Tourists will appreciate quality experience
Tourists will appreciate quality experience
Thank you, Allan, for your column (TGI, Forum, July 8) on the importance of not turning Kauai into an overcrowded, rude, tacky tourist experience.
At some point, the unique beauty and kindness of the people gets trampled by the crowds.
The proposed improvements in the Haena area are an excellent start. By limiting the volume of cars and people, the beauty remains. Kauai is now one of the most popular tourist destinations and we must understand they will gladly pay for a unique experience. Consider the Galapagos Islands — extraordinary beauty and limited in access. People still love it. And they will pay for it.
Hawaii tourism seems to have a concern that it must be wide open for all or no one will come here. Quite the opposite: when you have to pay to access this beauty, it increases demand and people make plans accordingly. When it is free, they come when they feel like it and trample everything. Charge to go to the improved boardwalk/Na Pali hike area, people won’t blink twice about paying for it. And the fees pay for maintenance. Same with other sites.
Time to use the storm damage to rethink it. And while you are at it, END vacation short-term rentals. They destroy communities and the visitor experience. At the very least, increase taxes and penalties for illegal ones.
The tourism board should not have the shortsighted view of numbers: more people, more money spent. Instead, focus on quality.
Judith Fernandez, Kapaa
“Quite the opposite: when you have to pay to access this beauty, it increases demand and people make plans accordingly. When it is free, they come when they feel like it and trample everything.”
Sorry, Judith, but this is an opinion formed without the benefit of understanding economics. Moreover the two sentences are contradictory. The only element of truth is contained in your second sentence…that is goods or services perceived as free generate excess demand. (see: The Tragedy of the Commons) However, putting a price on something that heretofore has been “free” does not increase demand. Even a freshman econ student understands (hopefully) the concept of supply and demand. Simply stated, if the price of a good or service is increased without a commensurate increase in supply the quantity demanded will be REDUCED…not increased as you’ve stated. I suggest you read Henry Hazlitt’s excellent book: Economics in One Lesson.
RG DeSoto