Visitors taking heat for a Hawaii vacation. And it is too easy for Hawaii tourists and residents to misunderstand one another.
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Visitors taking heat for a Hawaii vacation. And it is too easy for Hawaii tourists and residents to misunderstand one another.
Get Breaking Hawaii Travel News
“I guess celebrities don’t read the local’s requests, that people should Not travel there. they are already struggling, pls don’t travel to Hawaii.”
The reason locals are struggling is because of policies that stifle entrepreneuriship. If you hinder people from starting their own businesses, you perpetuate poverty. No one ever got rich working for someone else. The only way for locals to improve their financial circumstance is to either start or acquire a business. Since their is a paucity of good paying jobs, business creation is the answer. The state should immediately reduce the barriers for locals to starting a business. Tourism generates the tax revenue that imporverished locals rely on for survival. Without it they would starve. But subsistence leads to poverty. Entrepreneurship leads to affluence.
Jones Act.
Avoid and minimize where and whenever possible; p/u your (and other peoples’) trash; limit the trash you generate, leave only your money and not your bad attitudes and behaviors, try “playing nice in the sandbox”, as it were. (Remember,… “everything I learned in life, I learned in kindergarten”?)
Remember to “take only pictures, and leave only footprints”. It’s a “closed-system” folks, so treat it that way. And spend just one of your vacation days “giving back” somehow. Personally, I drive around picking up other tourists trash they leave behind. But there are many ways to “love” your vacation spots, so make an effort pls. Pls give a hoot!
My sister and I purchased a vacation rentable condo. We purchased it four years ago, and the property taxes were $7500 a year as we did not rent it. Two years ago it was a little over $16,000. This year taxes are $20,000. The only way to reduce the taxes is become residents and pay Hawaii taxes, living there full time, or lease it for one year to a Hawaiian resident. We do not want to rent our second home, but with the new tax amounts we will have to sell to someone who will probably rent it to more tourists, or rent it ourselves. While we are in Maui we use local vendors, shop at Times and Food land, and try to support local businesses. In cases like this, we are being penalized for having a personal home in Kihei. Most of the condos in our complex have become vacation rentals, and owner occupied condos are being sold.
I live in a tourist area on mainland. When I travel I try to be a “good” tourist. Friendly/respectful, spend freely, and tip generously.
I have only visited Oahu once, but hope to return.
My opinion: Hawaiian people being against tourism makes as much sense as native Americans being against Indian casinos. If it wasn’t for either the beauty and adventure in Hawaii, or the lure of a lucky hand of cards or winning slots, neither group would be as well off with less tourism. Duh.
a destination for me since the 70s, all things being equal, that is why i keep returning, i luv it there.
Let me start by saying that I am not Hawaiian. But I grew up on the Big Island and loved the land. I spoke pidgin and can still have short conversations in Hawaiian. Some tourists aren’t so bad, but many are annoying and utterly disrespectful. I remember yelling at a man who was holding a honu underwater trying to ride it, telling him to get off because you can not in fact ride a sea turtle. It was sad to see trash thrown in the water and trees cut down for the sake of getting 1 coconut. I live on the mainland now. I would like to visit my childhood home one day. That being said because I am blonde haired and blue eyed, not to mention the fact that I’ll have the fresh off the boat appearance I definitely don’t expect to be welcomed with open arms by all. And that is okay. Because I’ve been on the other side where I was living there and couldn’t stand tourists. I will carry the rules that I learned there though and malama the a’ina. Mahalo Hawai’i. A hui hou.
(Thank you, Hawai’i. Until we meet again.)
Given that I am not “politically correct” and never have been, I guess my travel to Hawaii (#29 coming up later this month) isn’t “politically correct”. Now, ask me if I care. As long as I am treated correctly and treat the people who live there correctly, we’ll keep coming back. It is my wife’s favorite place to go.
Someone who is respected by the Hawaiian People better let their people know the need we have for tourism. People view Hawaii as a paradise and love to visit or dream of visiting our State. if this changes to a negative feeling from our visitors we will never recover. Please welcome our visitors and don’t ever create a negative feeling to those supporting and visiting our State. I am not going to support you if we run out of money due to our lack of visitors!
