Can Travel Advisors Help Hawaii Deal With Its Tourism Issues?

Hawaii has been struggling for a long time to reconcile its economic dependence on visitors with frustration among local residents about tourism’s environmental and social impact. It’s certainly been true since I started writing about Hawaii for business travel publications over 30 years ago. One example that stands out is the development of the Hawaii Convention Center, a project widely regarded with fear and loathing among Honolulu residents for decades.

With Hawaii’s tourism industry booming more than ever these days, new conflicts are arising. Once little-known wilderness areas are now crowded with visitors, some of them pursuing Instagram-worthy photos while ignoring safety warnings from locals. Surveys show that a growing number of Hawaiians believe the state is being run for tourists at their expense.

As a result, tourism marketers are devising strategies that balance promotion with encouraging visitors to show respect for Hawaii’s physical and cultural environment. The many travel advisors who sell Hawaii certainly have a part to play in this as well.

For more coverage of pertinent issues, click here.

Any suggestions for the coverage you would like to see are welcome. Feel free to contact me at [email protected].

— Maria Lenhart, Travel Advisor Editor

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Skift Travel Advisor Editor Maria Lenhart [[email protected]] curates the Skift Travel Advisor Innovation Report. Skift emails the newsletter every Tuesday. Have a story idea? Or a juicy news tip? Want to share a memo? Send her an email.

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