HILO, Hawaii (AP) — The Big Island visitors bureau and Hawaii County have launched a campaign that aims to create a more conscientious tourism industry on the Big Island.
HILO, Hawaii (AP) — The Big Island visitors bureau and Hawaii County have launched a campaign that aims to create a more conscientious tourism industry on the Big Island.
The Hawaii Tribune-Herald reports the Island of Hawaii Visitors Bureau Executive Director Ross Birch and county Managing Director Will Okabe presented the new “Pono Pledge” at a Thursday event.
The campaign will remind tourists to treat the island and its people with respect.
Birch says it includes a nine-line mantra affirming that, while people can appreciate the beauty of the island, they will not do so in a way that disrupts the environment and community, or endangers people.
He says campaign materials will be found at tourism-adjacent industries that partner with the program, such as hotels.
Visitors are invited to sign the pledge online and share it via social media.
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Information from: Hawaii Tribune-Herald, http://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/
Might be good if local residents took the same pledge in return, promising not to harass, call names, or beat up the tourists who make their economy possible.