1,090 thoughts on “Hawaii Visitors and Residents Whipsaw in 1,000 Comments”
Edgar S.
Tourists are welcomed as far as I’m concerned, but too many tourists can be harmful to our resources and culture. Corporate greed and greedy vacation rental owners need to reigned in.
No more hotel rooms and ban all vacation rentals. Limit the number of available rental cars. Let’s face it…this is not the Hawaii of old. Aloha spirit is disappearing, crime is increasing, the influx of non-Hawaiians or Hawaiians at heart have changed the culture forever and it will never come back. Keep tourists housed in Waikiki or other strategically placed locations, provide better mass transportation so they can explore the islands, kick out homeless from Waikiki and keep them out. Increase police presence to protect everyone from criminals. Is this too much to ask?
Jim B
I’ve been a tourist in many places, and a local in a few, but only in Hawaii have I ever experienced such courtesy. One of two young boys at the McD’s by Makaha nearly fell over backwards to get back to the door to hold it open when he saw my wife and myself leaving after them. One night in H1 traffic the driver behind us turned his headlights off when he noticed us trying to block the reflection in our mirrors. A homeless fellow let us borrow his very expensive binoculars to watch whales, never asked for a nickel, and warned us about the drug people. Maybe these aren’t considered locals by some, but they weren’t tourists, and even if they had been tourists I’m guessing that most people are more courteous when in Hawaii than anywhere else. The only place where Aloha is more than a word.
Debbie R
I’ve been blessed to have been a visitor to the islands more times than I can count, and I’ve only ever had true Aloha kindness shown by the locals. It’s by far the most peaceful vacation we ever take and I’d never do anything to not show Aloha right back. To Hawaiian residents, thank you for opening up your home to us! 🌺
Debi S
We love Hawaii, and I have friends who live on Hawaii island and on Oahu (I met them while they were living and working here in the Bay Area before they returned home). They were born there and over the years have related how proud they are of their native heritage and how much the land means to them. One thing I hear over and over again is “Malama ‘aina”. So when we are privileged to visit, we try to be as respectful to both the land, people and culture.
As far as “entitled tourists” go, we have them here, too. We see the same inconsiderate behavior of trespassing, tossing litter, rude driving, returning used goods, etc., especially in Lake Tahoe. Not sure if it is a generational thing or just a breakdown in the culture, but it seems to be everywhere.
I’d like to think that my hubby and I fall in Group 1 (as Carol S mentioned in her post). And we always feel welcomed. BTW, as a tourist, I hate the crowded roads on Maui too! So we try to time our driving around commute hours and other events so we don’t add to the frustration of the locals who are just trying to get to their jobs.
Mahalo for the videos and asking for comments. Much aloha to all – and may Hawaii see the end of the pandemic soon and be safe.
Anyway,
Beat of Hawaii
Hi Debi.
Thanks. You have friends on Kauai now too.
Aloha.
Debi S
Thanks Rob and Jeff! I’m honored. Aloha.
tea
Aloha all! I’ve lived on Big Island (1987), visit (all the islands) several times a year and I always wished that visitors would approach Hawaii as a “foreign” country. What I mean by that is when we travel internationally we (or we should) respect the culture, the language, the archeological and natural resources – unfortunately many visitors treat these beautiful islands like their own back yard. An island is a very fragile piece of land. There are cultures and protocols that need to be respected. All the time. Be kind. Treat the islands gently and respectfully. Treat those that live on the islands with kindness, courtesy and you’ll get that in return. Malama ‘aina – respect the land.
Beat of Hawaii
Hi Tea.
Thank you.
Aloha.
Aunty H
I love tourists because tourists love Hawaii. That is the reason they come here. However, we have based our economy on tourism and catering to tourists needs, which sells out the Hawaii that we used to have.
Perhaps this mandated break can start the process of creating a vision for our future Hawaii by our leaders. Instead of being swayed by the loudest voices or the most powerful for profit pushers, decide right now what our Hawaii can be. Filled with more high rises for the ultra wealthy and more fake activities to keep tourists happy, or preserve the aloha and beauty of the islands with a master plan of lower heights at our shores, more agricultural spaces, a compromise with respecting the Hawaiian culture and still embracing visitors to our homes and land. We need government mandates for that – keep Hawaii beautiful should be the 1st and main criteria. The tourists will probably like that better than us becoming another Miami.
Lee D.
I have been to Hawaii 7 or 8 times over the last 15 years, starting when my boys were fairly young. I have never felt like a tourist, and always tried to be friendly and respectful to hotel staff and shop keepers. I have seen examples of bad behavior, and find it really embarrassing . I can imagine why locals have issues.
