The Sunday letter from Dr. Minkus (Forum, April 14, 2019), a frequent visitor to Kauai, was disappointing. He complained about the planned shuttle and fee to reach the Kee Beach area. The tone of the letter was one of privilege, … it belongs to all of us … the answer to parking there is … to open more spaces …
The Sunday letter from Dr. Minkus (Forum, April 14, 2019), a frequent visitor to Kauai, was disappointing. He complained about the planned shuttle and fee to reach the Ke’e Beach area. The tone of the letter was one of privilege, “… it belongs to all of us …” the answer to parking there is “… to open more spaces …”
Then he closes the letter with a threat: “Alienate visitors, make them feel unwelcome … the economy of the island will suffer deeply.” He wants to continue “… to feel like honored … guests …”
Recently, there have been more than 100,000 visitors on the island per month! That is more than our total population. Tourism will find another place if the island facilities and beaches deteriorate and are overcrowded.
Tourism throughout the world is having the same overuse problem as Kauai. Many places are limiting access through ticketing, fees, and specific times for enjoying a tourist site. Think about the costs of heavy tourism (especially on a small island): use of water for drinking, bathing and flushing, sewage issues, use and disposal of plastic cups/utensils/water bottles/take-out containers, and the increase in garbage.
Paying a shuttle fee is a reasonable request to lessen the impact of too many cars and people at Ke‘e Beach. The fact that Hawaii beaches have to be accessible to the public does not mean unlimited, heavy usage without some controls.
Is it possible for visitors to truly feel responsible and cooperate in efforts to keep the tourism experience pleasant as well as make life livable for the local residents? I detected no interest in local people in his comments. In fact, he wants to feel like an “honored guest.” Well, it is time for visitors to feel part of the community and work together to keep it special.
I wonder what efforts Dr. Minkus has made to assist the North Shore residents and businesses recover? Did he donate to the food bank? To the Hawaii Community Foundation, which has donated so generously? If not, he should consider it.
Everyone should take care of the aina, locals and visitors.
•••
Judith Fernandez is a resident of Kapaa.
It have been coming to Kauai since the early 70’s when we lived in Honolulu and my late husband was a lawyer for the Taylors in their negotiations for the State’s condemnation of Taylor Camp that became Haena State Park (careful what you wish for). I find it ironic that the State condemned that private land to rid itself of a few dozen people and created a ‘park’ where several thousand people went a day.
I am outraged that a frequent visitor, Dr. Miskus, has such a cavalier and entitled view of Kee Beach and Kauai in general. In all his time on the island he has completely missed the reason that I and my grown children come yearly to share the true Aloha spirit of Kauai and its people. I HOPE that access to Haena is limited as I have seen general overuse of that park and especially the trail. I have long maintained that even day users of the trail should have to register and that locals should always be given priority. I HOPE that visitors will better understand the delicate balance with Mother Nature if getting to Haena becomes a bit harder. If the overuse and overcrowding of Kauai continues, I will find some other place to be my ‘quiet place’ where I go to enjoy another culture and the beauty that is Kauai. Susan Murphy,Chicago
locals were donated 77+ million of federal money…just keep that in mind before crying entitled.
Aloha Judith,
Your letter is superb. It covered so many points that needed to be brought up.
We would think that if Dr. Minkus gets the chance to read your letter that it would change his “tune”.
Your letter sure educated us all about so many issues of the reality of over tourism it made the traffic issue pale in importance.
We have seen remote tourist places in Asia become so overrun with international tourists that one cannot walk on the sidewalks but requires one to walk out on the streets.
And the beaches there so crowded there is not even space to sit or lay a towel down; a reality check for Kauai would be no where to sit for a sunset at Kee Beach.
Will the new, replaced, $1.4 Million Dollar bathroom at Black Pot Park at Hanalei, along with the beach front homes at Hanalei, preclude sewage going into Hanalei Bay and the Hanalei River, that is the public bathrooms and homes which are in proximity to the river…?
World population of tourism is putting a quality damper on the beautiful and accessible places in the world.
When you look at a world map, Kauai is remote from most places in the world where people travel from. As the County is trying to do for the Hanalei District, and Judith reiterates that need, we should be obligated to give vistors a quality destination as much as they should be obligated to respect the island, it’s extraordinary beautiful locations, and the people that live here, and especially the Hawaiian Culture and the Spirit of Aloha.
Mahalo,
Charles
Any thoughts on closing the park a few days a week & allowing those closed days to be for local access only….as in those w/KI addresses on their ID’s?
When lakes became too congested w/boats years ago, a state Parks & Rec dept simply changed access to “odd/even days” & used the boat tags to determine entry. On an odd day, the tag would end in an odd number…even day, even number. Simple & cost-effective solution.
An example adding to the north shore island parking conundrum would be Princeville: a visitor whether tourist or KI resident can’t park on the side of the road to access the beach like you can in Kilauea, Kapa’a, Hanalei, etc. This type of elitist behavior goes against Aloha Spirit but allows Princeville residents to control their neighborhoods. If they would simply allow public parking along certain areas of their golf course, they could assist with the car/beach access problems that KI is facing, thereby spreading vehicle access around so they don’t bottleneck in certain particular areas like the End of the Road. This would cost very little yet help in so many ways.
There’s an affordable solution staring us in the face today & not years down the road but it requires give & take on all sides & some unconventional ideas.
I find it very interesting to read the view points of local/residents and visitors regarding overuse and overcrowding of the beaches and parks of north side. There isn’t a simple solution that will please all parties in the matter, we live in a time and place where and when many people are visiting and relocating globally. Not all visitors are of 1 mold, neither are all residents. While asking visitors to shoulder another fee or cost to partake of public lands, consider requiring “locals” to dispose of the abandoned vehicles appropriately in a place other than beach parking lots or rural road sides. Most of all, let us respect all users of these places that are state owned and managed,
It seems to me that if someone wants to be an “honored guest” the best course of action is to first learn how, as a guest, one can honor the locals, traditions and places they tread as a visitor. There is no honor in feeling entitled.