Editorial
Waikiki's future takes on a brighter shine

It will take more than one beach brunch or one surge of hotel redevelopment to make Waikiki the star of global tourism again.

But in ways large and small, there are encouraging signs that this aging resort has tremendous vitality left in it.

As Waikiki reinvents itself for the 21st century, several guiding principles appear to be obvious. They must not be ignored.

• The first is that more is not always better. Our experience with the first decades of mass tourism saw giddy growth rates and huge profits. But it also saw overdevelopment, degradation of product and a slippage in quality.

• The second is that the key to Waikiki's health and success is a solid mix of local and visitor, enjoying its attractions, its restaurants and shops and its famed surf.

Recent years have seen many residents treating Waikiki as a place to be avoided as much as enjoyed. Visitors can sense that. They know that if they find themselves surrounded with nothing but other visitors, they are not in the right place.

Staff writer Michele Kayal offered a look at the physical changes coming to Waikiki in an article Sunday. Close to half a billion dollars of physical improvements and additional construction are now on the drawing boards by private operators alone.

That is a huge infusion of cash and fresh thinking into the area. In addition, the city intends to follow up on its popular improvements to Kalakaua Avenue, Kuhio Beach and Kapi'olani Park with a second stage of upgrades to the Kuhio Avenue neighborhood.

All of these projects appear to have as hallmarks an emphasis on "sense of place," in the spirit of the late Dr. George Kanahele, as well as on quality and openness.

Then there is the return of local residents. This past Sunday's "brunch on the beach" was a huge success — perhaps too much so as the crowds nearly overwhelmed planners. The key statistic is that the majority of those attending appeared to be local folks. It's a good bet that they lingered to try some of Waikiki's other attractions or made plans for a repeat visit.

Kanahele and others long dreamed of such events, in which Islanders would be compelled to visit the area for food, entertainment and recreation. This, in turn, would convince Waikiki visitors that they were sharing in the real deal, the key to a good vacation experience.

In short, it adds up to bright signs of a good start toward a true renaissance for Waikiki. This momentum must not be lost.