Jacque J.
We have visited most of the Hawaiian islands and decided Kauai was our dream come true! We love the less crowded beaches fewer crowds,and the native island traditions. There is a special spirit on this island. I respect the locals and their culture and feel that all decisions to limit traffic, crowds and maintain their lifestyle should be their decision, not the tourists. We are lucky visitors on THEIR island. From restaurants, hotels and community we have always felt Ohana from our new friends. We love this island but the islanders and residents should be deciding their fate. Not the tourists. Can’t wait to return to our little jewel in the ocean.❤️
Marcy S
I moved to Oahu from Long Island, N.Y. back in the 70’s and I felt very welcome. Not once did I feel resented. I moved back to the mainland for personal reasons a couple of years later but kept in touch with my friend that moved with me. She still lives there. She married a local, had a family and is not a grandparent. 6 years ago, my husband and I went to Oahu for our Honeymoon and have gone every year since. Besides my girlfriend, I have a very good friend that I worked with at the Phoenix Va Hospital for many years who moved back home to Lanikai when he retired. We’d love to move to Oahu but think it is out of our reaches, so for now we can just visit. We have met many people through our friends and have never felt like we were not wanted.
Carol S.
An interesting topic, thank you for asking for commentary. I am fourth generation born & raised in Hawaii; I was born on Maui and it will always be my home at heart. Now I live on the mainland but return Hawaii as much as possible. I see the islands with both a local and mainland perspective. On Maui in the 60’s and 70’s, tourists seemed to blend in better. Fewer tourists back then; they seemed more appreciative of the beauty of the land and culture. What I resent now — the past 30 years — are the tourists who are noisy, rude, thoughtless. Their mission seems to be to Facebook and Instagram “look what we are doing right now and aren’t we cool”. Perhaps the % of obnoxious tourists is no different than years ago and it’s simply the larger numbers of visitors overwhelming Hawaii’s infrastructure. We’ve met wonderful down-to-earth visitors who simply want a beautiful vacation, and we’ve met visitors who likely act poorly in any part of the world. Every attractive destination around the globe has this problem. I like to advise first-time visitors just to be mellow and appreciate the incredible beauty of the islands. Try to meet local folks in one-on-one conversations — there’s much to learn.
Beat of Hawaii
Hi Carol.
Thank you.
Aloha.
Comments are closed.
Aloha!
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Tourists are welcomed as far as I’m concerned, but too many tourists can be harmful to our resources and culture. Corporate greed and greedy vacation rental owners need to reigned in.
No more hotel rooms and ban all vacation rentals. Limit the number of available rental cars. Let’s face it…this is not the Hawaii of old. Aloha spirit is disappearing, crime is increasing, the influx of non-Hawaiians or Hawaiians at heart have changed the culture forever and it will never come back. Keep tourists housed in Waikiki or other strategically placed locations, provide better mass transportation so they can explore the islands, kick out homeless from Waikiki and keep them out. Increase police presence to protect everyone from criminals. Is this too much to ask?
I’ve been a tourist in many places, and a local in a few, but only in Hawaii have I ever experienced such courtesy. One of two young boys at the McD’s by Makaha nearly fell over backwards to get back to the door to hold it open when he saw my wife and myself leaving after them. One night in H1 traffic the driver behind us turned his headlights off when he noticed us trying to block the reflection in our mirrors. A homeless fellow let us borrow his very expensive binoculars to watch whales, never asked for a nickel, and warned us about the drug people. Maybe these aren’t considered locals by some, but they weren’t tourists, and even if they had been tourists I’m guessing that most people are more courteous when in Hawaii than anywhere else. The only place where Aloha is more than a word.
I’ve been blessed to have been a visitor to the islands more times than I can count, and I’ve only ever had true Aloha kindness shown by the locals. It’s by far the most peaceful vacation we ever take and I’d never do anything to not show Aloha right back. To Hawaiian residents, thank you for opening up your home to us! 🌺
We love Hawaii, and I have friends who live on Hawaii island and on Oahu (I met them while they were living and working here in the Bay Area before they returned home). They were born there and over the years have related how proud they are of their native heritage and how much the land means to them. One thing I hear over and over again is “Malama ‘aina”. So when we are privileged to visit, we try to be as respectful to both the land, people and culture.
As far as “entitled tourists” go, we have them here, too. We see the same inconsiderate behavior of trespassing, tossing litter, rude driving, returning used goods, etc., especially in Lake Tahoe. Not sure if it is a generational thing or just a breakdown in the culture, but it seems to be everywhere.
