According to last Sunday’s New York Times, paying $145 nightly (now $170) to stay on a private farm near Hilo, in a small cottage without electricity and a bathroom, and not even helping with farm duties, is an example of responsible tourism. Really? It seems like “responsible tourism” is the new buzzword and is tossed around in ways that it was not meant to be.
Here’s our definition: Responsible tourism is when you positively impact local communities and join them to protect environmental resources, contribute to inter-cultural understanding and help with income-earning opportunities to alleviate poverty. Another buzzword, ecotourism, supports conservation efforts, including wildlife.
For example, helping to build homes for Habitat for Humanity is a good example of responsible tourism. Counting whales or volunteering with the monk seal program can qualify too as ecotourism. But paying to stay at someone’s private farm without electricity or a bathroom, puts the money into the owner’s pocket instead. And considering the millions of people who visit Hawaii each year, it’s not going to be the wave of the future or make much of a difference to our islands.
While the New York Times article says about this farm, “It also offers a window into how tourism in Hawaii and other overtouristed places could thrive in the future, without harming the environment or the people who call a place home,” we would argue that there are better ways to make a difference instead of vacationing off-grid in Hawaii. Also, just a few people vacationing off-grid will not have the same long-term impact as helping to build a home for a low-income family or protecting an endangered monk seal.
Recent interesting initiatives, some unexpected charges on a Waikiki hotel bill this weekend ($5 Tree fee and $1.38 Carbon Neutral Footprint fee), and this article in NYTimes made us wonder about just where Hawaii visitors fall. We also put that in perspective with what we’d rather do on our own vacations.
First, the NY Times article features The Inn at Kulaniapia Falls. Why?
In what looked more like an advertorial than any news piece, Sunday’s Times had a story about someone who stayed at The Inn at Kulaniapia Falls (off-grid cabins for $170 a night) and reported on their Hawaii vacation. The cabins were “replete with an ocean view and an “extremely comfortable bed.” It was without, however, a private bathroom or electricity. The 40-acre property includes a private waterfall, traditional accommodations at the Inn, and off-grid cabins at the farm.”
Years ago, coincidentally, your editors stayed at Kulaniapia Falls in a room overlooking the falls at the Inn and thought it was beautiful. This was before they added the rustic cabins featured in the NY Times article that can be booked on their website or on Airbnb. According to the article, an off-grid cabin “offers a window into how tourism in Hawaii and other overtouristed places could thrive in the future, without harming the environment or the people who call a place home.”
Options at the rustic cabins include Chef’s table dining (including arguably non-environmentally sound) Kauai prawns, breakfast, cooking classes, and farm tours. “There is also a solar power battery bank that provides power for the cabin’s lights and charges your electronic devices via USB-A connection.”
A communal kitchen and bathrooms (at a nearby barn) include “proper flush toilets and outdoor showers with on-demand hot water… located 100-150 ft away from your cabin. There’s even a resort “amenity fee” (Yes!!) of $10 per person/daily. That includes access to the falls and the use of kayaks and paddleboards.
Ready for critters? They may come into your cabin too!
“You will encounter animals, and as such, may not bring your own, for their safety, and ours. We have dogs, cats, goats, cows, pigs, horses, and there are wild hogs, mongeese, birds, hawks, lizards, coqui frogs, and many more types of wildlife. Some of them may come quite close to your cabins, or even inside.”
There’s a large swimming pond underneath Kulaniapia Falls and a “private swimming hold closer to the farm, where clothing is optional.”
Google reviews are mixed, while Airbnb reviews are mostly positive. What’s your take?
Contrast the NY Times example above of responsible tourism with the ones below.
Kualoa Ranch Malama Aina experience.
A favorite spot of ours, the 4,000-acre Kualoa Ranch on Oahu, is best known as the setting of over 200 movies and TV shows, including 50 First Dates, Lost, Jumanji, and the Jurassic Park franchise. In spite of being a tourist destination for those seeking to connect with Hollywood entertainment created in Hawaii, it also features a tour offering visitors an authentic Hawaii cultural experience.
The Malama experience is about caring for the land, from working with ancient Hawaiian fishponds to taro paddies.
The working farm is a cultural tour that clearly leaves an impression on participants. This allows visitors to give back to the land where they are visiting and teaches teamwork. Kualoa says: “That’s the concept of Malama and laulima, where everybody works together. It was a kakou (“all”) thing, that’s what we say, meaning we’re going to come all and we’re going to work together.”
