Tourists, industry finding ways to cope
By Kelly Yamanouchi
Advertiser Staff Writer
Yesterday's bus-driver walkout was a disappointment for many, but tourists and visitor industry workers were doing their best yesterday to keep vacation plans on track and the industry running.
Jeff Widener • The Honolulu Advertiser
Tourists were finding ways of getting around O'ahu without public transportation, while hotels and other businesses tried to get employees to work on time.
Pedestrians cross Kuhio Avenue in Waikiki as taxicabs line up to take bus-strapped tourists and residents to their destinations.
Concierges were telling tourists about shuttles and tours as alternatives to the bus system.
Certain options for commuters on O'ahu such as van pools were not available to tourists, though some traveled on the city shuttle vans set up for the strike.
Dick Skidmore, a tourist from San Rafael, Calif., said that after hearing about the bus strike, he decided to spend the day in Waikiki.
"If you're stuck here, big deal. It's great," Skidmore said.
"This is paradise. Everything's so close to right here."
Skidmore said he would probably take a cab to get around.
Others were more disappointed.
Jane Lawrence, visiting from Monroe, N.C., said she may not get to as many places here during her vacation as she had planned.
"When we had made plans, we read about the outstanding public transportation and planned to use that," said Lawrence, who ended up renting a car. "As a tourist it's very negative," she said.
About 31 percent of Mainland visitors and 36 percent of Japanese visitors on O'ahu typically use the public buses, according to state figures.
Outrigger Hotels & Resorts is warning travelers making reservations about the bus strike and will begin offering a rental-car package with a hotel stay.
Tom Razee, manager of Adventure on 2 Wheels, which provides rental mopeds and a small number of cars, said a woman with a Colorado driver's license rented one of the remaining few cars to drive to the North Shore.
"She had planned on taking the bus to Hale'iwa with her boyfriend and couldn't do that," Razee said.
Razee said the woman was upset that she couldn't find any shuttle service for the trip and that it would have cost $80 in a cab.
The strike's impact on tourism will depend on how long the dispute lasts and how disruptive it is, said Murray Towill, president of the Hawai'i Hotel Association.
"I think people will find alternative solutions to get around. But it's an added complication nobody wants," he said.
Sheraton spokeswoman B.J. Whitman said she doesn't think there will be much interruption in tourists' experiences because many attractions provide transportation, including Sea Life Park, Maui Divers and the Polynesian Cultural Center.
"Some of their O'ahu experience will be diminished without the bus," Whitman said, but "they'll have enough alternatives."
At some upscale properties where guests depend more on taxis or tour buses, the bus strike is less of an issue.
"It's really not an inconvenience for our guests," said Stan Brown, area vice president for Marriott.
Some tourists who were planning to use the bus called the Hawai'i Visitors & Convention Bureau or walked into the HVCB's offices for help.
"Our office told them the options we knew about," said HVCB spokeswoman Gail Ann Chew. "Everybody is aware of what's happening and is able to connect them up with rides or tours."
Several cab and trolley companies reported more interest from tourists than usual.
E Noa Tours, which operates about 50 trolleys and 30 tour vehicles, saw a jump in calls for its Ala Moana shuttle, said quality operations officer Bill Haole. "We've been extremely busy," he said.
Roberts Hawai'i has circle-island and other tours that are pricier than the public bus, but they offer narration. Spokeswoman Sam Shenkus said Roberts may see an increase in interest in its Pearl Harbor tour from people who planned to take the city bus.
Hotels, meanwhile, encouraged employees to car-pool or offered shuttles to get people in to work. But there were some glitches on the first day of the strike.
At Starwood Hotels, some employees arrived late because of heavy traffic, Whitman said.
Outrigger Hotels & Resorts organized shuttles to pick up its workers. Much of the system worked well, except for the shuttle that left Kapolei at 5:30 a.m. and took two hours to get to Waikiki, said Outrigger spokesman Jim Austin.
"I think they were anticipating getting them in an hour and a half" for a shift starting at 7 a.m., Austin said. "It was a little slow getting in."
Hawai'i Tourism Authority marketing director Frank Haas said O'ahu's bus system makes it affordable and easy to get around, and "we hope we'll emerge from this with that same image intact."
Jo Caryl Smith, visiting from Denver, said that bus strike or not, she planned to return to Hawai'i.
"We'll definitely be back," Smith said. "This issue's all over. We had it in our state. ... I hope you settle it for the people that work here."
Reach Kelly Yamanouchi at 535-2470, or at kyamanouchi@honoluluadvertiser.com.
