Hawaii’s pivot from marketing travel to managing it was supposed to be a turning point. Instead of chasing after more visitors, the state would finally focus on preserving what matters most: its natural beauty, cultural heritage, and community quality of life. The Destination Management Action Plans were sold as a reset—a way to involve residents and guide travelers more thoughtfully.
However, a blistering new audit by the Hawaii Tourism Authority (HTA) says the system fell apart almost from the start. The plans lacked structure, failed to address key problem areas, and spent public funds with little oversight or any measurable results. Now, questions are piling up fast—not just about the uncertain plans, but about the people who were behind them.
What actually happened, according to the audit.
According to the May 2025 report by the Office of the Auditor, the system was poorly planned and inconsistently managed. Many funded actions were already in place, unrealistic, or failed to address the most urgent issues. In some cases, there wasn’t even clarity on who was responsible for executing the work, a pattern previously raised in Hawaii Tourism Overhaul: What Visitors Should Expect.
One project provided reusable water bottles to guests at five Maui hotels. Another cleaned up a site on Kauai that wasn’t open to the public. A third funded a coloring book about deforestation, aimed at hotel guests.
Meanwhile, few hot spot areas saw meaningful mitigation. The agency’s internal tracker frequently logged meetings or vague discussions as signs of progress. There were no clear benchmarks, consistent metrics, or accountability.
One reader said, “If these plans didn’t fix anything, what was the point? Why not just be honest about where visitors can go, and manage it like other global destinations do?”
Leadership trouble deepens the crisis.
Just days after the audit first dropped, Isaac Choy, a top executive responsible for finance and administration, was placed on leave following complaints of workplace misconduct. It was the latest in a long string of high-level shakeups, including the controversial departure of former CEO John De Fries and growing calls from the legislature down for restructuring the agency entirely.
One Beat of Hawaii reader put it bluntly: “HTA has been a mess for a while, so maybe this shift under DBEDT is overdue. Still, it’s strange that the Governor gets the final say while the board is sidelined. That’s Hawaii.”
In another comment, a reader wrote, “When corruption hits, it’s time to reorganize and try something new. Same result, same story, nothing to be happy about.”
These aren’t outliers. They reflect a growing sentiment that trust in the state’s tourism leadership has eroded—and that the system designed to balance visitor impact with resident well-being is no longer working.
What Hawaii’s bold visitor plans were supposed to do.
The Destination Management Action Plans, or DMAPs, were introduced in 2021 as a response to rising tensions over overtourism. During the pandemic shutdown, residents saw a different side of Hawaii—empty beaches, clear trails, and the feeling that the islands belonged exclusively to those who live there. Few wanted to go back to packed parking lots, overcrowded beaches, and trail erosion.
The plans claimed they would manage visitor flow, protect sensitive areas, and guide travelers toward more respectful experiences. Hot spots like Waikiki, Hanauma Bay, Lanikai, Kailua, and Diamond Head were flagged for urgent attention. Strategies like reservation systems, crowd control, and signage were on the table.
More importantly, the plans were designed to include the community. Residents, cultural leaders, and local businesses participated in vision sessions and working groups. It was marketed as a ground-up solution.
Residents and visitors deserve more than this.
Many locals feel that what was pitched as a community-first effort served corporate interests. Some say the entire program looked better on paper than it performed in reality.
One observer active in Hawaii’s overtourism debates noted that the plans lacked benchmarks, failed to define how many visitors each island could realistically accommodate, and ignored the deeper costs of tourism, from erosion and traffic to the loss of neighborhood businesses. The concern wasn’t just about what was promised, but about where the money actually went.
As one Beat of Hawaii reader put it: “If we got rid of the tourism agency, we could save $56.7 million. Do we really need to spend that much to promote a destination people already dream about?”
The audit echoed these frustrations. It found that despite a shift toward destination management, very little changed in how funds were allocated or tracked. A new slogan does not equal a new strategy.
The HTA responds cautiously.
At a May board meeting, interim president and CEO Caroline Anderson acknowledged the audit’s findings and said the agency had already begun conducting internal reviews. She noted that new plans would include clearer metrics and performance targets to track progress and outcomes better.
Anderson also emphasized that input from residents continues to shape future strategies. The agency maintains that community involvement is essential to rebuilding trust and guiding long-term tourism management.