Pacific Whale Foundation beach cleanups.
On a more sustainable note, the Pacific Whale Foundation focuses on “monitoring, collecting, and reporting debris found in our oceans. They strive to bring awareness and encourage local and tourist public involvement. Pacific Whale Foundation supplies everything you need for a memorable beach cleanup day.”
There are many more examples, and on Giving Tuesday, what better way to look at how to make a difference?
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Dean, having worked with many homeless people I can tell you that a huge majority don’t Want to work. I’m afraid a program like that would just create another layer of bureaucracy where funds would be siphoned into the wrong hands!
You got this one completely wrong. Most respondents seem to agree that you are off base.
I Loved the NY Times article. It was refreshing to see them pushing something more than corporate tourism, and a lot more responsible than the article they ran mid-pandemic urging people to come here while most things were closed down.
As an alternative, why not redirect taxes used to promote tourism to fund a program to hire the homeless as a labor force to clean parks, beaches, perform other community service projects that seem to need tourists as a workforce to perform. It would reduce tourism as desired and positively impact Hawaii. Fees could be added to better fund the program as needed. Tourists could still perform public service if they desire.
Responsible tourism is not acting like you are better than everyone else. It’s not being entitled. It’s showing respect for others and the land and animals. This is something that those people don’t understand. If they are unwilling to do that, they should find somewhere else to go.
I am very disappointed with this article, BoH. I expect better from you. Have you considered how hard it is for farmers to make a decent living anywhere in the world, let alone on Hawaii. The extra income they receive from the vacation rentals can surely help them keep their farm maintained, fix equipments, thrive, and Survive. I agree that it is not as eco as other ideas you mentioned, but we can all start somewhere in small steps. This particular baby step is experiencing how farmers live, what life is like without basic amenities that most people assume are required necessities and have taken for granted. Baby steps count as much as the grand ideals. I want all farmers on all Hawaii islands to survive and thrive. May they prosper.
I agree! Farming is difficult! I stopped buying from grocers and only go to local farmers for most of my food. It is fresher, and it helps the local farmers and it helps Hawaii remain self sustaining.
I would question if the author or editors have ever run a farm or work traded in the same realm? The cost to live in Hawaii is high, for everyone. If a farmer can get any additional income at all, they do not just put it “in the owners pocket”. Every business that exists to support small agriculture benefits from those dollars. A few hundred more dollars to a farm means paying an employee for a few more days of work or repairing a piece of equipment to stay afloat. Many farms in Hawaii have to pay to maintain the roads to the farm. Not the state or the taxpayer. That “pocket money” benefits the community.
May I point out that the title of this piece is missing a “space” in the first two words of the title?
I really think that “responsible tourism” is paying your way, tipping where appropriate, and not being a jerk. I don’t feel like I should have to spend the two weeks of my life (per year) that aren’t spent at work, working for free so I can be viewed as “responsible”. Vacations are meant to be about leisure and pleasure and family time. Call me old fashioned I guess.
This article is beyond shameful. The cabin in the picture is at a farm made up of several rather poor farmers trying to make ends meet by supplementing their income to survive as farmers. This is what the hotel industry wants to take away from us, our last ability to participate in the sharing economy. Beat of Hawaii is a shameless mouth piece for the hotel lobby who wants to stack tourists in vertical hotels and their resorts while treating the locals as second class citizens. Tourists who support locals instead of hotels are the ones conducting responsible tourism.
Please, everyone stop trashing my prawns and read about them.
kauaishrimp.com/en/sustainability/
There’s nothing wrong with it. This article makes you sound like some kind of elitist. How many times do you need to mention the bathrooms are separate from the bedroom? Have you ever been outside of a first world country?
You all do not know what you are missing. Last year my wife and I volunteered at the fishpond in Haleiwa. We spent 3 hours or so, helping clean the pond. This was a great learning experience. We meet other volunteers from around the world and locals. We were able to visit a place that we otherwise would not have been able to. We learned about what they are trying to do to restore the fishpond and what they hope the future holds for it. This year we volunteered twice at the fishpond and loi gardens outside He’eia. We helped harvest the Loi leaves. We then cleaned other Loi areas of weeds and unwanted plants. Very muddy work. Again, able to visit a place that we drive by but never knew what was there. Great experience.