Thanks for your concern, however the negative feeling has already been created. I have a feeling that most of the respectful visitors are respectfully heeding the call of locals to stay away. We understand that non-locals are not welcome and are not wanted. It is possible that in the near future, most people who will continue to come will be the rude ones, since the most respectful of us are listening and staying away like you have all asked.
Aloha! Thank you for you forum. I am a tour guide on the road to Hana and I’ve seen any number of stupid behavior from tourists (I’m not saying “visitors”) I’ve seen people throwing trash on the black sand beach, and parking in the middle of the road to take pictures, parents allowing their kids to abuse shoreline animals (two spaghetti worm corals actually killed) Social media encouraged people to swim in Hanas’ Water Supply! No wonder locals are ticked off…
I somewhat know how Hawaiians feel. Last time I was in Yosemite swore that was the last time. It’s now overrun by people from all over the world. Oldtime Californians would camp there every summer. Now they’re lucky to obtain a reservation. Hawaii has limited land mass & can’t handle so many people. Is there a solution? Don’t know.
Hi BOH,
Hate Disneyland, but Love Kalalau!
My family and I have been visiting the Hawaiian Islands since the mid 1980’s. I can not count how many times we have been there so have seen the changes/transitions from a visitors perspective. We also have close friends that were born and raised on the islands who still live there. I consider myself a knowledgeable and considerate visitor and hope I reflect as one.
At some point traveling to Hawaii has become less affordable…mostly wealthy people and their families can afford it. Although very sad, with that I feel comes a sense of entitlement. I’ve seen young families at the beach or at restaurants on my recent visits to Hawaii completely oblivious of others and lacking any respect. It’s not just a problem with tourists in Hawaii….it’s everywhere. It’s a disease of our culture right now.
Mahalo, BOH for your wonderful articles and insight!
**Side note: I can only afford to visit Hawaii anymore because I have a family member that has a place there. I’ve been priced out.
Hi Carol.
Thanks. Welcome. We appreciate your first comment and hope to see you again soon.
Aloha.
Thank you….keep up the great work!!
Carol
Wow, we live in Alaska and have the same issue with tourism, but likely not the impact that the islands do. But, after a cold winter and cold rainy summer, warm sunshine and sand on our toes is very inviting. We have seen the problems with plastic on Turtle Bay beaches, heavy traffic on the highway in Honolulu, overcrowded roadway on the road to Hana and sketchy street life in downtown Honolulu. All we wanna do is spend a week or so getting some sun, frequenting restaurants, and wading, maybe occasional snorkeling. No drunken reveling, bad behavior, etc. Why would we all of a sudden feel bad about visiting? We have never had a bad interaction with locals. As a matter of fact we had a lady at one of the farms we visited who remembered our special needs son from the year before and offered to sit with him while we shopped. She loved on him like he was family. Amazing times. We will be back, just waiting for timing, prices, policies, etc. to work through the hard problems a bit. Looking at Big Island or Kauai in the future, but love Kaanapali, we just know it has been run over a bit.
I lived on Maui 2014-2016, and yes I left because of the cost of living. The house I was renting in Kihei at the time had a value of about $400K, I see on zillow it sold last year for $1.2M. I do not know how people are doing it. (well, many working multiple jobs).
The biggest problem I saw was west maui was way overbuilt. It just does not have the infrastructure and the main highway is too small, but yet they kept building huge new resorts.
Sounds like bookings are down this year, but be careful what you wish for. Soon it will just be the super wealthy like Oprah, and I dont think any of their wealth is going to trickle down to the rest of you.
Greg, I agree with you that West Maui developed way to fast. I’m not being altruistic……I understand real estate development by profession and have been visiting Maui since the mid 1980’s. You can’t have that kind of rapid development and than expect “harmony”. Public development never keeps pace with private development.
