LIHU‘E — The Hawai‘i Tourism Authority is promising a transition to a new direction, one aimed toward greater environmental sustainability and appreciation of local culture.
The shift is in part due to a years-long downward trend in residents’ approval of the tourism industry, according to officials on Friday, during an online organizational update and seminar promoting the authority’s new “Malama Ku‘u Home” campaign.
“At the heart of the program is the intent to give the community a voice,” HTA President and CEO John De Fries said. “Communities are not going to be spectators to our own future.”
County-by-county Destination Management Action Plans, assembled with input from local nonprofits, governmental entities and the visitor industry, were approved early this year.
“What DMAP has put in place is the framework for us to achieve that community engagement at a very-elevated level,” De Fries said. “When you live with the impacts of our industry day to day, more than likely you have the solution, because you live with it and you’re incentivized to solve it.”
On Kaua‘i, completed or ongoing DMAP initiatives have included the county’s launch of GetAroundKauai.com, which lists local transportation options, and the monitoring of visitor “hotspots” to address overtourism.
Officials also highlighted Alakoko, a forthcoming retail and networking space on Rice Street in Lihu‘e, as an example of HTA’s emphasis on community and small business. The HTA-funded site, slated to open sometime in November, is promoted as a launchpad for local entrepreneurs.
HTA Chief Brand Officer Kalani Ka‘ana‘ana said HTA will continue to market the brand of Hawai‘i, one aspect of which is leisure tourism. However, he said, officials are interested in attracting “mindful travelers” interested in learning and respecting Hawaiian values.
“For a long, long time, the Hawaiian Islands have been portrayed as ‘playground in paradise’ only,” Ka‘ana‘ana said. “I think we have to take into account the depth of this place, how special our home is, what makes it unique.”
New advertisement spots, all part of the “Malama Hawai‘i” campaign, played throughout Friday’s presentation. Each depicts locals and visitors participating in aquaculture, habitat stewardship, reforestation or sustainable farming.
“This isn’t the kitschy grass skirts and hula girls and hula maidens and all of the things that we’ve heard in the past,” Ka‘ana‘ana said. “This really, truly is a pivot for us.”
De Fries concluded the presentation by citing a recent University of Hawai‘i survey that indicated most travelers are willing to pay more for sustainable and culturally respectful practices while on vacation. Such experiences could include work in a taro patch, or hiking trail or beach cleanups.
“The beauty of authenticity is you cannot import it and you cannot fabricate it,” De Fries said. “There’s only one place you can get it from, the community. This is why the partnership with the community, the relationship with the community, is so important.”
The next public HTA update, dedicated to brand-management plans for 2022, is tentatively slated for sometime in December.
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Scott Yunker, general assignment reporter, can be reached at 245-0437 or syunker@thegardenisland.com.
