Skift Take
Hawaii wants to set aside the false traditions that have little to do with local culture, but this means educating young staff on their islands’ history to offer tourists a truly authentic visit.
Coconut bras aren't Hawaiian. Neither are grass skirts. Tiki bars? They're from California. Yet they're all among the most recognizable symbols of a Hawaiian vacation.
Now, many resorts in Hawaii are hoping to change those images, edging away from these kitschy marketing inventions and toward real-life Hawaiian traditions that can make the trip to the islands more special for travelers.
Driving the movement, in part, is economics. Tourism leaders know Hawaii needs to highlight what makes the islands unique to compete with other sun-and-surf destinations like Florida, Mexico and Thailand.
[caption id="attachment_21720" align="alignright" width="420"] Vise Vitale of Honolulu performing a Samoan fire knife dance during in an "Aloha Friday" celebration of Polynesian music song and dance in Honolulu. Photo by AP Photo/Lucy Pemoni, file.[/caption]
But the turn is also the latest sign of a Native Hawaiian renaissance with more locals studying Hawaiian language, reviving traditional styles of hula and learning ancient skills like using stars to navigate the ocean.
"It's about having that sense of place — understanding who went before us, understanding that Waikiki is a place where we are so deep seated in our culture. And now, there's this resurgence