With regard to increases in housing prices that you refer to….respectfully, they are happening in many markets. Although I do understand the high cost of housing in Hawaii (I’m in the real estate field and get that it’s location, location, location and Hawaii is The location….just like NY or San Francisco), we have had similar inflations in our area in the Portland, Oregon area. I bought my house in 2015 for $300k (fixer and cheap at the time) and would have sold for $850K plus last year. Not dissimilar from what you stated. I’m just pointing this out because I feel it’s not just a Hawaii issue it’s everywhere. The market will bear what it can bear. Once people stop paying the inflated prices….they will drop (hopefully).
As a resident on the Big Island married to a Hawaiian, I think that tourism is an important facet to the economy of Hawaii. Certainly, the perfect tourist is one who tries to understand the traditions and history of the islands. A tourist who respects Hawaii and its unique place within the United States is always welcome.
Here is a suggestion that would bring in enormous tax revenue and create thousands of good jobs. Just compare the marine industry in Hawaii with that in say, Florida. We have totally inadequate marinas, no available slips and almost no marine services. As a result we have all these boats moored offshore just waiting to break free during the next giant swell and run aground. Most of the boats operating are derelect old boats. Compare that to South Florida where there are tons of marinas and related services. We don’t need more hotels. We need more marinas. There is One decent marina in the entire state, Ko Olina. The rest are junk. The public ramps are decrepit. We have an enormous ocean and we could raise huge tax revenue and create tons of jobs if we expanded our marine related indstry. Boat sales, maintenance, repair, services, mechanics, haul out etc…those are under developed opportunities to help our state.
I read these posts conscienciously and seriously. In 1970’s I lived here. In 1980’s I saw some major changes in tourism, so the takeover really began then. I wrote to the then Mayor of Maui and promised that I would not reside on the island to help preserve the greenspace and keep the natives/ and long time locals comfortable. I kept my promise even though it is just one of me.
Fastforward, I am returning for a visit and even after reading the pains the tourists are causing the islands, it is my intent to return, volunteer while visiting and continue to respect the land and its people.
I am fortunate that my parents taught me how to treat nature and others, so I feel to this very day, that many do not deserve to vacation on the islands. Many have not been educated nor been raised to respect. There are many on the islands themselves that are not educated to respect individuals like myself. They are assuming we are all as one.
You are correct in that the islands are now a paradisiacal theme park like Disneyland. Most do not have any idea what an island should be.
We have been visiting the Islands every year since 1998. There has been a very noticeable difference in the behavior of the tourists in the last few years. Rude, self-centered, Even demanding people are ruining everything, everywhere. They treat local workers horribly and have no respect for the land and the local culture. So sad.
Yes, well being charged a fortune for accommodations, restaurant food, airfares, groceries, and then then being nickeled and dimed to death with taxes, service fees, and beach parking fees makes for tourists in a foul mood.
You can help out by at least imploring your government to remove the recent increases in taxes and parking fees.
Then don’t go. Thinking you can do whatever you want because of how much you paid is the definition of entitlement
I love the Hawaiian people.
The most generous and genuine people I have ever met. I truly love the islands and respect the culture. May The God Kane keep his people safe, May the God lono keep the people fed, and Kanaloa bring good winds. Aloha nui loa
I think Kauai had the best idea, several decades ago – it seems someone had the bright idea that if you can’t prevent tourism, control its impact on the island where you can. Or so it appeared from the rules/laws/building codes that aside from one hotel in Lihue, no buildings could exceed the height of a coconut palm – or 50 feet, based on a quick Google. I wonder how many other rules are in place with the same goal of reduced impact?
Unfortunately, for Oahu, Maui and the Big Island, it’s impossible to stuff the genie back in the bottle, although the Big Island has the land to mostly deal with it.
Lanai will probably succeed because of its single ownership by a guy who wanted to get away from it all in luxury and could afford to make it a place where only those who can similarly afford it can do so too (at least based on appearances). Molokai… Sorry, Molokai – but the fact they put the leper colony there pretty much states where you sit on the totem pole of desirability, even to the locals.
As for the “locals” who are apparently against tourism, what exactly do they think they are going to do to live? There is no substantial industry in Hawaii (aside from tourism and the military on Oahu) and the islands aren’t self-sufficient in food, although I have been told the Big Island could be. Passion fruit, Coconut and fish make a boring diet.
