Beat of Hawaii's Special Picks for You

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

  1. John L

    I’ve visited Hawaii over 40 times. I’ve picked Macadamia nuts off the ground on the big island, enjoyed the sunrise on Haleakala, surfed the north shore on Oahu and ziplined on Kauai. After 30 visits I realized I was only “taking” from the islands. It’s time to start giving back. For the last few years my wife and I have become vacation volunteers at the National Tropical Botanical Gardens. We’ve enjoyed every tourist activity Kauaiians have to offer. Now we give back half of our vacation time to support the island we love. We’re looking forward to coming back when the restrictions are lifted and the volunteer program restarts.

  2. Sherri P.

    My husband and I have visited Oahu, Maui, Kauai, and the Big Island. Our favorite islands are Maui and Kauai and we would give both islands a “10” on friendliness. We normally stay in a condo, rent a vehicle and explore. We typically stay two to three weeks. We live in Florida and started visiting in 1986 when we lived in Virginia. We have always felt welcome and have respect for Hawaiians and their customs as well as an interest in your long and amazing history. My personal opinion re “friendliness” (we live in a Gulf Coast community economically dependent on tourism)is that it is very easy to welcome those who treat our beautiful city and it’s residents with respect. Too many make derogatory remarks re things that differ from their communities “up north” and leave trash wherever they go. So they may not experience open and welcoming attitudes when they are impatient and LOUD when visiting. I have observed the same behaviors while visiting your islands. It is why we typically rent a condo. Hawaii is truly our favorite state and vacation spot because it is hard to find a paradise as beautiful as where we live in Tarpon Springs, FL.

  3. Mario B

    Visitors to the islands. First of all the current 14 day quar antine policy is intended to PREVENT ALL visitors from coming.
    Yet an average of 125 per day have come since quarantine announced… over 4000 total. Obviously any visitor who has come to Hawaii during the quar antine period must be either not very smart or are very NON RISK AVERSE since to remain in place for 14 days without being able to go out of your hotel room ( Transient rentals are illegal at this time) would imply they intend to defy the quar antine…. there is no other explanation for such behavior. So therefore, yes, the locals are not happy with this kind of visitor and they are indeed a real healthier threat while Hawaii is actively trying to control increasing infection rates. Hawaii is uniquely suited to controlling this if it wishes to do so for its local population- we are an island and thus unlike other mainland states or countries its not possible to just drive in without various checks being made. I believe that people visiting Hawaii without a quar antine program will eventually have to demonstrate freedom from this along with an antibody test in form of a form filled out by a doctor at origin within 72 hours of flight and submitted to the health department prior to arrival. No form no entry allowed. As to “leg bracelets” we have the technology in hand to require each visitor to apply a Dept of Health location app on the cell phone and if no cell phone require an “ALOHA” bracelet which would also be able to monitor location… this all for contact tracing to control disease. All the nonsense of human rights violation go out the window as we are in a state of war if you haven’t noticed and tight controls must exist until this runs its course or there is a vac cine which then should be required for entry. Heck to bring our dogs into hawaii we have to pull blood titlres, get rabies shots and health certs and pre apply for entry. If visitors feel this is discourteous I suggest they go to Mexico( Narcos, kidnappings and the runs) or go to Florida onto their crowded beaches with all the college kids maintaining social distancing… By strictly trying to dampen the effects of this virus travellers will recognize how safe Hawaii really is
    and there will be MORE PEOPLE WANTING TO VISIT THAN CAN SAFELY BE HANDLED out of respect for our local populations health… Long run such policy will bring back tourism but I do wonder… is 10 million a year overrunning our roads and beaches the correct number… maybe a little respite from such volumes is in order… maybe this is sending a signal not to crowd each other out so much…. It is up to the residents to say how many visitors is satisfactory, not some corporate travel company or corporate hotels or tourists who scream ” WHERE IS YOUR ALOHA FOR NOT ALLOWING US ENTRY ? Aloha is the visitor recognizing that we are trying to control this vi rus that kills members of our family and that this is our OHANA and please show respect accordingly

    STAY WELL ALL and don’t succumb to commercial interests pushing tourism to come back before its time.. this is with us for 12-18 months and when we look back and have done the right job in controlling it we will have won this
    war against it. If not, well, it will be easy to point to those who promoted early tourism without controls….

