Maggi

We recently watched an independent film called "American Aloha - Hula Beyond Hawaii" originally shown on PBS. It deals with displaced Hawaiians living on the mainland who are trying to maintain the Hawaiian culture and traditions. I was moved to tears by their dilemma of not being able to afford to live on the islands anymore because of the cost of housing and living in general. Is this a result of the tourism industry? Here's a website with more information on the film:
http://www.pbs.org/pov/pov2003/americanaloha/

JohnD

Maggi, thanks for pointing out the film. It seems others are interested in the Hawaii tourism business:http://www.hawaiibusiness.cc/hb52002/default.cfm?articleid=4

Maggi

Interesting article, JohnD. If I understand it correctly, they are trying to drum up even more tourists from untapped sources such as China.

There surely are two opposing political camps on this topic. It was difficult for the owner of our home rental to find reliable help to clean because they didn't earn enough to be able to live there. Some live four or five to a room or at the parks. Anyone who lives in Hawaii have any insight for us?

fdecarlo

I don't live in Hawaii, but I've been there enough to see what tourism means to the state. A few years ago we met some locals who lived in the Puna District, on the east side of the Big Island. The poorer areas of Puna see very little tourism compared to much of the state, and many residents there are living in abject poverty. It's impossible to blame tourism for their economic woes. To the contrary, a lack of tourism is what causes much of the economic hardship in Hawaii, or any other island in the middle of an ocean. I mean, if somehow tourism didn't exist, how would that help their situation?

If you want to go back in time far enough, you can also place a finger of blame on the U.S. Government, who overthrew Hawaii's former government. But in this age of globalization, no one knows whether the Hawaiian people would have fared any better under their monarchy.

jacketwatch

We were recently on the BI and learned from talking to the maids, waiters and other hotel support staff that they can't afford to live on the Kona side and thus commute from Hilo, around 1.5 to 2 hrs. one way just to get a relatively well paying job. In Hilo I was told most of jobs are at fast food places earning min. wage.

vacationdreamer

From what I heard, the hotels screw a lot of their employees by not giving them full-time hours and therefore keeping them from getting benefits and a better wage, etc. But I'm not sure what industry, if any, would exist without tourism, so it isn't tourism's fault - if you look at other islands in the Pacific, Carribean, etc., not too many are doing well economically.

Does HI have a higher minimum wage (as some states are now doing) or does it only have the obscenely low federal rate?

bonniebroad

When we stayed at a Clarion Inn in Georgia a couple of months or so ago, the maid told me that she was furious because the owner of the motel had, the day before, actually erased part of her hours that she'd worked to keep from having to pay for benefits. It's hard to believe that goes on in this country in this day and age. I believe the maid must have been illegally in the U.S., otherwise, I would think she'd be reporting it to some official who could help her.........

travelinandgolfin

Tourism helps Hawaii. Anyone who says otherwise wants Hawaii to return to an independent state. Just propoganda.

What hurts Hawaii (as far as cost of living) are several factors.

1. Hawaii is a very liberal state. Though we finally have a republican governor, the democratic party and the unions control Hawaii. As a result, we have good health care, but horrible business regulations/laws. Ask any small businessman in Hawaii.

2. Land speculators. Not as much on Oahu, but especially true on the neighbor islands.

3. Not a lot of competition in Hawaii, due to isolation and business climate. Can you spell MONOPOLY? We have um here big time in Hawaii.

Having said all that, it's still a great place to live.

crefloors

Bonniebroad: unfortunately a business owner does not have to guarantee anyone a certain number of hours and working people part time or short hours is a very common practice. They don't have overtime and they don't have to pay benefits. The motels, hotels, department stores,etc. are full of part timers. It's too bad for some employees but that's the way it is. Also, you certainly don't have to be an illegal to be treated that way.

bonniebroad

Crefloors, you misunderstand, I believe. The maid WORKED the hours, as instructed, but her employer changed her timecard, to say she worked less. She was afraid to protest. That is most certainly against the law.