Side issue: has anyone done a study on what abolishing the Jones Act would do to prices in the islands?
There have been several studies on the outdated Jones Act. Both at State level and Federal. Unfortunately, fixes can only be accomplished by our “leaders” in Congress. Hawaii’s delegation and a high number of residents want this Act to be either revised or done away with completely. btw, this law was enacted in 1901!!
Aloha!
I have lived on the Big Island since 1 March 2018.
While I sympathize with efforts to limit access to sensitive areas, I do not agree that all Hawaii tourism should be discouraged.
The short-sighted NIMBY-advocates were able to get the larger half of the Ironman events (men’s division) to relocate to Nice, France, this year – resulting in the estimated loss of over $50,000,000 to our economy. The reason? A few locals objected to the expansion of the event from one to two days.
Limiting access to sensitive beaches? Yes.
Critizing a social influencer for vacationing in Hawaii? No.
NIMBYs – I hope you don’t get your wish.
*Not In My Back Yard
I understand the need to balance preservation of the environment & respecting locals’ wishes. However, having recently visited Oahu, it is clear that the state has no qualms about sticking it to tourists. Case in point, Hanauma Bay fees & the recent BOH article about Hapuna Beach State Recreation Area. Just ridiculous.
I never felt such sadness about the over tourism in the past. Now I do. The state focuses too much on pleasing tourists and neglects its residents here on maui. We are losing our young people because of this!
No, we are losing young people to the 9th island because there are so few opportunities on Maui and elsewhere in the state. Why are there so few opportunities? Try and start a business. The regulatory requirements will strangle it to death. If we don’t start allowing entrepreneurs to start businesses we will continue to decline and descend deeper into debt. The only jobs available are low wage service jobs. We are totally dependent on tourism for our survival. We should unleash out people to start and grow their own businesses. That would reduce our depedence of tourism.
Many have commented that Hawaii is in dire straits regarding tourism and it’s affects. Certainly that’s true but you’re not alone. Just finished a stellar book that highlights the tourism angle and negative impacts on beach destinations globally. (Hawaii did not fare well in it’s portrayal). It was an eye opener for sure. Check it out:
“The Last Resort: A Chronicle of Paradise, Profit and Peril At The Beach”. By Sarah Stoddola
I don’t recall reading anything in this article that anyone wanted to return to the old Hawaii. Major hospitals are owned by corporations as are hotels. Do you think Hawaii needs to support hotels ,airlines etc so they make more kala? Do you think local residents need to put up with tourists in their neighborhoods at all hours?
I await your answers.
Aloha
We don’t support the hotels. They support us. Without them we would starve.
Wellllll, as I’ve stated in previous posts, the State keeps approving new tourist hotels, built on open land. It’s gotten to the point where Hawaiians can’t live without the tourists, depending on them directly or indirectly, for a living. Look at the vacant sugar cane fields on Maui, the pineapple fields on Oahu, etc.. There is no real ‘industry’, so tourism fills the gap. I don’t think there is anyway to turn back the clock. My suggestion, as I’ve said before, is demo the hotels, bring back agriculture. The islands can only support so many people. If there are no more jobs, people will have to migrate. But the overall quality of life for those that stay would improve immensely. But, we all know that is not going to happen, so learn to live with this dismal situation of over visitation. Very sad.
Dennis D:
Agriculture isn’t coming back in any appreciable form. Not when Dole and C & H can hire workers in The Philippines, Puerto Rico, South America, etc. for 10% of what workers made in Hawaii. Pure economics (or greed, if you will). I’d love to see the islands return to a more self sufficient and even bucolic state of affairs but that bus already left the station.
How is that tourists cause prices to soar?
Isn’t it the people selling the items that are jacking up the prices? If there is blame to placed, wouldn’t it be the merchants charging more than they used to?
I know there is the supply and demand thing but they don’t Have to charge more.
Good ole’ capitalism, Patrick. That’s what it is. The ubiquitous and well-known law of supply and demand. The market decides the price and that’s the way it should be if you believe in such things. Isn’t that why people love living in America? The land of opportunity, they say. Can’t get mad when it doesn’t go your way this time. Jus’ sayin’. Aloha.🌴😄
Once again, I applaud you, BOH, for a great article that is evenhanded and fair. I really love how you put the shoe on the other foot and make us residents think about the impact that we have when visiting some of our favorite places, like Las Vegas.
