FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 21, 2022

HONOLULU – Mālama kuʻu home, words from ‘ōlelo Hawaiʻi (Hawaiian language) meaning “to care for my beloved home,” is the guiding vision for the future of visitor experiences as they travel and explore the Hawaiian Islands. Over the past year, significant progress has been made on the Hawaiʻi Tourism Authority’s Destination Management Action Plans (DMAPs), creating collaborative, community-based and government-supported solutions for each island with a mission of rebuilding, redefining and resetting the direction of tourism for current and future generations.

DMAP efforts thus far have inspired travelers to engage respectfully with Hawaiʻi residents, support local businesses, travel pono (correctly) and give back to the ‘āina (land). All of it done so Hawaiʻi forever inspires the world with its vibrant Hawaiian culture, rich history, renowned multicultural cuisines, iconic cultural sites and breathtaking natural wonders, yet remains the comfortable, familiar and beloved Hawaiʻi all residents wish to continue living in for generations to come.

Read on to learn more about how the regenerative tourism models created for each island by DMAP will positively impact your visit to the Hawaiian Islands going forward.

You’ll See the Hawaiian Islands the Way Residents Do Every Day
The best traveling experiences happen when you connect to the places you visit and the people who call it home. And the best way to enter the home of someone who welcomes you in is to understand what being a good guest means to your hosts. The good news is there are now resources available before you even board your flight for you to learn about everyday values Hawaiʻi residents hold dear and how to be pono while vacationing in the Islands. Check out the Mālama Hawaiʻi and Hawaiʻi Travel Tips video series to learn directly from Hawaiʻi residents and Native Hawaiian cultural practitioners, all offering inspiration, guidance and helpful tips on preserving Hawaiʻi’s natural world while exploring, and practicing mālama (“to care for”),  o ensure the health and well-being of our communities, natural resources and culture. By embracing these Hawaiian values, you’ll also take in a sense of kuleana (responsibility) on your travels throughout Hawaiʻi and return home with lifetime memories and a wholehearted understanding of the meaning of mālama kuʻu home.

You’ll Enjoy More Rewarding Experiences at Hawaiʻi’s Most Iconic Attractions
From their world-renowned beaches and breathtaking nature-made landmarks, to their colorful marine life and fascinating historical sites, the Hawaiian Islands are home to boundless places to see and things to do. There’s always excitement in finally seeing the stunning beauty of the Islands with your very own eyes. Unfortunately, the continuous rush of heavy foot and vehicular traffic at some of Hawaiʻi’s most iconic places and landmarks has taken a large toll on the comfort and quietude of their surrounding communities as well as the unique sensory and natural environment that make these places so popular. One of the top priorities in creating DMAPs was ending further damage to these sites statewide. Lēʻahi Head State Monument, one of Oʻahu’s most-visited attractions, recently launched a new online reservation system aimed at mitigating park congestion, protecting its natural environment and improving the visitor experience. Similar reservation systems are already in place and benefitting other parks across the Islands, including Kauaʻi’s Hāʻena State Park and Maui’s Haleakalā National Park and Waiʻānapanapa State Park. Plan ahead for your visits to these parks and make your reservations early to enjoy their improved visitor experiences.

You’ll Learn About and Experience Hawaiian Culture in a Pono Way
Preserving, perpetuating and accurately presenting both historical and current Hawaiian culture is a critical element of regenerative tourism in Hawaiʻi. We all gain a deeper understanding of Hawaiian values and traditions when we engage directly with native Hawaiian cultural practitioners, visit and learn about the culture’s historically important and sacred spaces, and attend Hawaiian cultural events in Hawaiʻi’s communities. On Oʻahu, the Outrigger Reef Waikīkī Beach Resort’s A‘o Cultural Center features works from cultural practitioners on the leading edge of contemporary Hawaiian art and design, and offers hands-on experiences in cultural practices, including lei-making, ‘ʻukulele and hula lessons. The island of Hawaiʻi’s Puʻuhonua o Hōnaunau National Historical Park shares its seaside acreage’s history as a spiritual sanctuary and place of refuge for early Hawaiians, and often hosts cultural demonstrations and programs. The Festivals of Aloha, Maui Nui Style is a two-month community celebration of Hawaiian heritage held in September and October on Maui, Lānaʻi and Molokaʻi, presenting and honoring native Hawaiian culture and traditions passed through multiple generations, and sharing stories of the culture, hula and music performances, and even Hawaiian food knowledge. And these are only a few of many experiences across the Islands presenting Hawaiian culture in a pono manner, accurately representing and perpetuating Hawaiian culture for visitors and residents now and for future generations.

You’ll Taste, Take Home and Support More Products Grown and Made in Hawaiʻi
Supporting locally grown, raised, caught and made products through our purchases is critical to creating a sustainable agricultural industry in Hawaiʻi and ensuring our residents and visitors always have access to fresher, tastier and better ingredients and food. Hawaiʻi’s multitude of local farmers markets and multicultural community events are among the best places for residents and visitors to explore, discover and purchase the ever-growing bounty of Hawai‘i-grown and -made food offerings and engage with the farmers, ranchers and food producers that create them. The island of Hawaiʻi’s Kona Coffee Cultural Festival, held each November, recognizes the accomplishments of Kona-area coffee farmers, growers and more than a century of community pioneers who contributed to making the region’s java award winning and world famous. Oʻahu’s Made in Hawaiʻi Festival and Maui’s Made in Maui County Festival praise the state’s farming, ranching and food-producing bounties, as well as the works of local artists, crafts people, wood workers, fashion designers and more. Another unique celebration of all things local — and especially things very-much local to the island’s south shore — is Kauaʻi’s Kōloa Plantation Days celebration. The 10-day event commemorates the former sugar plantation town’s rich agricultural history, multicultural traditions and offers visitors a terrific opportunity to connect and engage with the Kōloa community through entertainment, homestyle and local favorite eats, a Hawai‘i-style rodeo, a town parade, and more fun, family friendly activities.

Visit GoHawaii.com to discover more about the Hawaiian Islands and all of its cultures, experiences, activities, natural wonders, parks, hiking trails, shopping, food and much more, as well as take care of all of your travel-planning needs for your much-anticipated Hawaiʻi visit.