Hawaii's Cultural Diplomat Bridging the Gap Between Reality and Misperception
Photo Credit: Daniel "Kaniela" Kahikina Akaka, Jr, a cultural ambassador at Auberge’s Mauna Lani Resort on the big island of Hawaii, Auberge’s Mauna Lani Resort / Nicole Franzen
Skift Take
Danny Akaka, a historian and ambassador at Auberge Resorts Mauna Lani in Hawaii, represents the best of modern cultural diplomacy. He's worked at the property for 39 years and shares the stories, oral traditions, and spirit of the area with guests who can't get enough. As luxury travelers look for more meaning in their travels, this is a masterclass on how to broker it elegantly.
For a place with true cultural depth and richness, Hawaii is often misunderstood when it comes to tourism and tourism marketing. At best, only a few notes from its full symphony make it through and at worst, it can be reduced to caricature. When we think about pop culture portrayals, we think about Hawaiian shirts, mainland tourists, and Luaus. But the true range of Hawaiian culture, in terms of spirituality, community, ecology, and innovation is much deeper.
And it is the role of Daniel "Kaniela" Kahikina Akaka, Jr, a cultural ambassador at Auberge’s Mauna Lani Resort on the big island of Hawaii, to bridge the gap between misconception and reality. Since taking over management in 2020, the property has developed a “Living Culture” program, which, for Akaka (affectionately known as Uncle Danny to guests and staff) is an interesting mix of cultural diplomacy, ambassador, historian, and friend to long-standing guests. A graduate of the University of Hawaii, Akaka graduated in the first class of a nascent Hawaiian studies program, and then worked his way through different hospitality touchpoints in the islands: Aloha Airlines, Hawaiian holidays, among others.
Despite these adventures, Akaka