I would ask for a baby step: Leave it better than you found it. Sitting on the beach at Waikiki? Pick up those wrappers. Obey the signs to stay off sensitive trails and areas. Leave a light footprint. It would be a huge improvement just for that. And a little education about the unique culture before you go would be a plus.
I love it. Media is becoming a parent…constantly nagging. Do this, do that, and pick up after yourself. If and when I come back to Hawaii to vacation, I’m not spending a ton of money to get there only to find myself working the land. Not my job. I spend months working to be able to afford to travel. I like to stay in resorts, I don’t make a mess, I clean up after myself and I respect both the residents and the land. I’m not there to work…I’m there to play. If you want me to work, pay my way to get there and give me room and board at the resort.
“Responsible tourism is when you positively impact local communities and join them to protect environmental resources, contribute to inter-cultural understanding and help with income-earning opportunities to alleviate poverty.”
LOL!! This is just plain crazy. I am on vacation, and you want me to pay Hawaii vacation prices, work for free and create job opportunites to alleviate poverty.
I live in California, people come and vacation here all the time. We would never expect them to do all of the thigs you list here so they can be considered responsible tourists. Yes , people need to respect places, their people and culture but it not the job of the tousist to alleviate poverty. BTW Habitate for Humanity is pay to play…
Amen brother, Amen.
Although I don’t agree with what the article, I also have issue with what you say too. What is responsible tourism? It’s not littering, not vandalizing, leaving everything as you found it. It’s not the the unrealistic attitude that others have about someone else’s free time. I live in Los Angeles where we also have many visiting tourists. No one expects tourists to “work” for free, or volunteer their free time off work that they spent their money to be here. That’s the “benefit” of tourism, tourists spending money. No kore, no less. It’s what You do with that money, the extra taxes and fees already being paid that should be used to help care for your community. I mean really, pay $170 a night and work for free? That’s slavery.
Lining your dog kennel or bird cage with the NY Times would be redundant as it is already full of it! So much so that even the pets will not step on it!
I take a vacation to get away from work. How are the collected fees being used. It’s implied that the fees are to provide a better experience. Red tide is killing fish on Florida gulf coast, but I don’t see tourists cleaning them up. That’s done with equipment and people paid for by the fees. Perhaps a better accounting is in order. (really? A tree fee? What’s that?)
I have to say I have a problem with the very concept of “responsible” tourism. I certainly understand the issue of someone coming to one of the Hawaiian Islands and acting like an absolute bore — the ugly American personified. But if I’m on a vacation and I respect the environment I’m in as well as the people working to give me a memorable vacation, why is that not responsible tourism? I do no damage, clean up after myself, and respect everyone and everything I come in contact with. Do I really need to do more to be “responsible?”
While I Really respect what you two do on this forum, you got me on this one. As a former reporter, I do agree that it seems like the NYT reporter is out of bounds with “reporting vs. endorsing” but I think reporter’s unbiased reporting went out the window a while ago (in my day I would be Fired if I didn’t report the down side of a place like this as well)! And accepting a free stay to do a story would result in the same! But as far as “responsible tourism” goes, I’m inclined to agree with several comments: Do no damage, take no natural artifacts, respect the local heritage in EVERY way.
On a more comedic note, the idea of “roughing it” like native Hawaiians did but then taking a hot shower and dining “at a lodge” is ridiculous! Eat taro!
Implied in your definition of “responsible tourism” is that unless you devote some of your vacation time to building homes or counting seals, you are being irresponsible. That is patently ridiculous and offensive. Being a responsible tourist means you leave a place as good as you found it, you do no harm. Sure there are impact fees in lots of places, and that becomes a financial decision. Money is replaceable, time is not. To suggest that on top of the enormous taxes and fees, people are only being “responsible” if they also commit their time for some perceived social or environmental benefit is nonsense. If a tourist finds enjoyment in performing an environmental task, wonderful. Just don’t label the rest of us as “irresponsible”.
I was curious to read your definition of “Responsible Tourism” My definition of the same is as it has always been over 60 visits since I first came to Oahu for the summer of 1958. Do no harm. Offend no-one, including lifetime residents. Be polite and courteous to all. Express appreciation for the differences in Island cultures and its norms. ‘m 83 now, will visit the islands twice next year and still do so to get away from daily routine at home and enjoy an island vacation. Not to work on a habitat project, nor to count whales or Monk seals. I’ll leave that to the locals but will never criticize them for doing so., and yes, I’ll leave thousands of dollars in the local economy. Aloha.
