Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 23, Number 6, 1 June 2006 — Visitor fatigue [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Visitor fatigue

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By Sterling Kini Weng Publications Editor Tuddie Purdy's main source of ineome comes from his maeadamia nut farm located on five acres of Hawaiian homestead land in Ho'olehua, Moloka'i. The farm is a tourism venture, dependent on visitors who pass through and purchase his fresh macadamia nuts and honey. So it seems a little peculiar that he created a bumper sticker that reads: "Moloka'i ... Not For Sale. Just Visit. Our Lifestyle & Economy Depends On It!" But the sticker reflects a growing sentiment among many locals, particularly Native Hawaiians, that while tourism is the main engine powering the state's economy, not all of its effects are good. In fact, a Hawai'i Tourism Authority survey released in April revealed that for the first time a majority of Hawai'i residents said that the state is being run for tourists at the expense of locals. Moreover, a majority of Native Hawaiians surveyed said that tourism worsens the cost of housing (66 percent) and the preservation of nature and open space (57 percent). Many people are also concerned that the state, with a record 7.4 million visitors last year, may be operating at its capacity for tourism. Peter Apo, a director of the Native Hawaiian Hospitality Association, said that the HTA has acknowledged the limits of tourism, and in its strategic plan it shifted its emphasis from promoting more arrivals to increasing the amount of money visitors spend in Hawai'i. "We have to work on the quality of the product and make it more Hawaiian," Apo said. Often times, however, improving the quality of a visit means taking tourists out of Waiklkl to experience secluded

areas usually only known by kama'āina. And that doesn't make the residents happy. According to the HTA survey, only 36 percent of those polled said that tourists should be encouraged into wilderness areas, a 17 percent dip from 2002. Furthermore, a book series revealing treasured island locales, such as little-known beaches and waterfalls, has \ sparked an outcry from residents and state officials who say that the high volume of visitors are damaging the sites. Native Hawaiians have long eomplained that they are prevented from having a substantial say in the way their culture is portrayed and packaged by the industry. As a result, the culture that's presented is often inaccurate and diminishes what makes Hawai'i a unique destination. "Under large scale tourism, Hawaiian culture has been so badly mismanaged that the places in Hawai'i tourists visit are starting to look like the places they were trying to get away from," Apo said. In an attempt to bridge the disconnect between the Hawaiian community and tourism, the Native Hawaiian Hospitality Association held its first-ever conferenee in May. The conference tackled concerns such as the low percentage of Hawaiians in managerial positions in the industry, the preservation of the ^ environment and the conservation of resources. The ultimate goal of the conference is to eventually create a plan that addresses these issues. Rex Johnson, president of HTA, said in a speech at the conference that everyone realizes the eeonomie benefits of tourism, but if it becomes "a turnoff to residents, there's no bright future for it." Several tourism representatives at the conference also pointed out that hotels recycle and actively encourage visitors to conserve resources, such as water. But most participants said more has to be done. Ramsay Taum, an instructor at UH Mānoa's School of Travel Industry

Management, said that to improve its image, the tourism industry should involve the community. Hotels could adopt a resident hālau hula to not only provide entertainment but to also advise staff on cultural practices and values. "It's important that Hawaiians are asked permission to use their culture," he said. "And then it becomes an issue for hotels of how do you pay back the culture." Tourism's impact on the state's housing market was also a recurring issue at the conference. Tuddie Purdy said that he made his bumper sticker because he wanted to let tourists know that he didn't want them changing his lifestyle. "Almost 99 percent understand," he said. "They realize that what makes this plaee special is that it's rural. If they moved

here and people started buying land, it would change the very character of what makes Moloka'i unique." Not all Native Hawaiians have a problem with tourism. Errol Kāne, 28, has been giving tourists surf lessons in Waikīkī for more than six years. Not long ago, he left his previous employer and started his own surfing school, Hot Spots Hawai'i, in front of the Hilton Hawaiian Village. He said he takes pride in perpetuating the image of being a Hawaiian heaeh boy and is honored to share a part of his heritage with others. "Tourism is the haekhone of Hawai'i," he said. "Without it, I wouldn't be here, and I wish more people would eome." H

PĀ'OIHANA • B U S I N ESS

Top: A bumper sticker captures a growing eoni cern locals have with tourism. Above: Errol Kāne I teaches a tourist how to surf in Waikīkī. He thinks more visitors should eome to the islands. Photos: Sterling Kini Wong.