Under the lead of new Chair and hotelier Muffi Hannemann, the chronically problematic Hawaii Tourism Authority (HTA) has unveiled its next plan. It involves a study that includes an online survey we found convoluted. Anyone can participate in the 10-minute-long survey, and five participants will win a $100 Amazon gift card. But before going in, please read the details.
“The Hawaii Tourism Authority (HTA)[is] evaluating the structure for governing Hawaii tourism…the purpose of this work is to determine an effective structure for the State’s oversight of destination marketing and tourism management.”
Whose input is HTA seeking, and what matters?
A newly launched website seeks input from “A wide range of Hawaii tourism stakeholders, including government leaders, tourism industry operators, and Hawaii communities.” Visitor input is not mentioned as being desired, although it isn’t precluded from anything released so far. Questions are slanted toward those who live in Hawaii and those very familiar with the issues of Hawaii tourism and its governance. However, there is an option to answer one of the questions that you reside outside of Hawaii.
HTA: “Anyone with a stake in Hawaii tourism is invited to click the link on the home page to register for the survey. You will be sent a copy of the survey when it is released to the public. The survey link will be distributed through a large variety of methods to ensure broad participation across the islands.”
The survey, which can now be accessed, asks questions about participants’ feelings about the importance of tourism to Hawaii as a state, to “your” island, and to your family, among other things. It also inquires as to what participants feel should be the state’s role in governing tourism. Just one page of the questions are listed below:
The study also asks for participants’ feelings about HTA and satisfaction with the job that they are doing. The results of that alone should be fascinating.
This is a survey for those familiar with the issues to make their input known. Editor Rob found some of the questions confusing, even after decades of working as a Hawaii travel writer. He also wondered if there shouldn’t be a related survey focused on visitor input, which may or may not already be in the works.
What do you think of this latest attempt from HTA?
I do not think tourists are treated well in Hawaii. The anti tourist sentiment and rhetoric works its way through local communities. In Waikola I was nearly run off the road by locals and nearly hit intentionally another time. Also, Hawaii is dismal at taking care of parks and trails. The counties and State are good at closing trails, but are very bad at maintaining or improving them. I’ve visited Hawaii many times, but the Islands are now off my list.
Visitors coming to Hawaii expects a lei welcome, and not a message that they are “one too many”.
Hawaiin culture treats their guests with love .
Ohana is their welcoming motto.
Hope it does not change because of a few who lacks the common courtesy towards their guests
HTA President is in the pocket of hotel owners, just like our Governor.
Interesting that the survey excludes tourists, as they contribute to the Hawaiian economy significantly. I just returned from Maui after two weeks there, didn’t seem any we don’t want you here, everyone was their usual friendly and pleasant.
Tourists need to receive more information on how to be respectful of the true Hawaiian culture and how to be safe. To me, it seems hit and miss. Haida Gwaii requires visitors to the South Island to take a short course. Perhaps that needs to happen in Hawaii, too.
Promotion pictures of beautiful ocean waves give the impression that the ocean is always safe when, actually, it is not. My friend thought she could just step into the huge waves. I was thankful when a resident kindly warned us not to be on the black lava rocks near the ocean close to sundown.
Please. It’s not tourists who need respect training — it is the locals. Read Denby Fawcett’s article, “Why Are People Trashing State Parks?” This occurred during the pandemic, with a statewide travel ban in place. All this destruction was locals, period.
Then go read “‘Destruction out of hand’: Park users clean up after vandals hit Kapolei Park.” Oh, you think it’s *tourists* who, for *years,* have been setting multiple parks on fire, cutting fences, destroying facilities? This has been going on for years at Kapolei, Lualualei and Kokololio beaches, and A’ala park.
It’s not the “tourists” who need your suggested educational remediation.
The fact that this survey is open to anyone and everyone just screams incompetence, which should come as a surprise to no one.
Tourism is undeniably needed, but we’ve already seen the negative impact of unconstrained growth. Hawaii needs to figure out what is a sustainable number for visitors might be on a weekly/monthly/annual basis. Then find a way to either cap those visitor arrivals, or find a way to fund the infrastructure growth required to meet any increases.
What’s painfully obvious is that we can’t simply have unconstrained growth without massive infrastructure impfovement. They’re simply not compatible.
Ask enough people and eventually you’ll get the answer you’re looking for . Then you can say “We have listened and this is what the people want”
There are thousands of tourist destinations around the globe. Fewer are tropical destinations. Why doesn’t the HTA reach out to those tropical destinations to see what works and what doesn’t? I’m guessing, since those in government are on the public dole, that doing so would cost less and involve fewer local government officials feeding at the public treasury trough, they’ll go down the path of only including their own. When your Only financial export is not really an export, but is tourism and has been forever, how have you not figured this out?
I inputted my perspectives into their survey as a remote managing vacation rental owner currently living in CA but planning to retire in our place as full time residents. We rent because we can’t afford to be rich second homeowners like Zuckerburg, Oprah and Benioff. I enjoy hosting our guests. We give them benefits and amenities for a better price than the hotels next door to us do. More space and fully furnished with everything they need. However, the HTA seems more focused on supporting the hotel industry than vacation rentals. I asked for better partnership and liaision support between government entities. We see how Gov Green despises and it’s an unfair and not balanced with accurate information. Also said the taxation is too much.