Aloha mai kakou. Mahalo, John, for inviting me to say a few words as the chair of the Hawaii Tourism Authority board of directors. It is an honor to be at the helm of this organization, and I sincerely appreciate the opportunity to speak here today.

Like many local kids, my entry into the business of hospitality and tourism was not by design but rather default. As a student at Kamehameha and later the University of Hawai'i, hospitality was never discussed as a career option. It was a way to pay for college. However, I made great money, traveled, met fascinating people and I got to share my home with guests from all over the world. Pretty good, I thought.

But as I moved up the ranks, I became keenly aware that my professional and cultural lives were often at odds. Depending on the situation and who was present, I would avoid discussions about my "hotel job." I was sometimes accused of selling out for the visitor at the expense of our culture and our land. I very well would have called it quits had it not been for a conference I attended in the late '80s with Dr. George Kanahele, Kenny Brown and many others from both the industry and host culture.

It was evident by this gathering that I wasn't alone ... there were others out there who also struggled with the same feelings. Some of you are in the room with me today.

We talked about tourism and culture in the same breath. There was even a slogan called "Tourism, Keeper of the Culture". Its message was that tourism, and those of us who were a part of it, had a responsibility to keep our Hawaiian culture alive. This was the spark that lit the torch that I carry with me every day.

Today, I am proud to be a Native Hawaiian who works in hospitality. I understand both my kuleana and the opportunities this provides me.

At the Hawai'i Tourism Authority, we have begun a shift that is being fueled by the many different stakeholders involved in, and impacted, by tourism. During the formative years after the Authority was created in 1998, the focus in terms of direction and resources was on Marketing. Rightfully so at the time.

Marketing is still a major component of our existence. Currently, a little over $50 million or roughly 70 percent of our total annual budget is dedicated to marketing. Using these resources, we contract with what we consider to be the best in the business to carry out this task.

In fact, our primary partner, the Hawai'i Visitors and Convention Bureau, is recognized worldwide for their expertise and serves as a model to many other destinations around the globe.

However, as we mature as an organization and gain experience, that mission has broadened. Over the last few years, we have become keenly aware that tourism is more than marketing. As a result, a lot more resources, also translated as dollars, are being spent on areas like the tourism product, natural resources, workforce development, research, and Hawaiian culture.

In 2005, we collaborated with many of you and others from the public, private and community sectors, on the Hawai'i Tourism Strategic Plan. This was a landmark accomplishment for us because it expanded our vision and role beyond the traditional model of what many perceived our role to be. The top nine priorities — or what we call initiatives — that surfaced have become the guide and foundation that we as board and staff use to develop our strategies, programs and plans.

But the real message we received ... from all of the community meetings and feedback ... is that tourism in Hawai'i is out of balance and needs to be put back into balance. For me, finding balance is one of the keys to achieving long term sustainability for the industry and for Hawai'i.

"Sustainability" has become a buzz word that we all talk about today, but what does this really mean?

Hawaiians not only understood this concept, but they also actively practiced it. As a people, they were keenly aware that they had a finite amount of resources. As a result, they created systems that protected these same resources for future generations. This wasn't only short-term for their keiki but into perpetuity for ALL future generations. This need has not changed. In fact, every day we lose resources that are gone forever.

Another buzz phrase that surfaced is "quality of life." Those of us who are the drivers of tourism all need to be very concerned about the quality of life for residents in Hawai'i. You have heard both Rex and I say on numerous occasions that "if our residents are happy, then we have a greater chance that our visitor will be happy." The opposite is even truer: "If our residents are unhappy, then surely our visitors will not have a good experience."

As the first Native Hawaiian to lead HTA, my goals are to make an impact with some of these tough issues, especially as they involve our host culture. We mustn't forget that Hawai'i's appeal was built to a large extent on the host culture and a core value of that culture, aloha. It remains so today and will become even more important in the future as we see the globalization of tourism.

The host culture is vibrant and exciting but one that is continually under siege. We have to take responsibility for this. Not all, but certainly some. In many ways we have used, and abused, the Hawaiian culture for tourism's gain.

I think in the past, some in the visitor industry didn't believe that an authentic Hawaiian experience would "sell." They felt a need to provide a version of Hawaiian culture that was packaged for mass consumption and, frankly, fake ... because that's what they thought the customer wanted. The result was a distorted representation of Hawai'i and Hawaiians that was, at best, embarrassing and often, offensive to the Hawaiian host culture.

I believe that we have all used images, phrases, icons and people that were not a true and pure representation of the host culture. Although I believe that most of it was not done intentionally, that still doesn't make it OK or right.

It is no wonder then, that there has been a rift between the Native Hawaiian community and the visitor industry. It is no wonder that we see increasingly negative scores when we conduct research among our residents about their attitudes toward tourism. And like it or not we, the marketing community, are taking a large portion of the blame for this.

But the good news is: That approach and that thinking, I believe, is changing. In the past few years, we have seen the start of some programs that give me hope that the industry will have a different and brighter future ... that the host culture will be honored ... and that balance will be realized. But it will take an uncompromising vigilance to gain credibility again. We have decades of abuse to overcome.

