Lucy Lophsire According to the Hawaii Tourism Authority, the tourism industry brings around $2 billion into Hawaii each year. The industry itself is massive, and the appeal of the islands continues to fuel the growth of tourism throughout Hawaii. While many reap the benefits of the millions of tourists, there is often a forgotten element of the islands, the locals. According to a study from the University of Hawaii, tourists outnumber residents 6 to 1, and they also outnumber native residents 30 to 1. Diana Pao, a resident of Hawaii for 44 years, lives with her husband Leroy on Oahu. The two have noticed subtle changes over their several decades of residency, including an increase in business. “The changes were subtle. The surf crowd would converge on the North Shore for the winter, and by March, they would all leave, and life would be quiet again. But then the North Shore became a summer destination, and today it’s busy all year round,” Pao said. The increase in tourists has reached up to five million annually, written in several reports completed by the University of Hawaii. This noticeable increase has caused several issues within the islands, affecting the local communities. “Before, people would stay in Waikiki and make the North Shore a day trip, but now the tourists want to stay out here, and the AirBNBs and VRBO are illegally flourishing. This has a big effect on our small area that is overrun with traffic, food trucks, and the overuse of many of our beaches,” Pao said. Along with traffic and overuse, Pao mentioned that tourists tend to interfere with marine life as well, saying that touching turtles was something tourists should stray from at all times. The World Register of Marine Species
supports the idea, pointing out that tourism can disturb marine life with boats, disrupting of food chains, and can even contribute to overfishing. Another issue that stems from the number of tourists is the increase in housing prices across the islands. Locals struggle with the housing market inflation as tourists continue to buy vacation homes and prices continue to rise. “Multigenerational homes are becoming more the way of life for local people. I can’t see our kids ever having the opportunity to buy a home on the North Shore,” Pao said. Pao’s mention of her kids having a lack of opportunities to buy homes reflects the several issues that tourists have created by using Hawaii as another vacation destination. Although there seems to be more cost than benefit, it is important to recognize that the tourism industry provides jobs for residents and brings in massive annual income for the state. Pao mentioned that residents enjoy sharing their homes with tourists as long as they are respectful, emphasizing that the most important takeaway is to avoid encroaching on local lands. “In my opinion, there should be a cap on the number of people flocking to our islands on a daily basis. Our infrastructure just isn’t growing with our own population, let alone the thousands of people who come here every day,” Pao said. Paospeaks for a large portion of Hawaiian residents, who appreciate the revenue and want to find a compromise. The thing she asks of tourists is “to be respectful of our lands. Most are, but common sense is lacking in many. You can’t make a U-turn because you missed your destination. You can’t park on the bike path because you didn’t know. You can’t touch our marine life. You can’t hike our mountains and get lost or injured and expect the state to pick up the tab. Do your homework before going anywhere on vacation.”
Photo by Amber Chia
DECEMBER 2021 HIGHLANDER 35