    1. Kalina T.

      I second this emotion. I’ve been saying since the 14-day quar antine enactment that government officials are naive to think that the visitors will all comply. Don’t they realize that anyone traveling during this is obviously not a “team player”? They are the type of people who are propelled by cheap fares and selfish intentions. Realizing this, the quar antine requirement should have been more strict from the start so law enforcement wouldn’t have to waste their time chasing after these stubborn, selfish, reckless visitors. We locals actually cheer when we see a news item about a visitor being arrested. To all of you who cancelled trips here, THANK YOU!

  4. Bob L.

    We visit Kauai every year and have never experienced any hostility. We’re pretty much nice to everyone, locals as well as fellow vacationers, and find that most (not all) respond favorably to kindness. Of course, most of our interactions are with the resort staff, housekeepers, grounds people, as well as the staff in restaurants and shops, where money and employment status would come into play. We make it a point to talk with these folks, especially the housekeepers and grounds people, and just ask them how their day is going. We’ve found if we take a genuine interest in them, they will open up and be friendly in return. I’m sure that some visitors go to the islands and because they have spent a lot of money going there, they feel they are entitled. We’ve seen that actually. But I’m also wondering…. If the hostility others talk about might not be partly due to some transplants from the mainland, those who come with a lot of money and want to buy up this and that, change things to suit themselves, act like they own the place because they are now residents, basically being “Ugly Mainlanders” (vice “Ugly Americans”). But we’ll keep going to Kauai, at least until the island prices us out of our business, which is a topic for another discussion.

  5. Pam

    Aloha, My husband and I have been to Hawaii many times and always felt that people were very nice except for the last time in 2018 when we came to Kauai to renew or wedding vows on our 50th wedding anniversary. And then it was only a few times we ran into some who were sarcastic and cold. And even then, not sure if they were locals or visitors. We were both surprised to see the trash along the roads in 2018 when we were there. We also saw some people who disrespected the tape around the monk seals and crossed over to get close to the seals. Trash in the ocean is another thing we hadn’t seen before, so I can see why locals could get very frustrated with visitors who don’t care. They have taken the time and the precautions to keep their island clean and beautiful for visitors to enjoy but some visitors don’t reciprocate and assist in keeping the island clean and beautiful. I’m sorry to admit I’m a visitor to Hawaii as I love the island and always do my part in trying to keep it cleaner than I found it and just as beautiful as it has always been. Please don’t think all tourists are destructive and don’t abide by your standards in Hawaii! We try and I’m sure others do also. And by the same token, I would never think that all Hawaiians are rude and hate tourists. I hope to visit again sometime in the not too distant future and until then, Aloha!

  6. Bobby

    I wrote some long comment but here is the short version. I have family on 3 islands and have been on countless trips. The more rural and further they can trace Hawaiian roots, the more they tend to hate white people and tourists. The funny thing is that most are a mix of the very thing they hate (Polynesian/White/Japanese/etc). I am not saying that their feelings aren’t justified but it can leave a bad taste in your mouth. I fly under the radar and do show respect for the people there. Even so, it’s sometimes very difficult to find authentic Aloha.

  7. Bob L

    Thanks for putting this topic out there. This is definitely a hot button item on both sides. As you stated, this is a mutual respect type of issue which can quickly turn into a love-hate situation. The key to this lies in understanding each other’s point of view then working to avoid trampling on the other’s feelings.

    Having been both a local and a visitor, I’ve tried to summarize the feelings of each group below:

    HAWAIIAN LOCALS
    Generally speaking, most locals realize that they live in a beautiful area and are willing to share that area, and their culture, with others. The locals understand that there are issues that come with this “arrangement” which includes traffic, crowding, high prices, etc. With that said, just like hosting someone in your home, locals expect a certain degree of decorum from any visitor. This includes littering, respecting the environment (including turtles & beaches), not overwhelming local resources (hospitals, shopping, etc). Most locals understand that this requires a delicate balance but at times, if they feel they are being disrespected, will respond with things like “Go back to where you came from, we don’t need you THAT much”.

