State report on tourism identifies areas of concern

By Kelly Yamanouchi
Advertiser Staff Writer

The state decided to pay for the $1.2 million study during the 2001 legislative session, a year after Hawai'i had a record 6.95 million visitors. The report released yesterday focused on sociocultural issues and public input — one of three parts of the study. It included a survey of about 1,600 residents and findings from public meetings on several islands.

The study identifies areas of concern, but whether the recommendations are acted on depends on policy-makers.

When the full study is complete, it is "going to be a very good document, a blueprint for us to move forward in a sustainable manner," said Marsha Wienert, the tourism liaison to Gov. Linda Lingle. Accomplishing the policies recommended in the study will depend on collaboration between the private and public sectors, she added.

The study comes during a recovery in the visitor industry after several years of decline related to the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, the start of war in Iraq and travel fears stemming from an outbreak of SARS.

Hawai'i visitor arrivals were up 14.4 percent in April from a year ago. More people from the Mainland visited Hawai'i — 405,833 — in April 2004 than in any other April on record.

The growing recovery is expected to tax the tourism infrastructure during the busy summer travel period this year. Tourism leaders are trying to prepare for the onslaught of visitors crowding into airports and hotels in coming weeks.

The study says sustainability relates to "long-term concerns about the potential gradual erosion of a destination's overall charm and uniqueness."

The concept also involves the idea of ensuring the ongoing success of tourism through efforts like marketing and deterring threats from terrorism.

One recommendation was to base sustainable tourism on Native Hawaiian concepts of lokahi, or harmony; malama 'aina, or stewardship of the land; ho'okipa, or hospitality; kuleana, or responsibility; and aloha.

Recommendations also included analyzing the tourism industry in Hawai'i compared to other destinations and identifying reasons for problems, and tracking unlicensed operators of small tourism businesses like bed-and-breakfasts and water sport tours. The report encouraged counties to legalize but regulate bed-and-breakfasts.

Another suggestion was to encourage patrolling of parks and scenic areas with high visitor counts by parking attendants, food vendors and volunteers.

To protect the environment, one recommendation was to seek money for task forces against invasive alien species, emphasizing protection from the worst threats like the brown tree snake.

Cultural recommendations included considering "grading" major venues according to a code of standards and expanding tour guide certifications.

"If we don't take care of (Hawai'i) there's not going to be anything for people to come to see," said Annette Kaohelaulii, president of the Hawaii Ecotourism Association. She sat on an advisory committee for the study and said fulfillment of the recommendations will call for coordination with legislators and visitor industry representatives.

"There were a lot of things that we wanted to see happening but it depended on agencies taking it up and doing it," she said. "We want to see it take place."

The Native Hawaiian advisory group involved in the study recommended getting a voting seat for the Office of Hawaiian Affairs on the Hawai'i Tourism Authority and the Board of Land and Natural Resources. Another recommendation was that the state settle with OHA on the Ceded Land Trust, dealing with how the state will pay for use of lands once held by the Hawaiian monarchy, which the group said is critical for tourism because of links to airports and harbors.

John M. Knox & Associates Inc., the consultancy that prepared the report, recommended creating a database of vacation homeowners and planning for recreational real estate developments for vacation homes and retirees.

John Knox, who heads the consultancy, said he would like to see the sustainability study group become a possible pilot for a larger sustainable tourism system. In addition to the sociocultural and public input part of the study, there are an infrastructure and environmental overview study and an economic and environmental modeling study.

The sociocultural and public input study is available at www.hawaiitourismstudy.com.

Reach Kelly Yamanouchi at kyamanouchi@honoluluadvertiser.com or 535-2470.