By: Gerelyn Terzo of Sharemoney
Hawaii has a history of attracting millions of visitors every year, especially before COVID-19 rolled around. While this has been a boon for the economy, it has also placed an extraordinary burden on the infrastructure and natural environment as the capacity of beaches and roadways has been pushed to the brink. In response, Hawaiian tourism officials, many of whom are from the islands themselves, are making sustainable tourism a priority by crafting strategies to protect and preserve their heritage.
Source: Hawaii Tourism Authority/Twitter
In 2019, the Hawaiian Islands attracted over 10 million visitors who traveled by air or cruise ships. By way of comparison, Hawaii’s population is just 1.5 million. By one estimate, tourists spent close to $18 billion in that year, generating tax revenue of more than $2 billion and ensuring employment for locals working in the sector. On the flip side, however, this influx of people placed an overwhelming burden on local hot spots, communities, infrastructure, and natural resources. It pitted visitors against locals, both of which found themselves competing for space at beaches, parks, and public amenities.
While the health crisis has certainly thrown a wrench into global travel, Hawaii has been among the earliest travel destinations to rebound. The pent-up demand for travel came to a head in the summer of 2021 when tourism levels surpassed those from pre-pandemic days. Now Hawaiian officials are on the offense to protect their natural environment, communities, and livelihood through sustainable tourism.
The Hawaii Tourism Authority, which is comprised of locals, not corporate outsiders, has the island state’s best interests in mind. The HTA has received feedback from several industries, including agriculture and hospitality, in charting the course ahead of the state’s four local governments for more sustainable tourism in the coming years. Their approach is to strike a balance between keeping the locals informed and educating tourists on how to ensure a more sustainable future for Hawaii, from keeping the water clean to reducing traffic.
Steps to Sustainability
Before the pandemic, travelers could take spontaneous excursions while visiting Hawaii. As a result, it wasn’t unusual for tourists to flock to the most popular sites all at once, like Laniakea Beach on Oahu’s North Shore, where Hawaiian green sea turtles feast. This strained local communities, particularly on the highways, where traffic jams limited islanders’ autonomy. While Hawaii legally can’t limit the number of tourists into the state, they have used the health crisis as a catalyst to make changes toward a more sustainable future.
These days, tourist attractions in the state are limiting the number of visitors per day and requiring visitors to make reservations anywhere from a day to a month ahead of time. Local officials are looking to cut down on traffic and are encouraging shuttle rides. They are also tacking on parking fees for tourists, a revenue stream designed to maintain the sites. Oahu is looking to implement a tourism fee for all arrivals in The Aloha State, which would likely be similar to the fee model in Galápagos and Palau in the neighborhood of $100.
So far, a visitor tax has seen the light of day in Honolulu, through which the city is poised to receive $86 million in annual revenue, a percentage of which would go toward supporting natural resources. The Honolulu City Council passed this tax at its last meeting of 2021, and Mayor Rick Blangiardi has since placed his John Hancock on the bill, resulting in a 3% surcharge for visitors accessing short-term rentals such as hotels and Airbnbs. This is on top of an existing statewide 10.25% hotel room tax.
In Kauai, to hike the Kalalau Trail, one of Hawaii’s main islands, non-residents must make a reservation and obtain a permit for overnight stays. Maui’s Waiʻānapana State Park similarly has a reservation requirement, as do about 12 of the state’s most popular parks. Oahu’s Hanauma Bay Nature Preserve slashed its daily capacity limits in the wake of COVID-19 from 3,000 to 720 and boosted the fees to visit.
A longstanding rule at this park has been for first-time visitors to watch an educational video that teaches about marine life and preservation. The park is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays so that the ecosystem can recuperate. The results are evident The Outrigger Hospitality Group’s Sean Dee is quoted by Bloomberg as saying,
“The water is cleaner, visitors are educated, and the revenues help manage the bay.”
Hawaii’s push toward sustainable travel also includes incorporating local ingredients into the cuisine, such as breadfruit from the ulu tree. In addition, tourists arriving in Honolulu may still receive a lei, but don’t be surprised if it comprises flowers native to the islands instead of imported orchids.
Mark Zuckerberg’s Hawaiian Real Estate
Incidentally, Mark and Priscilla Zuckerberg, who own a residence on Kauai’s North Shore, recently purchased an additional 100-plus acres of land on the island. The land includes the controversial Ka Loko reservoir, where in 2006 a dam broke amid heavy rains, releasing hundreds of millions of gallons of water and killing seven people on the north shore.
Not all the locals are thrilled about having the Facebook founder as their neighbor. The famous couple constructed a wall around their property that obstructs the public’s view of the beach. The Zuckerbergs are defending their intentions in Kauai, saying they are looking to “promote conservation, produce sustainable agriculture and protect wildlife.” Their latest real estate purchase brings the total number of acres they own on the island to over 1,400.
Short-Term Pain, Long-Term Gain
Hawaii relies on tourism for more than 20% of its economic activity. The longer that the pandemic and its variants linger, the tougher the recovery will likely be for a state so heavily dependent on tourism. Hawaii continues to use the global situation to create a more sustainable future, and while there is no crystal ball, the long-term benefits could offset any short-term setbacks.