David Y. Ige

HONOLULU – Do you have ideas on how the state and counties can reset tourism in Hawaii through destination management, prioritizing community, cultural and environmental needs? If so, the Hawaii Tourism Authority (HTA) would like to hear from you.

 

Guided by its 2020-2025 Strategic Plan, one of HTA’s newest initiatives is the creation of a Destination Management Action Plan (DMAP) for each county – Kauai, Maui, Hawaii and Oahu – through its Community-Based Tourism program. HTA’s 2020-2025 Strategic Plan, the counties’ Tourism Plans and other relevant plans that include tourism policies will serve as the foundation for the DMAPs.

 

The goal is to create four individual action plans that will provide an appropriate balance between the economic benefits of tourism and impact on local services, natural and cultural resources, and residents’ quality of life. The purpose is to rebuild, redefine and reset tourism’s direction over a three-year period through a collaborative process. The focus will be on mindful tourism recovery followed by the long-term desired tourism for each island.

 

In partnership with the counties and respective visitors bureaus, steering committees comprised of residents who represent not only the communities they live in, but also the visitor industry, different business sectors, the community and non-profit organizations, were created to guide the critical discussions. The steering committees for Kauai, Maui, Molokai and Lanai began meeting in September. Hawaii Island’s steering committee will meet starting this month, and Oahu’s will convene in January 2021.

 

The ideas generated during the steering committee meetings will be shared with the public during a series of interactive community meetings that will be held online via Zoom from 5:00 to 7:00 pm on the dates below. Participants must reside on the respective island, since these are island-specific actions. Space is limited. Registration is required. The community meetings will also be posted on HTA’s website for those who are unable to attend.

 

The key dates and details to register are:

 

• October 21: Kauai Community Meeting (for residents in South and West Kauai – Kona and Niihau Moku)
• Registration Link: https://bit.ly/KauaiDMAPCommMtg1
• RSVP Deadline: October 20, 2020
• October 22: Kauai Community Meeting (for residents in North and East Kauai – Puna, Koolau, Halelea and Napali Moku)
• Registration Link: https://bit.ly/KauaiDMAPCommMtg2
• RSVP Deadline: October 20, 2020
• October 27: Lanai Community Meeting
• Registration Link: https://bit.ly/LanaiDMAPCommMtg
• RSVP Deadline: October 26, 2020
• October 28: Maui Community Meeting
• Registration Link: https://bit.ly/MauiDMAPCommMtg
• RSVP Deadline: October 26, 2020
• October 29: Molokai Community Meeting
• Registration Link: https://bit.ly/MolokaiDMAPCommMtg
• RSVP Deadline: October 26, 2020
• November 17: Hawaii Island Community Meeting
• More information is forthcoming. Click here for the latest updates.

 

The public will also have the opportunity to review proposed actions and provide input via a webform at

www.hawaiitourismauthority.org/what-we-do/hta-programs/community-based-tourism/. Proposed actions will be available on the website the week of October 15 for Kauai, and the week of October 19 for Maui Nui.

 

To learn more about HTA’s Community-Based Tourism program visit:

www.hawaiitourismauthority.org/what-we-do/hta-programs/community-based-tourism/

 

Photos of the Hawaiian Islands: https://hawaii.barberstock.com/