The weeks ahead could quietly decide what visiting Hawaii will be like in the years ahead. Starting August 25, residents from Kauai, the Big Island, Oahu, and Lanai will log into island-specific Zoom meetings to share their vision for how tourism should work in Hawaii and how it should differ from its current state. Maui and Molokai had already spoken earlier this week.
These aren’t just “talk story” sessions.
The Hawaii Tourism Authority states that it will utilize this feedback to update its Strategic Plan, Tourism Functional Plan, and the Destination Management Action Plans that guide each of the islands. Those DMAPs were initially rolled out amid much controversy between 2020 and 2021, with promises to put residents first, protect cultural and natural resources, and move beyond the ‘more visitors at any cost’ model.
That was also before HTA’s role was reduced earlier this year, leaving it primarily advisory and without direct control over tourism funding or enforcement. The agency can recommend, but it is now largely up to the governor, the counties, and other state departments to decide what happens. An April 2025 state audit (below) did not hold back, stating that HTA lacked the follow-through, measurement, and structure to make its earlier promises a reality.
We have previously discussed how the DMAP process sparked controversy from the outset. Many residents supported ideas like timed entry, visitor caps, or fees to protect natural and cultural sites.
However, others criticized the plans as government overreach, anti-visitor, or a thinly veiled way to favor high-spending travelers over the “average” ones.
Visitors and even some returning residents told us in hundreds of comments that they felt unfairly targeted, nickel-and-dimed, or simply unwelcome after years of loyalty to Hawaii. Some said they would gladly pay reasonable fees if the money were truly spent on site upkeep, parking, and restrooms, while others pointed to years of neglected facilities and asked, “Where does all the money go?”
At the same time, locals questioned whether the responsibility for bad behavior should be solely attributed to visitors, noting that residents also contribute to litter, environmental damage, and overcrowding. Others warned that constant fee increases and new rules risk creating an “us versus them” atmosphere that benefits no one.
With that history, these new meetings are being watched closely to see whether the input actually leads to a balanced plan that preserves Hawaii’s resources, respects resident quality of life, and still welcomes visitors who value the islands.
What this could mean at places you visit.
If you have been caught in the crawl to Kailua Beach on a Saturday morning, waited for a parking space at Waimea Canyon, or been told you cannot get into Hanauma Bay during your vacation, you already know why these plans matter.
Changes on the table could include expanding timed entry to high-demand sites as well as visitor caps, mandatory pre-arrival cultural orientation, and even higher fees for specific locations.
Some readers have said they would gladly pay more for a quieter, more authentic experience. Others warn it risks turning a Hawaii vacation into a patchwork of reservations and rules that only appeal to the highest bidder.
Balancing Hawaii tourism for both guests and hosts.
One reader put it bluntly: “We want to keep coming, but we also want to feel welcome.” Others have suggested that residents should have first access to popular spots or that certain days should be visitor-free. There is also strong sentiment for reinvesting fees directly into site maintenance, cultural programs, and resident benefits, rather than into general funds.
On Oahu, that might mean fixing congestion at Diamond Head’s entry. On Kauai, it could involve balancing access to the iconic North Shore. On Hawaii Island, it could mean new rules at Mauna Kea that respect both culture and science.
HTA’s credibility test is now.
In the past, HTA has emphasized destination management while still relying heavily on marketing campaigns that pull in the opposite direction. The new Strategic Plan for 2026–2030 will be the first crafted in the wake of Hawaii’s pandemic recovery, the Lahaina wildfire, and major airline mergers — all of which have reshaped who comes, how they spend, and what strain the islands feel.
This is the moment for HTA to prove it can turn community input into real action. Get it right, and visitors could see a Hawaii that feels more balanced, less crowded, and more respectful of what makes the islands unique. Get it wrong, and it’s just another round of big promises, slick brochures that please no one, and little to show on the ground.
We welcome your comments on what you think should happen.
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Tourism is not the problem – to the wonderful people of Hawaii, we support you everytime we visit. Please support us visiting and contributing significantly to your economy.
I am a resident of Hawaii. I have never had a problem with tourists. I welcome them and show Aloha. I don’t feel that people who come here to live show Aloha. I feel they brought the mainland with them. I wish they hadn’t come.
I feel the same. I love watching tourists enjoy our beautiful island. The vast majority are so respectful and excited, with eyes filled with wonder. Makes me so proud. I have also noticed the same as you about transplants vs lifelong residents. The “I’ve got mine, now go away” syndrome.
