LIHU’E — The recent spike in travelers coming to Hawai‘i is stirring up some community leaders statewide.
In a press conference on Wednesday, Maui Mayor Mike Victorino said the pandemic stopped everyone from going almost everywhere, causing the nation to want to travel more.
“We’d like to welcome them,” Victorino said. Yet, Victorino said he has some reservations when it comes to visitors who may strain government resources. “Air One (rescue helicopter), all of that, has been taxed because, again, many of these visitors are not using good common sense and going into areas where they’re not supposed to.”
“It’s important to understand it’s not my problem. It’s not just our county’s problem. It’s a state problem,” he said.
Gov. David Ige, in a recent interview, said the state has no authority over limiting aircraft bringing in people.
“I talked with the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) about what a state can do. And we cannot restrict aircraft flying into the state of Hawai‘i,” Ige told Hawai‘i News Now.
And there is no question that the visitor industry is picking up again on Kaua‘i, Mayor Derek Kawakami said.
“As we continue to vaccinate our residents and loosen restrictions, we continue to look at how to manage our COVID-19 response and recovery, which
includes focusing on
managing visitor impact to our island,” Kawakami said.
“When Kaua‘i experienced the historic April 2018 flood, our leaders also saw an opportunity to better manage visitor impact on our North Shore. That led to changes that were adopted into DLNR’s Ha‘ena State Park Master Plan.”
According to Kawakami, this changed the way visitors got to the North Shore, put a limit on parking, imposed fees, and brought back the quality of life to the community.
“We plan to use this model islandwide to manage our more-popular visitor destinations, which is why we have allocated American Rescue Plan Act funding to conduct a study on our congested beach parks in Po‘ipu, Lydgate and Hanalei Black Pot,” Kawakami said.
“As more visitors come to Kaua‘i, we have seen the return of our pre-existing transportation challenges. Our county team and partners have been trying to figure out how to implement transportation mode change for years, and the pandemic gave us a window to try to support another way to have visitors move around the island.
“We thank the transportation industry for incorporating more options for this, and our Office of Economic Development stands ready to support where possible — such as the pilot shuttle program that Hawai‘i Tourism Authority and the transportation industry will be heading,” he said.
“COVID-19 has allowed us to move our initiatives faster and in the right direction. We saw how teleworking and allowing flexible schedules helped to mitigate traffic. We continue to look at out-of-the-box ideas and encourage our business community to adopt similar protocols.”
Hanama‘ulu resident Allison Davis said she thinks it’s great that Hawai‘i has more revenue coming in, but she still has some concerns.
“I just wish they would respect our rules about the pandemic and masking,” Davis said. “For the most part, they do, with the exception of a handful.”
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Stephanie Shinno, education and business reporter, can be reached at 245-0424 or sshinno@thegardenisland.com.
The coronavirus should be on FAA’s mindset. Over crowded airplanes makes the virus easy to transmit in the airplane. Do you think the FAA will allow this? Back to normal at 30,000 visitors a day. And with out face mask. Lapsing on check ins too. Many passengers are coming and going. How will they deal with it? Care or no care.
I am proud to say I have had the chance to experience Kauai and see its many changes in the past 8 years. I hope to one day no longer be a visitor and a permanent resident as the people of Kauai and the changes I have seen them make pre flood as well as post pandemic continue to move forward and thrive. The culture as well as the people mimic the beauty of the land and everything inherent. I am thankful to have experience this over a number of times and look forward to many more. I hope that Kauai maintains it’s relaxed sustainable environment that thrives to incorporate whats in the best interest of all renewable resources.
Too good. “The people mimic the beauty of the land ..” Sounds like line from some missionary travel guide circa 19th century. Come on man
Derek, Haena has simply shed it’s visitors to other communities on the north shore. Places like Secret Beach, Rock Quarry, Anini, Kalihiwai, Lumahai, etc have absorbed all of these uprooted visitors. We have a safe beach at Ke’e with a lifeguard, yet it is practically empty now. Much of the Ke’e overflow ends up at Lumadie. Is that the great plan you’re so proud of?
You make a valid point.
So true. In addition tourists seek out mauka places like Ho’opi’i falls, Malahea etc and parking in neighborhoods is a nightmare not to mention our local spots getting overrun by tourists. These places are also not safe for uneducated tourists as a recent rescue of a tourist falling 30’ on Nounou showed and other rescues that have increased since reopening. If parking at beach parks gets limited, even more will go inland.
Well said. Rock quarry is busier as is everywhere as the smallest and wealthiest community on island gets to turn everything past Hanalei into their own private space
I agree with the lifeguard! Island wide simultaneous plan maybe.. but beach by beach, park by park you’re just shuffling and congesting other places. Salt Pond, Koke’e are two important places he has not mentioned that are getting more visitors since north shore plan has been implemented.
The mayor’s plan to flood our county parks with homeless in order to discourage tourists from coming will work eventually… just be patient.
Excellent Mayor, another top notch pronouncement . I have lived on and off and owned house on island for thirty years. Just returned from three weeks on St John USVI. First time not to Kauai in 15 years. The distance during covid, the floods , etc. led me to chose a different place. Every bit as beautiful as Kauai, and here is the good part. They welcome visitors. None of that your not local, I am a native and you don’t respect me, blocking public roads etc. etc. The problem is not visitors but the fact that for 25 years there has not been a single long term transportation plan. No visitors island starves. It is as simple as that. I will end with this. To all on North shore please stop representing yourself or acting as a native when you moved to here 10 years ago. It’s sad
If rental homes were allocated to long term rentals instead of Air B&B we would not have the homeless problem we are currently in and would limit the amount of tourists able to stay. Should start taking care of the residents instead of trying to get rich off the tourists.
Why don’t we just close the island when the numbers are too large? Kauai is being trampled to death!