LIHU‘E — The Hawai‘i Tourism Authority has launched a new website aimed at highlighting its efforts and progress with “community-based Destination Management Action Plans.”
Destination Management Action Plans are “efforts to mitigate tourism’s impacts in communities and provide a better experience for residents and visitors alike,” said Ilihia Gionson, HTA public affairs officer.
The site’s creation comes as two bills, House Bill 1375 and Senate Bill 1522, seek to repeal and replace the HTA
“due to mismanagement.”
Both bills passed out of their final committees last week and are scheduled for a vote on Tuesday.
Gionson told The Garden Island that “the project was in development before those bills were introduced. But certainly the site does play a part in showing the efforts in destination management already happening with us and our partners,” he said.
The site is titled Holomua, a Hawaiian word meaning “to go forward or progress,” and features stories and updates by the HTA that relate to its regenerative tourism model.
The HTA announced its launch in a press release dated April 3.
The HTA’s Destination Management Action Plans, implemented on Kaua‘i, Maui Nui (Maui, Moloka‘i and Lana‘i), O‘ahu and Hawai‘i Island, are part of the authority’s 2020 to 2025 Strategic Plan.
The HTA details that plan on its main website, describing it as a commitment to managing Hawai‘i tourism in a way that balances sustainability, economic goals, cultural values, preservation of natural resources, community desires and visitor industry needs.
“We really wanted to shine a spotlight on the efforts going on in communities across Hawai‘i, including Kaua‘i, that are essential to destination management,” said Gionson of the Holomua website.
Gionson noted that despite some claims otherwise, the HTA is committed to destination management.
“We know that the community is calling for better management of tourism. We’ve been making efforts in that space. And this website is an additional tool to help us share those success stories from our communities,” said Gionson.
The website can be viewed at www.holomua.hawaiitourismauthority.org.
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Emma Grunwald, reporter, can be reached 808-652-0638 or egrunwald@thegardenisland.com.
