• Tourism impact Tourism impact Record numbers of visitors are coming to Hawai‘i, according to the latest statistical reports from Honolulu. March showed all-time record numbers. This is due in part to the continuing threat of terrorism in Europe, which
• Tourism impact
Tourism impact
Record numbers of visitors are coming to Hawai‘i, according to the latest statistical reports from Honolulu. March showed all-time record numbers. This is due in part to the continuing threat of terrorism in Europe, which is driving visitors to the safety of a sojourn in Hawai‘i.
Kaua‘i, Maui and other Kaua‘i counties are growing rapidly, changing bit by bit into places that are more like the Mainland than they were in the past.
A recent news story about a family wanting the state to put a warning sign right next to the blowhole at Makapu‘u on O‘ahu after losing a family member there is a sign of trouble in this area. A sign near a fence that keeps visitors away from danger at this scenic spot is enough warning, there’s not a need to put a sign right on top of the dangerous spot. While the type of action proposed in this anecdote isn’t too common, it does point out that protection of our historic places and natural wonders is a continuing concern. The things that make Hawai‘i unique, and give it its breathtaking beauty, could be overrun by development, and the “mainlandization” of the Islands.
On the other hand, there is positive action being taken to keep Kaua‘i, Kaua‘i. Ninety years of work by the Kaua‘i Historical Society in archiving the history of the island, and preserving its historic sites, was celebrated last weekend at the society’s grand ball. In addition, the Kaua‘i Museum, Grove Farm Homestead Museum, the National Tropical Botanical Garden, the Fish & Wildlife Service’s Kilauea Point Wildlife Refuge and a number of other local organizations have protecting the Island’s heritage as a main mandate of their work. These organizations need to be encouraged in their work, and contributed to, and supported both financially and through volunteer help.
A Kaua‘i couple recently returned from central Maui after four years away commented on the grueling pace of life they found on the Valley Isle. They’ve returned home to Kaua‘i in hopes of finding the peaceful life they once knew here.
Balancing our new growth with preservation of our past and natural beauty is possible, and a long-term goal of planning for Kaua‘i. Whether the Island’s planners, developers and residents can pull this off remains to be seen. There is a lot to be lost if, as in the words of the couple returning from Maui, we too find life on Kaua‘i being led at a grueling pace.
