The Key to Hawaii Tourism’s Future Rests With State Elections in 2022
Photo Credit: Hawaii Tourism Authority gave an update on its island management plans as tourism continues to soar. Courtesy of Hawaii Tourism Authority / Ben Ono
Skift Take
Tackling overtourism and committing to sustainable growth requires new public policy and support from the top layers of government. For Hawaii, that opportunity could come next August.
It's become clear that striking the right balance for tourism in one of the world's most popular destinations needs to go beyond good intentions and be part of public policy.
Redirecting Hawaii's visitor economy into one that balances the state's natural and cultural assets, and the well being of its communities and profit, will require policy that could come down to voting in the upcoming state elections in August 2022.
That was a key point that emerged from the public update that Hawaii Tourism Authority (HTA) gave last week, which focused on sharing details from the destination management organization's recent efforts in addressing overcrowding and how it's also implementing community feedback that was incorporated into destination-specific management action plans or so-called DMAP.
The road to reshaping Hawaii’s tourism industry remains long and as domestic tourists continue to misbehave or put pressure on the destination and Hawaii's tourism authority puts forth its bes