I also do not think that people will be able to dissuade visitors from coming. That’s a nearly impossible task. Nor is it legal as many have accurately stated, since, despite anyone’s feelings on the matter, Hawaii is irrevocably part of the United States now and likely always will be.
As I have mentioned in many previous posts on different articles here, the only fair way to reduce the amount of tourism is to allow the market to decide who can afford to travel here. If only the likes of Olivia Rodrigo can afford to visit, then so be it.
Capitalism and the law of supply and demand should be considered a fair and equitable solution to this matter. It is unbiased in every way, except economically. Who you are or where you come from doesn’t matter. According to the rules and values of the United Sates, no one is owed the opportunity to be able to travel or live here.
I say that Hawaiian businesses should be able to raise prices as high as the market will allow. If too many keep coming, raise prices even more. Gotta love the free market, right?😄
The only problem with that idea is that it’s not just tourists that are effected by the raising prices you love so much. Look at the cost of housing as an example.
Well, I never said it was a perfect solution, Jeorg H, but it’s the best we’ve got for now. If these islands and way of life are important enough to the Kanaka Maoli and Kamaaina, I have complete confidence that they’ll get the education they need, innovate and demonstrate an entrepreneurial spirit like we’ve never seen in order to afford to return and reclaim their home. It’s currently the only viable way. Is it more difficult? Yes, absolutely. Is it impossible, definitely not. We must have faith. Aloha🌺😊
No one will have a chance to demonstrate the entrepreneurial spirit. The cost of housing is pushing people off the islands. The tourism industry will replace them with low wage workers from 3rd world countries, and complete the transformation of Hawaii into a Disneyland attraction and the destruction of the Hawaiian culture.
That’s an interesting prediction…and how will these low wage workers from 3rd world countries afford to live in Hawaii?
Yeah, I agree with PatG. What you just said makes no sense, Jeorg H.
Please explain.
The celebrities should just ignore all these bad comments, I’m sure they are use to it by now. The only ones getting good feedback are the celebrities who protest or do a movie here. Sad…..
Love Hawaii, but it has changed a lot since I first was there in 1962.
There are way too many large hotels now and traffic is crazy. Might as well just stay on the Mainland.
i dont care if its pc or not pc. i am a very respectful traveler especially to Hawaii i have been many times. its the social media generation that ruins it for everyone.
Biting the hand that feeds. We need more tourism, not less; more boats, marinas, harbors and slips. Our ocean recreation industry is under developed not over developed. How many jobs would be created if we expanded the marine recreation industry? Without tourism we would starve. We need more tourist tax revenue to support our hospitals among many other needs. Tourists support the state. If you think we can turn back the clock to the old Hawaii, you need a reality check.
Perhaps you haven’t read about how the turtles are disappearing from Waikiki? Thought to be due to the amount of boat traffic. We don’t need any more of those
I try to leave it like I found it-and better if possible. I think that’s a pretty good attitude.
Unfortunately without tourists Hawaii is broke! That’s the only industry we have. However the prices of hotel rooms is outrageous and will stop people from coming.
Also the race card just happened in Kailua-Kona. Family from Atlanta was beaten up and called “White Boy”! Hawaiian entitlement?
Very Sad.
8 out of 10 residents placed value on tourism. Wow. When was that survey taken?
I wonder what the numbers would look like now? BOH, didn’t you mention in another post that now most residents feel that the net effect of tourism is negative, or did I read that somewhere else?
It’s very sad that it’s a question of “political correctness” of visiting a state in my own country! Hawaii is my favorite place to vacation, and we always try to practice Malama Aina when we visit, but there are many places besides Hawaii that offer a similar tropical experience without the negativity about tourism. It’s getting ridiculous.
If you are being mindful to malama aina, there are many here who will still welcome you. That said, Hawaii is illegally occupied by the United States, so I’d reconsider thoughts about it being a state in your own country.
