Editorial: Preparing for Hawaii’s recovery

How to make the best of a bad situation? Take the time to take stock, recalibrate and better prepare for when things inevitably improve.

Hawaii’s economic stagnation for the past month was the direct result of an unexpected, scary surge in COVID-19 cases due to the highly contagious delta variant. In addition to bringing the isles’ health-care system to a crisis point, the cases brought a summer recovery of record tourism to a grinding halt.

A new University of Hawaii Economic Research Organization (UHERO) projection captures some of that fallout: Hawaii’s unemployment rate for 2021 is now expected to be 8.3%, a full percentage point higher than just four months ago; and the 2022 jobless rate is now forecast at 6.8%, much higher than the earlier-predicted 4.8%

“It’s not a small disruption,” UHERO executive director Carl Bonham said of impacts from the summer’s COVID-19 spike, resulting in residents losing work and companies going out of business.

But forced into this pause, state and industry leaders should be adjusting now for tourism’s next phase — both short-term, with pent-up traveler demand predicted to return around Thanksgiving for a very good holiday season, if COVID-19 is tamped; and long-term, in the sort of tourism that makes better sense for Hawaii.

On the latter, part of that recalibration includes the path staked out by the Hawaii Tourism Authority in its destination management plan, “Malama Hawaii,” launched in May. More nuanced than merely selling bargain vacations to boundless numbers of tourists, the initiative focuses on more-sustainable tourism and more-respectful visitors via cultural experiences and awareness.

After highly-publicized transgressions involving tourists and endangered species, for example, Hawaiian Airlines is now showcasing an in-flight “Travel Pono” video that informs arrivals about local best practices and laws about protected wildlife, such as monk seals and green sea turtles.

In another UH study this week, co-authored by the School of Travel Industry Management Professor Jerry Agrusa, a survey of 455 mainland visitors found that a majority expressed willingness to pay more for authentic cultural experiences, learning activities and locally sourced food. For instance, some 76% said “yes” to paying more to experience and support sustainable tourism here.

Now might well be the time to pursue how to enact user fees or reservation systems for nonresidents who impact highly used state trails or other public venues. In addition to countering anti-tourism sentiments, putting more of a premium on use of precious resources will prevent a deteriorated or diminished destination. Fun in the sun will always apply to Hawaii, but increasingly, so should malama aina.