This means everyone — hoteliers, activities, attractions, transportation, retail, PR and advertising agencies. All of us. If one of us slips, we ALL take the heat. You have to hold your suppliers and partners accountable just as the host culture is holding us accountable. You can all vividly recall the events a few month ago when a major cruise line created a marketing campaign that featured the statue of Kamehameha holding a champagne glass. Even though they quickly responded and apologized, the damage was done, and we all took the blame.

It's important to recognize that these changes and shifts can not be done alone; we must involve and include the host culture. And forgive me, but not on a token level. It must be genuine and respectful. This is a risk for some, but the risk of not including the host culture is even more damaging. There must also be a fair exchange of value. We pay our attorneys and our consultants, so why not our kupuna and practitioners?

And that brings me to what we at HTA are doing. Let me first share with you the vision statement in Hawai'i's Tourism Strategic Plan:

By 2015, tourism in Hawai'i will:

— Honor Hawai'i's people and heritage;

— Value and perpetuate Hawai'i's natural and cultural resources;

— Engender mutual respect among all stakeholders;

— Support a vital and sustainable economy; and

— Provide a unique, memorable and enriching visitor experience.

The first and second lines are: "To honor Hawai'i's people and heritage" and "Value and perpetuate Hawai'i's natural and cultural resources." This is not a coincidence. One of the first signs that the times were changing was the appointment of Kawaikapuokalani Hewitt in 2004 as a voting member to specifically represent the Hawaiian culture on the HTA Board of Directors. His mana'o has been invaluable to all of us. More recently, HTA hired a staff member dedicated to Hawaiian culture. We are very fortunate to have Keli'i Wilson in the position of Hawaiian cultural coordinator. Keli'i interfaces with all levels of the organization to ensure that Hawaiian culture is taken into consideration before decisions are made.

We have also made changes to our programs. In 2005, we took over the Keep it Hawai'i Awards Program, to ensure alignment with the Hawaiian culture initiative in the Tourism Strategic Plan. We want to recognize those who authentically portray the host culture and who have demonstrated a commitment to honor and perpetuate the Hawaiian culture and communities.

Also, over the past two years, the HTA has committed $2 million for Hawaiian cultural efforts including stepping up its funding and support of major Hawaiian festivals and events like the Aloha Festivals, King Kamehameha Celebration, Prince Kuhio Celebration and Prince Lot Hula Festival. These and other Hawaiian events ought to be world-class celebrations of Hawaiian culture.

Currently, we are in the final stages of awarding $750,000 dollars to various organizations throughout the state who are working specifically to ensure that our host culture flourishes. Many of these projects don't have anything to do with tourism. I know that doesn't sit well with some who believe all the funding should go to tourism. But if we consider long-term sustainability, then we must take action today to ensure that the culture is healthy and vibrant into perpetuity. This is our responsibility. This is everyone's responsibility.

Another critical part of the vision is preserving our natural resources. Our beaches, parks and trails are our jewels, but too often they are dirty or in disrepair. We need to maintain these jewels for our community and for our visitors. HTA is working with the Department of Land and Natural Resources, the counties and community organizations to identify the most pressing problems ... and have begun jointly to work on solutions, including allocating up to $3 million annually toward this initiative.

Many more dollars go directly to the counties through our product enrichment program. These fund projects important to communities on all islands. Many of these are focused on the Hawaiian culture as well as the many other cultures that make up these islands.

But as I said earlier, we cannot do it alone. We have partnered with the Native Hawaiian Hospitality Association to provide strategic direction for the Hawaiian cultural initiative.

One of their immediate goals was to engage the Hawaiian communities. To that end, they convened the first statewide conference focused on Hawaiian issues within the context of tourism. Some of the comments and debate was difficult to hear — because it painfully exposed the rift between the host culture and tourism. But at least we're talking now. At least we have a place at the table. And that is a big step toward healing that rift.

We have also made a commitment to review our marketing messages to eliminate offensive and insensitive content ... and to incorporate appropriate cultural messages and images into our communications. Apart from our own programs, HTA is developing a resource book for others in the private sector to apply to their own marketing messages.

The bottom line is that this is everyone's — and I mean everyone's — kuleana. Do not pass the buck because someone above you made the decision. If we collectively take action, I mean real action, it will be amazing what we are able to accomplish.

Let's talk about some easy first steps:

1. Do you have a Hawaiian dictionary at your desk?

2. Do you have Place Names of Hawai'i by Mary Kawena Pukui?

3. Do you use them?

4. Do you know who Mary Kawena Pukui is?

5. Put traditional Hawaiian music back into your hotels, restaurants and shops.

6. Support our Hawaiian language schools, hula halau and canoe clubs in their fundraising efforts.

7. Volunteer to work on a natural or cultural restoration project. There are many such projects on each island and they all need kokua.

8. Buy from local practitioners of art and culture even if it costs more.

9. Identify someone on your staff, or better a group, who has cultural knowledge and use them outside their traditional roles to guide you. But be careful. If you do this, listen to them even if it not the most popular choice.

10. Lastly, don't fabricate experiences, if it is not culturally correct. Don't do it. Just look at your lu'au for a starting point!

Remember, you have kuleana (responsibility). This is a nonnegotiable value of our host culture and it needs to be nonnegotiable for you. Because if not us, then who will do this? But, we are not alone. I know that the host culture must also take responsibility and become involved in tourism. This is not going to be easy, but I see some progress.