1,090 thoughts on “Hawaii Visitors and Residents Whipsaw in 1,000 Comments”

  1. Your new Governor has become a laughing stock on the mainland to be clear. David Ige is rightfully being ripped off island, and rightfully so. C0VID is a problem but his catostrophic mis-management is by far the worst of all 50 States. Today is June 1 and people still have to arrive and shelter for 14 days? Who on earth would do that? You have next to no cases and many restaurants and hotels will NEVER EVER recover from this. Best fix this fast before people discover other islands and never return to Hawaii. Ive been coming to Haawaii since 1976 and love it. I lived on Kauai from 81 to 83 and it’s still my favorite island. I’m not very political but have noticed that HI is always 100% Democrats in just about everything ever. Inouye was powerful when he wasn’t sleeping. Mazie is seriously uninformed, loud and very annoying. She needs to get her facts straight before popping off with party line BS.

    1. 1. Most people on the mainland have never heard of Gov. Ige.
      2. About 2 dozen US states have some form of quar antine for visitors, often about 14 days.
      Your anti-Hawai’i comments are not based on reality.

    2. I agree with James G. Hawaii is probably the most mismanaged state in many regards including the c0vid mess. Didn’t think it could get worse then my state of California, but, your Governor has messed up more then ours. As for the initial topic of how we tourists are viewed by the locals.Those in the tourism industry treat us nice as one would expect, but, many of the locals don’t want us there and I understand that. We have made the CA to HI trip 40 times. I still have some Hawaiian Airline miles’s to use, but, after that we will go to Mexico where we are more welcome.

    3. We held up Hawaii as stellar example of how to handle the and emic, as we here in NY ran out of body bags! Economic stress will resolve when the quar antine is lifted. No one gives up the Islands as their ultimate dream!

    4. Wow. Please don’t come visit us. We want to stay safe, and you don’t seem to respect rules set by others.

  2. It’s not just Hawaii that suffers when some tourists come with entitled attitudes of “I spent this money so I deserve X”. As humans we need to stop the idiocy of those entitled attitudes. Resident lives and health are more important than entitled opinions. Environmental protection and native species protection is more important than any false entitlement a person might feel they deserve. A little respect and appreciation goes a very long way. I stand with the people of Hawaii on this one. As much as I love visiting and it was heartbreaking to have to cancel plans twice this year, I WILL WAIT it out patiently and with respect for those who call Hawaii home. Also a big shout out to those in the tourism industry in Hawaii, who are doing their best to be flexible with cancellations and adjustments. I know they are had hit by this and my personal experience with the need to change existing plans has been met with kindness and accommodation despite the pain I know these businesses are facing. Mahalo.

    1. One of the reasons I come to Oahu every year is because people including my fellow tourists are generally respectful and friendly.I don’t know where these rude tourists you speak of hang but it’s definitely not any place I’ve been.

      1. As someone who’s served tourists, I can say the majority were fine, but there are many who are less so. As a visitor you are less likely to see bad attitudes. All that said, I see many of those with “entitled” attitudes among the commenters who are demanding we open, insulting our leaders and State, etc. There are also many considerate and sympathetic comment posters like Jenn. I wish we could let these people back to Hawaii and keep out those “I’m taking my business elsewhere,” “Hawaii shouldn’t be a state,” “Me Me Me, I gotta have my beach,” people. I can dream at least.

        1. Keep dreaming Kalina T. You wont have to worry about typical tourism in Hawaii. Newsflash: rude tourists are everywhere!

          Hawaiians open thier mouth and expect everyone to respect them and their culture. instead of doing something productive, it just becomes passive aggressiveness and poor me that Hawaii is USA.

          Its way past time Hawaii gets thier act together! 😀. Stop blaming others for your own laziness or lack of success etc. this includes lack of responsibly managing tourism so that it doesnt overrun oahu. Sure not everyone in hawaiii falls into these categories.

        2. Kalina – I can relate to what you say. I live in a small mountain town in Colorado that is becoming overrun with tourists right now, even though our Governor has asked them not to come. Apparently, they believe the request is for someone else. According to our Governor, we citizens of the state aren’t supposed to travel more than 10 miles from our homes. So how does that explain the multitude of vehicles and RVs from California, Texas and Arizona? I’ve never been to Hawaii and was scheduled to visit the first week of April. Naturally, we cancelled our trip. We hope to visit next winter and I promise we will not act entitled.

    2. Jenn,

      Mahalo for your thoughtful words of understanding and realizing we are a tourism state but Hawaii is our home too. Hawaii will reopen for all again and it will be spectacular.

  3. Just heard about the 2-4 week extension of the 2 week curfew on visitors to Hawaii by your governor in Hawaii. Talk about disdain of government employees on full salary extending their holiday until many small businesses go bankrupt, and non unemployment Eligible workers losing their jobs, homes, and being forced to leave the islands. I understand that Hawaii is a blue state, but being the only “state” to not open up with so few cases is unacceptable to those of us who believe in science and a balance between safety and reopening a struggling economy. The only way to fix this is to vote out these xenophobic politicians and find some that really care about the people. The panic promulgated by the press from the east coast has convinced too many to fear that a reasonable return to normal life and the Aloha spirit is dangerous. Comments welcome.