Waldo

I agree that what the US did to Hawaii was a terrible act, when they overthrew the royal government. HOWEVER, if one reads history, you would know that Japan had intentions in Hawaii. Do you think they would be better off under Japan? Unfortunately, Hawaii's isolation makes it virtually impossible to have any heavy industry there, and like it or not, that industry is the basis for a strong economy.

fdecarlo

Waldo, I'd be interested in reading more about Japan's interest in Hawaii. All of the histories I've read mention a desire of the U.S. for a deep water, mid-ocean harbor, and a desire for duty-free goods such as sugar and coal, but I've never seen a mention of Japanese designs on the islands. Frequently there is, however, mention of British and French protests to America's increasing ties to Hawaii's monarchy. E.g. http://www.history.navy.mil/docs/wwii/pearl/hawaii.htm

here_today_gone2Maui

The question of whether tourism is hurting or helping Hawaii can be answered on many other levels besides employment and revenue generation. Environmental and cultutral aspects must also be considered. And it can't be answered with a simple blanket answer. I have read reports from differing veiwpoints that draw different conclusions.

Tourism is made of many smaller industries which run the gamut from sustainable to those that do great damage to the environment. Many small business people profit greatly from offering services, while larger resorts tend to drain off the profits to either Japan or the mainland and pay their employee's lower wages. In influx of visitors puts a strain on infrastructure and finite resources, but brings money into the local economy. Traditional methods of making a living, such as agriculture are lost as property values soar. Large numbers of people will visit and decide to relocate and consequently bring with them new businesses.

How you answer this question will depend greatly on where you live, you personal point of view, and how much tourism impacts you personally. It is a much debated question that has no one true answer.

What we all can do, not just in Hawaiil, but anywhere we travel, is to be personally responsible and aware of what impact we may be having while visiting.

JohnD

Reply to fdecarlo,
found some lite hawaii$)tourist info. articles:
http://www.sunherald.com/mld/sunhera...on/7542569.htm

http://starbulletin.com/2004/02/01/business/story1.html

Maggi

I have been reading all your responses with interest. Heretoday, I especially appreciate your thoughtful and insightful comments, but I am having trouble reconciling our passion for travel with possible unforeseen harm we could be doing. Can you expound upon how we "can be personally responsible and aware of what impact we may be having while visiting"?

DawnCt

Waldo, I agree. In fact, King Kamahameha was considering a marriage between the emperor's daughter and his son. This would have certainly cost us WWII and then who knows where history would have lead us. It seems that Hawaii was vunerable to a lot; western and eastern diseases, tuberculosis, certainly leprosy on a grand scale, measles, mumps, etc. They were ripe for the picking and they have done best under the stars and stripes.

Maggi

A Google search unearthed a few interesting articles:

http://members.tripod.com/~MPHAWAII/...tiveImpact.htm

http://www.hawaii.gov/dbedt/hecon/he1q/impact.html

here_today_gone2Maui

Maggi, by being personally responsible I mean that we can all take care to be respectful of other cultures, and especially show proper respect in sacred/holy places. We can try to be aware of what impact we might be having on the environment (things like don't walk on coral reefs, litter, etc.), and practice the same conservation we would in our own homes (don't leave water running, turn off lights), don't disturb wildlife. I like to go one step further when I travel by trying to participate in the local economy. By this I mean that very rarely stay at big corporate chain resorts, and if I do I venture out to eat and spend money in the local community, not just within the resort walls. It just tears me up to see fancy self-contained resorts surrounded by local people living in squalor. I saw a lot of that in Mexico many years ago and it has made me think ever since about where my money was going, at whose expense.

Floridafran

Here-today, I agree with you. It doesn't take any extra effort to
be "personally responsible" as you put it. It simply requires thinking a bit about the impact your actions will have, not only on those who live there, but the visitors who will follow you.

Maybe I'm more aware of this because I live in a tourist destination. I see the impact tourists have, both the good and the bad. Probably has influenced my husband and me to try to be "good neighbors" when we travel.

We're breaking from our 3 years-in-a-row trips to the Southwest next summer to return to Hawaii. It will have been ten years since we honeymooned on Oahu and Maui. We're not into large chains or big resorts when we can avoid it. This trip we're going to Maui, the Big Island, and Oahu. On all three we'll be staying at cottages, B&Bs, even a hostel-type lodging (Arnott's).

Thanks to you and all the other who so freely share their love and knowledge, I've been able to gather tons of info. I'm sure I'll end up asking some things, though.

Maybe thought-provoking discussions like this will have a positive influence. I hope so.

JohnD

Reply to Maggi,
Thanks again for the articles, they provide alot of food for thought

Not to single you out but, curious if you're still interested in buying that beachhouse in Anini