I have been coming to Kauai to work with the seals since 2006. All of my trips centered around that endeavor as it is my passion. I used to feel happy to, additionally, do beach clean ups to keep seals from entanglements and help the island’s environment, no thanks needed, happy to do it. But, after the abysmal way we were treated by islanders and also island officials when we were caught there and unable to leave during the beginning of the pandemic, I now only come for the opportunity to help save a species. If there were seals in Ohio, I would never return to Kauai. Never knew giving all I have given was “expected”, just felt good to do it.
Relationships are mutual, both partners need to give, and there should an equilibrium. Are Hawaiians appreciative of what they get from the mainland. After all Hawaii is far from being self sufficient. Oil, gas, cars, food etc are imported.
Thinking I am responsible enough to be polite, not litter, learn what I can about local culture and history, and not waste resources, while spending what is fast becoming an excessive amount of money to get a diminishing amount of services.
I’d add Surfrider Foundation to the tourist list. I’m a Kauai resident and volunteer with Surfrider every Wednesday on “net patrol” cleaning beaches. I’m always impressed with the number of tourist volunteers who show up to clean beaches giving up several hours of their vacation time.
I’ll jump back in here because you bring up a Very good point. I am now disabled, but my wife started working with the beach cleanup people while I was in Queen’s Hospital with my spinal cord injury. While we don’t live there all the time anymore, we are back a lot and she always does that. I figure any conscientious visitor would agree that it’s The Beaches that were and are a major attraction and deserve one morning of our time during a visit. Check the Hawaii Malama program.
I can see both sides of the discussion. However, every dollar I spend with a small or local business does get recirculated into the Hawaiian economy. Personally, I try to avoid chains when shopping or dining out as some of that makes its way back to corporate. But your implication about staying at an “all inclusive,” of sorts argues against spending with small or local businesses. The “all-inclusive” might also keep tourists from some of the overcrowded parks that seem to be a huge concern. I would turn this around, when you travel to the mainland, do you volunteer at a soup kitchen, or do clean up in a park or roadside project? Do you vacation to do community service? If you do, you’re a better person that I am.
If I choose to do community projects while on vacation (I do), that’s a bonus. I shouldn’t be expected to do so to qualify as having been responsible.
Vacation is just that – a break. But whether one is on vacation or not, responsible is taking care of wherever you’re at; home or away. Cleaning up after yourself, leaving things as good or better than you found it, respectively the culture.
When someone from Hawaii visits Las Vegas, do they volunteer to help feed the homeless, or clean up the desert?
What exactly are you asserting is not responsible about Kulaniapia Falls?
You mention staying in one of their rooms and loving it. What is wrong with adding these cabins as an additional option? Guests seem to love them…
If I understand correctly, the property is entirely off grid, and generates all of their power from hydro and solar. There is a natural farm, and low impact experiences like hiking, swimming, kayaking, paddle boarding, rappelling and farm tours.
How would you recommend they be more responsible? This is surely better than staying at some big corporate resort, no?
A New Bill is being wrote up for Hosted Vacation Rentals on the Big Island and you cannot rent out Ohana’s, farm houses and detached rooms anymore!
Hello BOH –
Please investigate this ordinance update that Iliahi is describing.
It is a hot topic on B.I. presently.
Lots of disinformation being thrown around. Mahalo, Kurt M.
Interested in this as well. I thought you could continue to rent out Hosted Ohanas (aka where there owner lives on property).
Hawaii County Proposed Hosted Vacation Rule:
Drive.google.com/file/d/1y_mSV8yv0FaSO7GaauqYeya-MpCD9DXI/view
This has got to be a result of the hotel industry trying to muscle out individuals from renting to tourists. If they eliminate these rental places, properties where the owner also lives (and works like the farms), really, how can you rent a vacation home in Hawaii? You’re left with timeshares. I hope all the folks renting homes for vacationers fight this.
Sad to say but the revelation New York Times is spinning a pr piece is no surprise.
I believe Kulaniapia Falls started recently to promote their sustainable business model/ eco-tourism. Their social media profile (IG) was dormant for 1-2 years and as of recently, it’s very active. A profile in a national paper supports the increased business profile idea.