Change had been brewing in Hawaii travel for years. Covid was the catalyst to fast-forward the inevitable.
133 thoughts on “Hawaii Travel Re-Boot Underway: Will This Work?”
Comments are closed.
Change had been brewing in Hawaii travel for years. Covid was the catalyst to fast-forward the inevitable.
Comments are closed.
There’s 1 end game you don’t want in Hawaii; it’s crept in & very difficult to stop. Wealthy are buying up property, often site-unseen, diminishing available supply, increasing property taxes & driving property costs so high that locals find it more difficult to live there.
I live in a special area on the mainland that is well into that phase. Prop. values increased by more than 3-400% in 2 years, leaving no place for employees to live, negatively impacting tourism & lives of the locals – Thanks
I find that limiting Airbnb on Oahu to 30 day stays only is harmful to those of us who cannot travel to Hawaii for that long a stay. You have shut me out of staying in AirBnb’s and I will not pay for substandard service and accomodations in hotels at the exhorbitant prices they command. I will take my tourism dollars elsewhere.
I agree. The 30 day minimum is a stupid law when the average American gets a 2 or 3 week vacation. Once again, catering to the wealthy.
I just recently returned from Maui- i thought everywhere I went- covid protocol was excellent- of course the world over not everyone follows the rules but that’s life-I plan a trip to Hawaii every year as the welcoming you get and on the whole the excellent service – makes a vacation so relaxing in Hawaii so worthwhile- I really valued the fact that one had to be tested prior to arrival. The health of tourists and people of Hawaii should be respected by all. Thank you
My husband and I have been traveling to Hawaii together since 1999. We have visited Oahu, Maui, Kauai and Hawaii Island. Over the last 10 years we have noticed the number of visitors has been escalating. I understand why Hawaii residents are overwhelmed by the numbers even though the state needs the tourism industry. My question for years is why do “they” keep building hotels etc. for visitors to stay? If you limit the numbers of rentals you limit the number of people that can come.
Being born in Hawaii, and part Hawaiian we have made it our custom to return every February to visit family and friends. Covid has made it a lot more difficult to return home for our annual visit. I hope that our Government Officials don’t make it even more difficult than it already is. Perhaps they could consider having a program for those of us that were born and raised here. Some type of program for returning residents. We leave small footprints and enjoy visiting our family and friends.
My mother lives in Hawaii, and until Covid hit, I’d been visiting 2-3 times a year since late 2006. I always have been aware that the islands need not to be treated simply as a vacation resort, but thanks to the pandemic, I recognize even more clearly how visitors impact the state and its residents. So I won’t stop visiting but am very open to whatever changes are necessary to help me and others like me behave with more awareness and respect.
Let me start by saying we love Hawaii and never encountered the feeling of not being wanted there. Been 10 years in a roll except last year due to Covid. Our first year I was amazed at the abandon cars along roads, run down houses and so many homeless people all the problems the mainland has. I believe the locals cause just as much damage as visitors. Visited Aruba this year it was easier, it was closer, the beaches are just as beautiful, cheaper and many locals thanked us. Felt appreciated!
Yup. Hawaii, continue down this path and everyone will pick a different vacation place that is more cost effective and where they feel welcome. Cancun comes to mind for me. It is only 2 hours away and they are overjoyed to see. Your visitor count will go down, your traffic will be better and your land will perhaps recuperate. You will though, have to up your social welfare programs to take care of the huge percentage of people put of work that relied on tourists and their dollars.
I would like to see a more controlled approach to redevelopment. There seems to be an unfettered welcome to those who want to knock down historic Hawaii and produce a Californification. Hawai’i needs to preserve its identity and history in its approach to tourism and migration.
Questions that beg answers, & no doubt input will be many faceted, especially between visitors & residents. Bottom line: tourism IS Hawaii’s lifeblood. That could change maybe, but it would be nearly miraculous to do so.
Hawaii is my favorite place: it’s people, the language, the music, hula kahiko, the beauty, food, whales, etc., etc. I adore it all. So much so I have invested a great deal (to me) of money into a few weeks at a top timeshare so that I can spend a few weeks most years there.
I have enjoyed visiting Hawaii many times over the past years. Even owned Hawaii real estate. Unfortunately, I believe that the local government has handled covid in a very flawed, draconian manner. Got out of the real estate this year, don’t plan to be back. I am pessimistic on the future of Hawaii tourism. Too many other great places in the US and the world that compete without all the over head. Good luck.