S. and international case studies of destination governance, interviews and workshops, and initial survey findings.

“The information gathered through this study will be instrumental in strategically managing tourism for the betterment of Hawai‘i’s people and communities throughout the state,” said Daniel Nāho‘opi‘i, HTA’s interim president and CEO. “This work of tailoring a governance structure that is designed specifically for Hawai‘i and our community’s needs is a large undertaking, and we encourage all residents to participate.”

For more information about the governance study, visit https://hawaiitourismgovernance.com .

Media Contacts:

T. Ilihia Gionson Public Affairs Officer Hawai‘i Tourism Authority (808) 973-2255 (o) [email protected]

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Hawai‘i Tourism Authority researching better tourism governance in Hawai‘i

impacts of tourism in hawaii

Community input is being sought on how tourism can be managed in Hawai‘i. To take part in a 10-minute survey, go here .

The Hawai‘i Tourism Authority has engaged a team to research how Hawai‘i can shape the governance of the state’s tourism industry for long-term success. As a part of this process, Better Destinations is seeking statewide input from the community, stakeholders and visitor industry representatives.

“Tourism remains our state’s top economic driver, fostering jobs and career growth for kama‘āina and ensuring the well-being of our communities,” said Mufi Hannemann, HTA board chair. “We are not resting on our laurels. We must continue to evaluate our current systems, adapt to improve efficiencies, and plan ahead to sustain a vibrant industry and future Hawai‘i.”

To provide the public with information about the governance study process underway, a website has been launched at hawaiitourismgovernance.com . It includes an online survey for members of the public to provide their input. Anyone who has an interest in Hawai‘i tourism is invited to take the survey and share their thoughts on the most important considerations for structuring the management of tourism.

“This effort to gather diverse viewpoints is just the first step in the process,” said Stephanie Iona, HTA board member and co-chair of the governance study permitted interaction group. “With the valuable insights we receive from our community, decision-makers, industry stakeholders and leaders across Hawaiʻi, the HTA board and our team will work to build a stronger, more regenerative tourism model for our sustainable future.”

“We are bringing together local and global expertise to explore possibilities for creating a strong, responsive system of governance of Hawai‘i tourism,” said Cathy Ritter, founder and chief executive officer of Better Destinations LLC. “Most importantly, we are engaging with the true experts — those who have an interest in the future of Hawai‘i tourism — to identify the best approach for providing long-term guidance and support for a regenerative tourism economy that benefits people and communities across Hawai‘i.”

Better Destinations is collaborating with Maui-based Karey Kapoi LLC to secure a wide range of input and participation in the study. The consulting team also includes Place Generation co-founders Frank Cuypers and Elke Dens, as well as Denise Miller, executive vice president for SMARInsights, a leading tourism research firm.

Set to be delivered in May, the study aims to determine whether an alternative tourism governance system is necessary, identify areas that need reform, and propose policy ideas and modifications to HTA’s Hawai‘i Revised Statutes, Chapter 201B, to ensure better governance. The study will also identify the organizational structure required to support the strategic direction.

Better Destinations has already started engagement with tourism leaders and operators, government decision-makers and representatives of community and cultural organizations on O‘ahu, Kaua‘i, Maui and the island of Hawai‘i. The team is also conducting interviews and meetings with HTA staff, board members and stakeholders. A situation analysis will be shared in April describing the findings of desktop research, US and international case studies of destination governance, interviews and workshops, and initial survey findings.

“The information gathered through this study will be instrumental in strategically managing tourism for the betterment of Hawai‘i’s people and communities throughout the state,” said Daniel Nāho‘opi‘i, HTA’s interim president and chief executive officer. “This work of tailoring a governance structure that is designed specifically for Hawai‘i and our community’s needs is a large undertaking, and we encourage all residents to participate.”

For more information about the governance study, visit here .

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Public input sought to shape governance of tourism

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impacts of tourism in hawaii

A team engaged by the Hawaii Tourism Authority is conducting research on how Hawaii can shape the governance of the state’s tourism industry for long-term success. As a part of this process, Better Destinations is seeking input from the community, stakeholders and visitor industry representatives throughout the state.

“Tourism remains our state’s top economic driver, fostering jobs and career growth for kamaaina and ensuring the well-being of our communities,” said Mufi Hannemann, HTA board chair, in a statement.“We are not resting on our laurels. We must continue to evaluate our current systems, adapt to improve efficiencies, and plan ahead to sustain a vibrant industry and future Hawaii.”

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To provide the public with information about the governance study process underway, a website has been launched at hawaiitourismgovernance.com.

It includes an online survey for the public to provide input. Anyone who has an interest in Hawaii tourism is invited to take the survey and share their thoughts on the most important considerations for structuring the management of tourism.

“This effort to gather diverse viewpoints is just the first step in the process,” said Stephanie Iona, HTA board member and co-chair of the governance study permitted interaction group. “With the valuable insights we receive from our community, decision makers, industry stakeholders, and leaders across Hawaii, the HTA board and our team will work to build a stronger, more regenerative tourism model for our sustainable future.”

Better Destinations is collaborating with Maui-based Karey Kapoi LLC to secure a wide range of input and participation in the study. The consulting team also includes Place Generation co-founders Frank Cuypers and Elke Dens, as well as Denise Miller, executive vice president for SMARInsights, a leading tourism research firm.

Set to be delivered in May, the study aims to determine whether an alternative tourism governance system is necessary, identify areas that need reform, and propose policy ideas and modifications to HTA’s Hawaii Revised Statutes, Chapter 201B, to ensure better governance.

The study will also identify the organizational structure required to support the strategic direction.

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