There were 273,786 visitor arrivals to Maui during the month of August, an increase of 11.3 percent compared to last year. The data, compiled by the Hawaii Tourism Authority in its monthly visitor statistics report, was published on Sep. 26 – the same day that Mayor Michael Victorino held a press conference to endorse the […]
Speaking of a Tourism ‘Tipping Point,’ Community Members Urge Action
Sitting outside Council Chambers in the late afternoon, Councilmember Shane Sinenci expressed disappointment. It was a rare moment for the usually cheerful councilmember, who hours prior was hopeful of passing a resolution out of the Environmental, Agricultural, and Cultural Preservation Committee he chairs. The resolution, as currently written, would require Mayor Victorino’s administration to conduct […]
‘An Overworked Brothel’ – Maui County Council discusses visitor impacts to our environment and infrastructure
It’s easy to make fun of tourists, but it’s a lot harder to criticize the tourism industry. Tourists drive at a crawl over the Pali, rubbernecking at whales, while 10 cars tail them. Tourists crowd beaches and trails, then tell you to get out of “their” sunset. Tourists poke you with their selfie sticks as […]
Summer for a Cause: Experience Maui while giving back with voluntourism
I am sitting in my car at the defunct Pu‘ukoli‘i Train Station in Ka‘anapali at 8:45 in the morning. This is the designated meet up spot for the Malama Honokowai Project, a Saturday volunteer activity that takes you deep into Honokowai Valley. I have no idea what I am getting myself into but I am […]
Maui County Council Debates the Future of the Island’s ‘Golden Goose,’ Tourism
It’s said that the best laid plans of mice and men often go awry. So it goes for Maui’s Island Plan, a long-range planning document adopted in 2012 to guide the county’s decisions until 2030. It contains this bit of policy direction: “Promote a desirable island population by striving to not exceed an island-wide visitor […]
Councilmembers’ Day Off: Majority of voting members absent for Infrastructure and Environmental Management Committee meeting
The Infrastructure and Environmental Management Committee meeting on Monday, Sept. 17, began with a lecture. “I’ve had numerous meetings that we could not deliberate and do the work of this community due to lack of quorum,” Committee Chair Elle Cochran announced after taking roll and marking Councilmembers Don Guzman, Riki Hokama, and Mike White with […]
New report details vacation rental costs on Hawai`i economy
Seriously, that has to be the least controversial headline in Hawai‘i today. I mean, among residents–for tourists, this is all just Disneyland with a few palm trees and sickly sweet rum drinks, right? For those of you who for whatever reason aren’t yet convinced that transient vacation rentals represent an alarming danger to Hawai‘i’s whole […]
The Problem With Cultural Heritage Tourism, and why the continued misuse of Hawaiian culture is wrong
United States Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), along with two other Senators, recently introduced Senate Bill 2395. Known as the “Explore America Act of 2018,” the bill would expand so-called “cultural heritage tourism” in the U.S. According to Schatz, this bill will be a big help for many people in Hawai‘i. “Every year, Hawai‘i sets new […]
Is Hawaii tourism falling into a Trump Slump?
For a while now, economists and pundits have wondered if tourist visits to the U.S. would get hit with a “Trump Slump,” since just about everything President Donald Trump has spent just about every minute of the last four months relentless proving to the world that he is the quintessential Ugly American. Hell, I wouldn’t […]
The Boycott Hawaii Cure: How a New York Times writer got Hawaii so wrong
The Mar. 21 New York Times article “The Hawaii Cure: A first trip to the island, in a desperate bid to escape the news” is hard to read. Beginning with the first night at the luʻau where author Wells Tower is “hankering after something incontestably Hawaiian” and ending with him wanting to “poke lava with […]
NOTW: Best kidney stone removal method ever and one really busy giant tortoise
FRONTIERS OF SCIENCE Large kidney stones typically mean eye-watering pain and sudden urinary blockage until the stone “passes” (often requiring expensive sound-wave treatment to break up a large stone). Michigan State University urologist David Wartinger told The Atlantic in September that he had recently happened upon a pain-free–even exciting!–way to pass stones before they become […]
The case against the Native American Tourism and Improving Visitor Experience (NATIVE) Act
NOTE: The U.S. House of Representatives recently passed the Native American Tourism and Improving Visitor Experience (NATIVE) Act (click here to read the bill’s text). It currently awaits President Barack Obama’s signature. U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (the bill’s sponsor) says the bill will “enhance and integrate native tourism, empower native communities, and expand unique cultural tourism […]
QuizUnderstood: How well do you know Maui Rep. Angus McKelvey’s legislative accomplishments?
1. In a recent newsletter sent out to constituents, state Rep. Angus McKelvey, D–West Maui, North Kihei, touted various legislative accomplishments, including the bill SB 2439, which passed both houses and is awaiting the Governor’s signature. What does that bill do? A. Creates an industrial hemp pilot program B. Establishes a goal of 22,500 affordable […]
Quizunderstood: How well do you know Hawaiian Commercial and Sugar’s recent losses?
1. On Nov. 6, Pacific Business News reported that according to the state Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism, Hawaii will need about 66,000 new housing units over the next decade. What’s Maui County’s share of that? A. 35,929 B. 25,857 C. 19,610 D. 13,949 E. 5,287 2. A recent Associated Press investigation found […]
Candidate Mufi Hannemann
MUFI HANNEMANN Running for: US Congress (Hawaii’s 2nd District), Democratic nomination Running against: Rafael Del Castillo, Tulsi Gabbard, Esther Kia‘aina, Bob Marx, Miles Shiratori Birthplace: Kalihi, Hawaii Pre-politics profession: VP for Corporate Marketing and Public Affairs, C. Brewer & Co. Electoral Win/Loss Record: 4/4 First electoral victory: Honolulu City Council, 1994 Supports: Lowering interest rates […]
The Seven Worst Things Ever Introduced to Hawaii
By Anu Yagi & Jacob Shafer 7. KIAWE Yes, kiawe is great for smoking meat. Yes, its flowers provide nectar for bees and the honey they produce. And yes, it often grows in otherwise barren areas, offering shelter from the blistering tropical sun. To those points we have one simple retort: thorns. You haven’t […]