I completely agree with you, Amy P. Aside from the problems that over-tourism brings, the root cause of the animosity towards tourism and other matters has never been properly addressed. The Hawaiian islands were stolen from the Hawaiian monarchy. This is well documented and was admitted by the United States. When you start off on such a wrong foot like that, everything coming after will have problems.
I’ve said it before. I wish circumstances had been different with Hawaii being with the U.S. It would be sad to see your queen overthrown. It’s always good to have a voice, a vote, a choice. Being made to do something-not so nice. But it’s a beautiful place and I’m proud to call Hawaii a fellow state. That’s coming from the country/republic of Texas!
Kanaka Maoli or just Kamaina we all came to Hawaii from other places.
I’m not going to reconsider if Hawaii is a state – it literally is. I’m not debating whether it was just or right. I don’t hear any of the other 49 states debating whether it’s politically correct to visit, not frankly, any other country that offers tropical vacations. Like it or not, people will always be drawn to the beauty and beaches whether Hawaii belongs to the United States or not. Hawaii needs to figure out how to manage it, is all. Mahalo.
When I first visited Hawaii my mom talked about Hawaii like it was a foreign country. I said it’s a state mother. She said what if it wasn’t a state? Would you still go? I said I’m 98% sure I would. My mom said that is pretty sure.
Yeah, I’m so done with Hawaii anymore. Been there 10 × ,one of my favorite places before but not anymore, it’s a saturation point and getting the wrong response from the locals and the government for that matter!
I get it. Our last trip to the Islands was years ago, when this conflict first showed its face to us, literally. We love Hawaii, its people and its native culture. But how can Hawaiians distinguish between responsible visitors and those who are not? By the same token, how can we as prospective visitors know that the visitor numbers are too high at the time we want to visit? Now, we don’t even consider Hawaii. Family reunion? Newport Beach. Nature exploration? Costa Rica. Enjoy culture? Europe. Culture and language? Mexico. I still miss Hawaii.
Would the local preference be to go back to sugar cane and pineapples?
I was on Maui in the early sixties and today is better in every way.
Legislate carefully and count your blessings.
Utopia does not exist.
Sugar canes and pineapple are not native to Hawaii, so for me I’d prefer the land were as it were before they and the negative effects of colonization came along, with agriculture and industry that could sustain our residents without such reliance on tourism.
What industry?
Amy, I understand your frustration, and yes Hawaii is a subjugated nation under illegal occupation by the United States.
I am a registered tribal member of an American Indian Nation, and our lands were taken and our people removed and ‘resettled’ in strange lands over 350 years ago.
But you know what? Nobody is leaving. We, all of us displaced indigenous peoples must adjust, reconnect with our kupuna, and move forward with our current reality. Don’t let your history destroy your present and your children’s future.
Locals talk about how tourists “disrespect” the Islands yet they seem to have a lot of tunnel vision because the way the locals themselves treat the aina is shocking to say the least. Vehicles and appliances abandoned all over the Islands not to mention trash bags too so when you start complaining and pointing at “us” as being the problem, remember that there are also 3 fingers pointing back at yourselves.
Aloha, Don K. I completely agree with what you said. As a resident, it breaks my heart to see so many fellow residents, disrespect and destroy the `Āina. Many times I have had to call the county myself to pick up abandoned and stripped vehicles. It’s very sad.😣
This needs to be called out and addressed just as much as bad tourists destroying this beautiful and rare place.
To your point, Don, how Polihale was so trashed and disrespected during the pandemic the DLNR had to close it for a period of time.
So sick of PC stuff. Now we are policing where people go on vacation? What a very sad state of affairs this country is in….
Who cares what is politically correct or not, why does that even matter?
I have been going to Maui since 2008. I shop local, I do not go where I’m not supposed to, I have learned about the culture,I treat people with respect and I make sure I tip big when I go out.
Unfortunately, lots of people do. The fear is that the negative comments on Instagram with create a drop in tourism rates. Will it? Perhaps if it all goes viral enough. For example, 47% of people in the US ages 18-34 primarily get their news from social media. As opposed to only 20% ages 65+.