    1. Sleepdog G,

      You sound very angry. With all due respect, I realize that Hawai’i’s continuing to be closed isn’t convenient for those of us who live on the mainland, but that’s not our decision to make. The majority of Hawai’i citizens are very worried about the vi rus and about the safety of their families. What you view as xenophobia is viewed by others as a concern for public safety.

      I don’t know why you put the word “state” in quotation marks, but Hawai’i is a state and has been for over sixty years. Some tourists forget that, and some residents regret it.

      You talk about the Kaua’i condo you’ve owned for thirty years, so you are undoubtedly familiar with Kaua’i Mayor Derek Kawakami. He is most definitely a politician who cares about people! And he is incredibly popular. He supports the Stay Home order, and the Kaua’i people support it. Kaua’i has had no new cases recently and neither has Maui, and the citizens don’t want any.

      A few weeks ago on this site a woman commented that Hawai’i belongs to everyone, not just the residents. I didn’t say anything at the time, but I couldn’t disagree more. The residents of the state certainly own their state. We who choose to visit it are just that — visitors. Most of us do so graciously and appreciate the privilege. When it comes back, we will be grateful to do so safely.

      Malama pono.

  4. More about the unfortunate way many Hawaiians seem to feel about non-Hawaiians. I have owned a Condo on Kauai for 30 years. Over two years, my property taxes were increased by 100% in the 2000’s, while native Hawaiian property tax annual increases are limited to only 3%. My clients pay a 15% tax on their rental fees, and a 70% tax rate on car rentals. The income from these enormous taxes supplements the income from tourism itself, which is the major portion of the Hawaiian economy.
    My suggestion is that the Hawaiian Government and it’s politicians should do a whole lot more to set an example by letting Hawaiians know about this and the Aloha Spirit. I’m pretty certain that these xenophobic comments and government actions (visitors being told to leave in March) are due to a small minority of citizens, but where is outcry against this from the large majority of Hawaiians?

    1. Amen! The negative talk about the ‘disrespectful’ tourists is very disturbing.
      99.9% of the tourists we have seen, especially on Kauai are good citizens who obey the laws
      and enjoy the beauty of the islands.

  5. Talking stink about immigrants… Illegal Immigrants would be simular to your disagreement with Tourists coming. Yet tourist contribute to your tax base. Illegal Immigrants use our infastructure, medical, police, fire and Schools and do NOT pay into the system. They take jobs from citizens. It may not be the best job but someone trying to overcome their situation should not have the competition from an illegal immigrant.
    Thank you for the opportunity for this dialog.
    I come to Hawaii as off season as possible. I love and respect your culture. In reading many comments I think that I am hearing there is a REAL embalance. Too many tourist to population maybe.

    1. Illegal immigrants and tourists? Really? Immigrants work harder pay taxes etc and get NO benefit from it. They take jobs YOU AND I dont want to do. See white america is too lazy to take the jobs immigrants do so to compare a fat lazy tourist coming to dump garbage, use resources etc and with an immigrant coming for work is a BS comparison.
      Good people are good people regardless of their nationality or immigration status.

      1. Good for you, why would she make a comment like above on Immigrants. Hawaii is 90% immigrants brought here by the Sugar cane and Pineapple barens. Working hard to support their families.No lazy American would work 12 hrs a day in a pineapple or sugar cane field. If they are any resentment towards tourists its thoughts like the above comment that create resentment.

  6. I am deeply disappointed by the lack of an “Aloha Spirit” on the part of so many of the politicians in Hawaii, especially on Kauai, where I have owned a home for 30 years. On Kauai, there has not been a case of CV19 for 5 weeks. Tourism, while bringing more traffic, has also brought prosperity to most of the people of Hawaii, and I find the attitude of many of it’s politicians both ungrateful and, frankly, rude.
    A crises like this usually brings out the best of humanity in this type of circumstance; in this case it brings out the xenophobia and lack of appreciation for what provides for your economy from your leadership. Citizens of Kauai and Hawaii, is this really the message you want to send to the world?

    1. Wow. We have immediate family on Kaua’i and we had to cancel our trip to see them. We’re sad, but not angry. We understand that Kaua’i wants to protect its citizens, and it would be impossible to implement a “pick and choose” system. This won’t last forever. In the grand scheme of life, it’s a bump in the road.
      Aloha to you, RH.

    2. So your saying swing the doors wide open and let 20 million visitors from around the globe to come and bring the infection back? REALLY?

  7. I live in New York and I’ve been to Oahu 5 times .I think the idea that tourists are rude and disrespectful is a myth because I have never witnessed it.

