LIHU‘E — Though Kaua‘i was the only island in the state to experience an increase in visitor spending in October, efforts to diversify the economy are still underway. Kaua‘i visitors spent some 18 percent more this October than last while
LIHU‘E — Though Kaua‘i was the only island in the state to experience an increase in visitor spending in October, efforts to diversify the economy are still underway.
Kaua‘i visitors spent some 18 percent more this October than last while expenditures fell around 12 percent on O‘ahu, about 1 percent on Maui and less than 1 percent on the Big Island, according to statistics from the Hawai‘i Tourism Authority,
“Kaua‘i Visitors Bureau was very pleased to see the strong double-digit increase in visitor expenditures for our island, especially when the other islands were essentially flat,” KVB Executive Director Sue Kanoho said.
However, with arrivals continuing to drop by 11 percent year-to-date compared to 2008 and the unemployment rate remaining close to double digits in October, other industry avenues are being explored.
“The visitor industry is our main economic engine,” wrote George Costa in an e-mail last month. “We should do everything possible to keep it running, and at the same time, look at diversifying our economy.”
Costa said he foresees growth in renewable energy technologies and predicts that agriculture will become “self-sustaining.”
“But that won’t happen overnight,” he added.
The number of unemployed on the island continues to hover around 3,000 and people are already extending their benefits, said Bill Grier of Kaua‘i‘ Workforce last month.
The job outlook has been “a little bit better, but not dramatically,” he said.
“Personally, I think it will get better slowly,” said Grier, adding that he expects it will be mid-2012 before activity starts to pick up.
Until then, Don Heacock, Kaua‘i district aquatic biologist for the Division of Aquatic Resources, Hawai‘i Department of Land and Natural Resources, said the island could provide ample opportunities for positions in agriculture.
Wetlands are “all over Hawai‘i,” he said last week. They “are prime ecological and economical lands.”
Taro used to cover some 250 acres of land in the Lihu‘e area, but now there are only about 10 acres which remain, Heacock said.
Land, however, is “not available to farmers,” he said. If more of the wetland areas were utilized for agriculture, it would not only be beneficial to the economy, but it would help produce more food for the island and be an “excellent” chance for endangered bird populations, such as the Hawaiian Stilt, to recover.
In addition, “people come from all over the world to see native wildlife.” Preserving the land, native animals and Hawaiian culture could encourage more travelers to voyage to the island, he said.
The wetland’s rich soil is for agriculture what wax is for surfboards, he added.
When asked whether kama‘aina should be attentive to the island’s economics, Costa said, “Citizens should always be concerned about our economy and how it is affecting businesses and job losses.
“Many small businesses derive their income off of visitors or residents who are employed in the visitor or visitor-related industries,” Costa said, explaining the cyclical effects of the tourism industry in Hawai‘i.
“Even though visitor numbers are down due to a national and global economic downturn, it’s still here, it’s still viable, but how we approach and sustain this business may have to change due to oil prices and other global factors,” Costa said.
• Coco Zickos, business and environmental writer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 251) or czickos@kauaipubco.com.