I’d like to think that my hubby and I fall in Group 1 (as Carol S mentioned in her post). And we always feel welcomed. BTW, as a tourist, I hate the crowded roads on Maui too! So we try to time our driving around commute hours and other events so we don’t add to the frustration of the locals who are just trying to get to their jobs.
Mahalo for the videos and asking for comments. Much aloha to all – and may Hawaii see the end of the pandemic soon and be safe.
Anyway,
Hi Debi.
Thanks. You have friends on Kauai now too.
Aloha.
Thanks Rob and Jeff! I’m honored. Aloha.
Aloha all! I’ve lived on Big Island (1987), visit (all the islands) several times a year and I always wished that visitors would approach Hawaii as a “foreign” country. What I mean by that is when we travel internationally we (or we should) respect the culture, the language, the archeological and natural resources – unfortunately many visitors treat these beautiful islands like their own back yard. An island is a very fragile piece of land. There are cultures and protocols that need to be respected. All the time. Be kind. Treat the islands gently and respectfully. Treat those that live on the islands with kindness, courtesy and you’ll get that in return. Malama ‘aina – respect the land.
Hi Tea.
Thank you.
Aloha.
I love tourists because tourists love Hawaii. That is the reason they come here. However, we have based our economy on tourism and catering to tourists needs, which sells out the Hawaii that we used to have.
Perhaps this mandated break can start the process of creating a vision for our future Hawaii by our leaders. Instead of being swayed by the loudest voices or the most powerful for profit pushers, decide right now what our Hawaii can be. Filled with more high rises for the ultra wealthy and more fake activities to keep tourists happy, or preserve the aloha and beauty of the islands with a master plan of lower heights at our shores, more agricultural spaces, a compromise with respecting the Hawaiian culture and still embracing visitors to our homes and land. We need government mandates for that – keep Hawaii beautiful should be the 1st and main criteria. The tourists will probably like that better than us becoming another Miami.
I have been to Hawaii 7 or 8 times over the last 15 years, starting when my boys were fairly young. I have never felt like a tourist, and always tried to be friendly and respectful to hotel staff and shop keepers. I have seen examples of bad behavior, and find it really embarrassing . I can imagine why locals have issues.
We have visited most of the Hawaiian islands and decided Kauai was our dream come true! We love the less crowded beaches fewer crowds,and the native island traditions. There is a special spirit on this island. I respect the locals and their culture and feel that all decisions to limit traffic, crowds and maintain their lifestyle should be their decision, not the tourists. We are lucky visitors on THEIR island. From restaurants, hotels and community we have always felt Ohana from our new friends. We love this island but the islanders and residents should be deciding their fate. Not the tourists. Can’t wait to return to our little jewel in the ocean.❤️
I moved to Oahu from Long Island, N.Y. back in the 70’s and I felt very welcome. Not once did I feel resented. I moved back to the mainland for personal reasons a couple of years later but kept in touch with my friend that moved with me. She still lives there. She married a local, had a family and is not a grandparent. 6 years ago, my husband and I went to Oahu for our Honeymoon and have gone every year since. Besides my girlfriend, I have a very good friend that I worked with at the Phoenix Va Hospital for many years who moved back home to Lanikai when he retired. We’d love to move to Oahu but think it is out of our reaches, so for now we can just visit. We have met many people through our friends and have never felt like we were not wanted.
An interesting topic, thank you for asking for commentary. I am fourth generation born & raised in Hawaii; I was born on Maui and it will always be my home at heart. Now I live on the mainland but return Hawaii as much as possible. I see the islands with both a local and mainland perspective. On Maui in the 60’s and 70’s, tourists seemed to blend in better. Fewer tourists back then; they seemed more appreciative of the beauty of the land and culture. What I resent now — the past 30 years — are the tourists who are noisy, rude, thoughtless. Their mission seems to be to Facebook and Instagram “look what we are doing right now and aren’t we cool”. Perhaps the % of obnoxious tourists is no different than years ago and it’s simply the larger numbers of visitors overwhelming Hawaii’s infrastructure. We’ve met wonderful down-to-earth visitors who simply want a beautiful vacation, and we’ve met visitors who likely act poorly in any part of the world. Every attractive destination around the globe has this problem. I like to advise first-time visitors just to be mellow and appreciate the incredible beauty of the islands. Try to meet local folks in one-on-one conversations — there’s much to learn.
Hi Carol.
Thank you.
Aloha.