    VISITORS
    Visitors to Hawaii are looking to trade some (some would say a LOT) of their hard-earned savings to be able to experience a piece of the magic that is Hawaii. To a previous post, if it were just the beaches, there are other beaches in other parts of the world that are less expensive. Visitors are seeking that Aloha spirit and the ability to experience that spirit in a way that is personal to them. Visitors feel disrespected when they are treated in something other than a welcoming manner. Unfortunately, the latest proposal by Hawaiian officials about putting ankle bracelets on visitors was a MAJOR stab at the heart to many visitors who often wonder just how “welcome” they really are. In the end the proposal was deemed to be too expensive so was not implemented but the damage had already been done to confirm the suspicions of the Visitors. When they feel they are being disrespected visitors will respond with things like “Fine, if we are not welcome then we will just take our tourist $$$ somewhere else and you can say goodbye to my $$$ and 23%+ of your local economy”.

    If both locals and visitors can understand the others “hot buttons” and be proactive in trying to avoid offending the other, then we will all get along well together. If not, then we are all going to continue having feelings hurt and lashing out.

    Using Rodney King’s quip of “Can’t we all just get along”, I think we can all take that to the next level of “Can’t we all just work together and have mutual respect for each other to avoid offending our host/source of livelihood?”.

    2. Bobby

      Yes! love your comment. I would argue there are 2 classed of “locals”. Multi generational locals and new locals. Its the multi generational locals that tend to hate tourists.

      Also, also these comments are forgetting that Hawaii is a STATE. Its part of America! That is something that most native Hawaiians despise.

  8. Jim Z

    Thanks for all of the info you provide. We were stationed at Pearl Harbor in the 60’s and have returned almost annually and many times twice a year. My wife taught school there in the 60’s and we were blessed to become friends with ‘locals’ on the faculty. Two locals took us to Molokai, slept on the beach, and taught us how to find and enjoy fresh Opihi. Tourism has grown dramatically over the years and with that come many changes that impact the locals…some good and some bad. My suggestion is to meet as many people as you can outside of ‘tourist environment’. Also, we stayed at The Coco Palms in ‘65, Princeville was a cattle farm and the Original Black Pot was a unique and great place for fresh fish and to have a cold Primo with local fishermen. Aloha and Mahalo for all the memories 🏝.
    Hope all is safe to return in October.

  9. Maleko

    I appreciate this forum. As a former kamaaina (Born and raised on Oahu) I now live in Portland, Oregon. The “conflict” between locals and tourists is definitely not new. Having talked to family who still live in The Islands, the general consensus is the continued tourism at record rates (10M a year)Hawaii’s aina is continually being ruined by high numbers of tourists who don’t respect the land or the resources. This influx has brought in a huge number of different visitors who simply visit because of low fares. As a former commentator stated, Hawaii is of course a very different state. At 10M visitors a year, it simply cannot withstand further erosion of land and culture. This continued degradation used to be unique to Oahu but currently extends to all the inhabited islands. I ask visitors to simply be mindful of this very unique and beautiful place. Visit the museums and historical sights and learn how Hawaii has become such a special place. Instead of renting a car which considerably adds to the traffic problems, use the public transit system which is excellent. Many attractions offer buses that stop at various hotels.

    My love for Hawaii and its people runs very deep. Even after 30 years of being on the mainland, Hawaii is an integral part of me, Only kamaaina know this feeling. It never leaves you and guides your soul through life forever.

    Thank you for letting me comment.

  10. Regina R

    We have gone to Maui each summer for many years. We love the land, the climate, the people, the food and the culture. With that being said, culture, any culture, needs to be respected and celebrated. Here’s an analogy, if one was to attend a cultural celebration of another ethnicity, one would respect the culture and traditions of that ethnicity and act accordingly. It’s no different while in Hawaii, as everything is culturally related. When we go to Hawaii, we understand that we are visitors, and thus act accordingly.
    Liken it to visiting someone’s home: One should show respect to the host and and his home while visiting. Tourists should be no different. I feel most are respectful, but as usual, it only takes those few rebels to ruin it for all.

Comments are closed.

Home » Blog » Culture and Events » Hawaii Visitors and Residents Whipsaw in 1,000 Comments
Scroll to Top