Aloha Robbie. I believe that is a fair statement. I moved to Florida 23 years ago and it was wonderful. People were kind, etc. since then we had an infusion from Northeast states buying 6 houses a weekend and bringing their bad manners. Time was a little wave to get in a line of cars was ok. Everyone talked about paradise and island time. No more. It has become a rude, horn honking, middle finger area intent on extracting the last dollar. Sound familiar? So, courtesy and caring is being lost everywhere. My vacation to Hawaii was wonderful. Great people, great area, but it seems things are changing everywhere. Aloha, and keep the good vibes alive.
Transplants to Florida are a completely different breed of folk from transplants to Hawaii, IMO. I don’t feel that our transplants are particularly rude or discourteous here.
Just got back from oahu. Hawaii has bigger problems they need to take care of first. Dozens of people sleeping/living on the beach in front of the park next to the Hilton Hawaiian Village doesn’t make a person feel like they are vacationing in paradise and neither does a young woman dead on the sidewalk across from Macy’s.
Whaaat? Really dead, no police called? And not sure where the “park next to..” is, u talking about fort derussy or something closer?
All cities having the samo,
problems. Hawaii is no different just that it is concentrated and more intense when you witness it happening on a concentrated island versus another State ☠️
Sadly, our last visit to Hawaii will probably be in 2027. We typically spend a week on Oahu, a week on the Big Island, and 10 days in Maui. I’ve spent 9 years in Hawaii, over the years. My wife was born there, and our two kids were both born there. As a kid, I lived at Fort Ruger (1961-64), right on the slopes of Diamond Head. We used to climb the volcano from the outside, not inside. You can still see the trails we took. On our last visit this year, we couldn’t ever get into Diamond Head. Found out you now have to make reservations. Anyway, we quickly found out that Hawaii is full of regulations and extra costs to enforce those regulations. Driving on H-1 is much like traffic in LA. Just a frigging zoo. We’ve never had any problems with locals. Found out years ago that if you treat people with respect and friendliness, they’ll respond in kind.
Not sure I agree with you. I recommend not asking more of Hawaii’s government. They should not use taxpayer dollars to pay for housing. Just require additional property taxes of $1,000,000 annually to those who don’t live in their dwellings. That’ll force the market down. But, neither realtors nor the politicians their donations support will do this. Keep the government out of markets. They can’t help but make a bigger mess.
We were appalled at the amount of trash dumped on the roadside in Maui when we visited in July. I’ve been vacationing in the islands for decades & this was the worst I’ve seen it. The dumping was old appliances, bags of clothes, household goods. Obviously things dumped by residents, not tourists.The worst location was on the roadside leading to the landfill entry. Seriously, couldn’t you go that last mile to actually put your trash in the landfill?
You’ve made what was once a relaxing vacation now a series of scheduled events on a strict itinerary that I get the privilege of paying fees to help you keep your home clean. Until you show pride of ownership and allow me to have a more relaxing vacation, I’ll take my dollars to a new destination where I’m made to feel welcome.
Money has never been an issue, the State of Hawaii recieves a diaporportionate amount of Federal Funding relative to population and area. The issue is corruption. Hawaii has the lowest transparency of any US State around government spending and contracts. It is well known that contracts go to family, costs are always doubled and that Tax Money is grifted. This is not mysterious, we all see the reaults firsthand. Like that new Hawaii County Building that fell over in the Wind a few years back. How does a one story building, wider than it is tall, fall over in the wind? Corruption.
How does the Island of Hawaii get completely infested with Little Fire Ants while millions are being misspent?
Corruption and graft.
How is it that Hawaii recieves more Federal Hiway Funding than Rhoad Island, Connecticut and Vermont Combined yet there are no actual Freeways?
Graft, corruption, greed.
And lets talk about the roads that are there.
All of this sounds like hogwash. Hint: rich people do not “visit” Hawaii, they buy investment property to rent to tourists.
This ideaology developing is destructive. If the State of Hawaii wants to take action, they need to first build excess subsidized housing to create a market surplus and cripple the high pricing paradox.
Do not play dumb with me. What is being described will result in an uphill price climb across the board. Parking at beaches and destinations is an issue, so build some damn parking lots. This BS has got to stop. You throw the baby out the window with the bathwater. Everyone has bills to pay, and if the tourists even decline 3% people will starve in the streets.
There are bigger issues like controlling Little Fire ants, widening roads and school teams need nice uniforms. So Permanently Lay off 50% of All State Employees to start. Then we deal with state contractors and equal buidling codes
Start with the “governor”.
Rich people do not need to rent to tourists, and prefer not to.
We be angry here? Some rich people do, in fact, rent their large homes out to tourists who can afford it and thus bring in More Money for themselves. Win win to them.