  8. Hawaii values visitors ***who respect and abide by the laws***- blatant disrespect by not staying in hotel room (since there is no way to verify that you are not an active carrier) is an danger to all who come in contact with you, endangering multi generations of families living here
    you will go home after infecting/spreading the virus and we have to deal with the consequences- hospitalization/death/community spread and worse- impacting the ability of the US military stationed here to respond to any global threat
    people should not think ONLY about having “fun on vacation” but respect others and listen to the reasons for all laws put in place- as an example -look at how Kauai has improved- over 30 days without reported new cases, due to residents following the temporary laws put into place
    keep Hawaii safe for everyone and all future generations of resident/visitors

    1. We traveled to Hawaii for 2 weeks in February. We have traveled extensively to Europe, Africa, Central America and the Caribbean. I have never met as many rude people as we met in Maui. We talked about with other travelers and they had the same comments. Even small things like sitting at a bar at the end of happy hour, comments like “serve the locals first and the if there is time (them pointing to hotel guest), we need the discount since we live here”. To asking a question about a local restaurant, I was told “if you have to ask then you don’t live here, figure it out” Locals May have moved to heaven but they act like they are living in Hell. I will say every native Hawaiian we met was gracious and kind always with smile on their face.

      1. We have never, we Mean Never, had an experience like that since we started going there in 2003! We have been greeted with smiles and very pleasant conversations! We Love Maui, we Love the people, we respect their culture, we always clean up after ourselves and occasionally others as well. We have always stayed in condos and in 2011, we were able to purchase one in Maalaea.

  9. I am a longtime Hawai’i resident who moved away about a half year ago. We were moving “to” not so much as away. It was all good, leaving a place and people we loved for the new.

    Things did change over the years we lived there. The local government became ever more obviously beholden to the hotel industry. The grass roots sorts of organizations that sprouted in Puna during the eruption were not as helpful to people there as they suggested they would be. And more than anything else, people allowed themselves to be made ever more antagonistic towards each other. This was apparent in the anti TMT movement and the anti vacation rental movement. All this however seemed mostly a product of troubled times, of a society worldwide being thrown into torment by divisive forces.

    The attitudes surfacing now however are deeply disturbing. People I know well are coming across as anti visitor. There is nothing different about Hawai’i and visitors than there is about say the wine country and visitors. People come to a place because it is beautiful and welcoming. They come because it is exotic and because they expect to have a good time. The visitor experience is what the people of the island offer. If visitors disappoint, look to what they encounter. Look at the hawkers on Maui, for example. Pretty ugly. Look at the attitudes in Kailua. Far from welcoming, now or then. If you don’t like visitors, don’t live in the heart of one of the world’s most popular tourist destinations. What can visitors expect now? And into the future?

    In an ideal Hawai’i ’, there would be fewer people everywhere because travel itself is taking a big hit. Big open air eateries will thrive and offer the same great local catch they used to. Resorts will probably have concierge room service with personal shoppers from their boutiques. Prices will go up because costs of everything will go up. It is hard to envision Hawai’i as other than a rich person’s paradise in the years to come. Unless the people of Hawai’i themselves make an effort to find their aloha and ways to show it. This starts with changing the attitude that Hawai’i is too special for you. We all suffer equally from the effects of the virus. All of us suffer. Hawai’i clamped down and has almost no vi rus. And has almost no immunity. There are trade offs.

    The very best solution for Hawai’i is to require a test when visitors get off the plane. If they test vi rus free they get to go on with their vacation. Forget about these expensive temperature taking machines. Way too many are asymptomatic and carriers. There will likely be no perfect tests. This is what we live with. And if there aren’t enough medical facilities (there aren’t enough doctors) address that. Don’t blame it on the visitors.

    1. Visitors please understand the story of how our monarcy was tragically ended. But the Aloha spirit still remains with the locals and those visitor who want to share or be a part in the Aloha in this island I call my home. To malama the Aina and respect the kupuna and keiki. Follow the instructions in this time of a pan demic. If you must travel to visit Hawaii islands, be tested first before even getting on an airplane.
      Mahalo..Kauai is my home land.

  10. Yes, as a resident of Kailua, Hi for over 34 years, I and my children as well as my Husband who is a Hawaiian, have seen a change in tourism in the Islands. We totally understand that the Islands depend almost solely on tourism and accept that. However, the blame shouldn’t be on the residents here. Government and business interests here have overwhelmed the residents with tourists, tour buses, overcrowded beaches, restaurants, malls, sidewalks, roads and rentals. Our neighborhoods are being taken over by illegal short term rentals to the point that residents cannot find rentals. The oversight for same is minimal. Residents are second place to the profit the government and business interests put in their pockets. That being said, there should be a concerted effort to balance the tourism industry and the way of living of our residents, as well as relying on other industries than tourism. We, too, would like to enjoy our Islands and keep them safe ecologically, financially and economically .

Comments are closed.

Scroll to Top