Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 10, Number 9, 1 September 1993 — Is ecotourism an ʻāina-friendly alternative? [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Is ecotourism an ʻāina-friendly alternative?

by Jeff Clark Tourism? "It's a very distasteful subject, because of the way it's been promoted, and because it has meant exploitation of our land, our culture, and our people," says OHA trustee Moanike'ala Akaka. Akaka and others are realizing, however, that there is a new brand of tourism, ecotourism, that may turn out to be a pono alternative to the concrete-jungle brand of industry we've seen in Waikīkī. The Travel Industry Association of America defines ecotourism as "environmentally friendly travel that emphasizes seeing and saving natural habitats and archeological treasures." A Department of Business, Eeonomie Development and Tourism (DBEDT) report to the state Legislature on ecotourism calls it "travel to relatively undisturbed natural or historic areas to study, admire and enjoy scenery, plants, animals and cultural attractions." "True ecotourism would be the way to go," said Akaka, who says she could tolerate this kind of industry because if it offers eommunity control, is done on a small scale, and is environmentally sound "in the spirit of aloha 'āina. Instead of our land being exploited and used and abused it's important that it receive the respect it deserves." The aforementioned DBEDT report lists hiking and camping,

kayaking, horseback riding, snorkeling and diving, bird-watching, and whale-watching as examples of ecotourism activities, and also includes hands-on conservation, such as weed-pulling on Nature Conservancy preserves and trail maintenance in state and national parks. The report, noting that tourists interested only in ecotourism are, and likely will always be, a small percentage of the total tourism market, states that "ecotourism

may provide an eeonomie incentive to protect land in its natural state rather than develop it." Classic ecotourism experiences are offered by the Nature Conservancy of Hawai'i, whieh is lauded by treehuggers as an exemplary environmental organization and offers hikes to its preserves on O'ahu, Moloka'i and Maui. Volunteers ean roll up their sleeves and take an active role in protecting, preserving and maintaining those preserves, whieh are sanctuaries for Hawai'i's native birds and plants. Ecotourism is a different approach to travel, and according

to travel industry trade publications, is enjoyed most often by the educated, well-to-do traveler who has seen a lot of the world and is presumably jaded by the hotel scene so predominant in many resorts, rendering them indistinguishable from eaeh other. Swimming pools, tennis courts and restaurants do not distinguish hotels in Hawai'i from hotels in the Bahamas or Greece. However, the DBEDT maintains, "Ecotourism rarely requires

extensive infrastructure development. Moreover, ecotourists as a group are usually more willing to accept relatively primitive facilities than are resort visitors." Still, in the past few years, some entities in the tourism industry's mainstream have been trying to show that maybe "hotel" or "resort" does not always mean "destruction." For instance, on the island of Hawai'i, the Mauna Lani Resort acts as kahu to about 232 acres of state land at Puakō

whieh contain roughly 3,000 petroglyphs. Kaniela Akaka, Jr., who works for the Mauna Lani Bay Hotel as its Hawaiiana historian, said the resort put up fencing around the most fragile of the petroglyphs, and replaced a trail that went through the area with a new trail that merely skirts it. It allows people to see, learn about, and enjoy the ki'i pōhaku without damaging them. Prior to the resort's involvement and the construction of the new trail, Akaka said, the petroglyphs were damaged by people trying to make ink rubbings of the fīgures or even being so thoughtless as to pour resin

into the carvings. Trail signs sternly advise visitors, "Please kōkua. These carvings remain cultural treasures. Do not walk on them. Do not take rubbings. The only safe and accurate way to record them is with a camera." Hyatt Resorts Hawai'i is also making an attempt at mixing business with protecting the 'āina. As part of its "Responsible Resorts" campaign, the company has established endangered species preserves at the Hyatt Regency Kaua'i and Hyatt Regency Waikoloa. The preserve at Waikoloa on the island of Hawai'i houses a facility whieh is home to the nēnē goose and koloa duck. On Kaua'i, staff have nursed albatross chicks to health and are establishing a preserve to propagate native plants. Hyatt visitors learn about Hawai'i's endangered species through demonstrations and educational tours. Says Hyatt Resorts Hawai'i regional vice president Patrick Cowell, "A resort offers the perfect environment for preservation and educational efforts. They offer large areas of land and water, irrigation, landscapers, and even, in the case of our resorts in Hawai'i, wildlife directors. "And, of course, resorts provide a source of funding for programs whieh often take years to develop when done through a more bureaucratic process." continued on page 16

This petroglyph is one of thousands visitors ean view at Puakō without causing harm. Photo by Deborah L. Ward

Ecotourism continued from page 5 While ecotourism is a small part of the whole tourism paekage, it's growing. Through a program called "Kaua'i by Design," guests at the Hyatt Regency Kaua'i ean explore Waimea Canyon by horseback. But we're not talking hordes of galloping tourists. "To minimize the impact on this wilderness environment," the hotel's literature reads, just two visitors ean go with a guide on eaeh trip. Among other miniadventures, Kaua'i by Design offers "marine awareness scuba dives," whose focus is protecting the reefs.

But is ecotourism the answer? Don't important sites enjoy some insulation, some safety, some protection from the madding crowd when all the tourists are shut up in Waiklkl? Warning is sounded by the Travel Industry Association of America, whieh, in its puhlieation "Discover America ... Tourism and the Environment," states, "Some eco-tours are so popular that they threaten the environment they seek to protect. Many natural environments are delicate and cannot endure substantial tourism development. Onee the saturation point is reached, financial retums diminish as the very natural environment tourists wish to experience

deteriorates." An illustration of ecotourists overrunning the ecosystem ean be found in Costa Rica (the world's number-one ecotourism destination), where, the Adventure Travel Society reports, "the growth of the nature tourism industry has had an impact on the country's protected areas, whieh are the main attractions for this special brand of tourists. The demand for use of some of the country's protected areas has grown significantly. If the availability of management, conservation budgets and human resources does not grow accordingly, the situation in those areas will become critical."