Others involved in past planning efforts expressed concerns about how the audit was conducted. At least one participant from Maui said their group had strong opinions, worked hard, and saw real progress. Several people questioned why the audit did not include interviews with more of those who were actively involved.
While the report clearly outlined flaws in the process, these reactions highlight multiple perspectives on what worked—and what didn’t.
A possible new direction for marketing Hawaii?
The Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement, which oversees a separate destination stewardship contract, has signaled interest in taking on a broader role, including tourism marketing. CEO Kuhio Lewis said the group’s work in cultural preservation, economic development, and workforce training aligns naturally with visitor education and destination management.
With more than 1,400 members statewide, CNHA believes it is well-positioned to deliver place-based, community-driven solutions. Whether the state agrees remains to be seen, but a shift of this scale could significantly reshape the future of Hawaii travel.
Visitors, too, are watching this unfold.
Travelers aren’t just reading headlines. A huge number of Beat of Hawaii readers are asking hard questions about where their money goes and whether the Hawaii they love is changing in ways that make them feel unwelcome.
One longtime reader and repeat visitor wrote, “Hawaii’s main industry is tourism, so you’d think the state would be good at the one thing that keeps the islands going. Instead, the people in charge keep proving otherwise.”
Another shared that after more than a dozen visits, the experience feels different: “Higher costs, more rules, and the sense that tourists aren’t really wanted anymore. We’re not sure we’ll keep coming back.”
A third asked plainly, “If all this money is being spent on managing tourism, why does it feel worse every time we return?”
These aren’t isolated complaints. They reflect growing uncertainty among travelers who once felt a strong connection to Hawaii, and are now reconsidering what that relationship looks like.
So what now for Hawaii?
The HTA is developing its next strategic plan, due by November. This time, Anderson said, it will include measurable targets, regular tracking, and more transparent reporting. The question is whether anyone is still listening or has already moved on.
The audit has made clear that Hawaii’s tourism problems are no longer just about visitor numbers. It’s about overtourism, rising resentment, cultural commercialization, environmental strain, social media disrespect, exploding visitor costs, out-of-control taxes and fees, and the growing sense that visitors are unwelcome or exploited.
It’s also about trust, transparency, spending, leadership, and whether anyone is truly accountable for the decisions shaping the islands’ future. Residents question who benefits from tourism revenue. Visitors question where their money goes. And both wonder why, after years of warnings, the same problems persist. What started as a fix has now become a warning—and a reflection of deeper issues that go far beyond any one plan.
The state audit recommended that Hawaii’s tourism leaders do something they’ve long avoided: set specific benchmarks, define success, and publicly report their progress. It called out HTA’s “absence of reliable performance tracking,” its “failure to measure impacts,” and even internal trackers were filled out inconsistently and eventually abandoned. Perhaps most damning, the audit concluded that HTA “evades accountability for destination management efforts that have failed to achieve goals”.
Hawaii still has time to get this right. But it will take more than meetings, slogans, or fixes no one asked for. It will take leadership, clarity, and a willingness to rebuild something that truly serves residents and those who visit with care.
What should Hawaii do next to protect its future and still welcome those who love the islands? We invite your comments.
Read the full 2025 State Audit of the Hawaii Tourism Authority (PDF)
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I’m sixth generation in Hawaii. The whole ” it’s our land, it’s our island, no one else can have any” has to stop. There has to be balance between graciously accepting visitors and hating on them; telling them in social media they shouldn’t come because “fill in the blank”. I grew hearing the hating, and now it seems to a bad habit. Locals: this is your biggest most successful industry. Tourists: yes, treat the islands with respect and be aware of your eco footprint. I loved, as a young adult, the teachings of the spirit of Aloha.
The selfishness and rudeness of some locals has been endemic for many, many years, but it could be alleviated by continuing to teach the spirit of Aloha. Tourists being welcomed are more likely to treat the islands with respect. Honey catches more flies than vinegar.
This isn’t going to improve until the voters speak. HI is 98% run by one political party. They care about only one goal. Improving their personal net worth. Where is the usual loyal opposition? Start at the top. Elect a Governor that isn’t part of the current ruling Junta.
As a tourist who loves Hawaii and has been to all the islands since she was a little girl and is now 72, give tourists a task to help the islands: clean up a trail, food distribution, etc. Have an easy to sign up form. That way we have a stake in Hawaii too.