Is my travel money going to the right places?
Is my travel money going to the right places?
A recent guest on Pau Hana left a review and commented on the reusable napkins we offer on the boat. She said, “This may seem small to some, but I was so happily delighted to see that sustainability was encouraged with cute reusable napkins!” I loved seeing this review. First and foremost because it was an amazing 5 star review, but also, I had put a lot of thought into that reusable napkin. I am keen to reduce waste in all ways possible in our business operations. I also wanted to buy local and support a local maker. Double Happyness Co on Oahu had the exact right product for us and it made me feel good to support another local business. I am always so thankful for anyone that is willing to spend the time to give us feedback on their experience and then love to hear when they had a wonderful time. Her comment that it may seem small to some, got me thinking about all that we put into how we run our small operation and how we fit into this HUGE tourism machine here in Hawai’i. It seems more and more that people are interested in buying local to support their local communities, but how do you go about doing the same when venturing out on vacation? How do you know that your travel money is going to the right places?
Photo from a Yelp Review where a Pau Hana Guest is saying thank you for offering a reusable napkin.
I am not local to Hawaii, but I have been lucky to call Hawaii my home for the past 8 years. I am a small business owner who is directly involved in the day to day operations of my business. In order to run our operation, we choose to patron local retail stores, buy from local growers, pay local residents to crew the boat, hire local skilled labor, donate to local nonprofits, bank locally and spend our disposable income here in the local community. When people choose to book with Pau Hana Sailing, their travel money is getting circulated in the local economy.
“For every US$100 spent on a tour holiday by a tourist, only around US$5 actually stays in a developing-country destination's economy.” – United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP)
I saw this UN quote recently and I was reminded that we have A LOT of work to do in making our travels more sustainable. How you spend your tourism dollars matters and goes hand in hand with sustainable and eco travel. Hawai’i has a unique and more vulnerable economy and ecosystem than anywhere else in the United States. We are the most remote island chain in the world and one of the most biodiverse regions in the world. This remote paradise that is so easy to jump on a plane and get to relies almost entirely on tourism today. As a visitor wanting to be conscientious, it is your kuleana (responsibility) to make sustainable choices when you travel to Hawaii. Truly sustainable choices are ones that benefit the local community - economically, socially and environmentally. Is this easy to do, no, not by a long stretch. There is an impressive effort by Hawaiian residents, businesses and local government to take care of the islands, but we need the help of tourists too as our economy is so dependent and intertwined with tourism.
Here are some things to consider when making travel plans to Hawaii and some simple suggestions to maximize the impact of your travel dollars:
Stay at locally owned hotels, guesthouses or other accommodation - like the Equus Hotel in Waikiki.
Eat at locally owned and operated restaurant - There are so very many, but one of my favorites is Castro’s Waikiki.
Take locally owned transportation - The Bus, Kanoa Transportation, Hui Car Share, Biki Bike Share.
Buy locally made souvenirs - We have so many unique foods, clothing and gifts to bring back from Hawaii. Check out one of these retail locations - Mana Up Hawaii, Kaidio Apparel, Noʻeau Designers, Kealopiko, Namea Hawaii, Farm Lovers Farmers Market.
Experience and adventure with local guides and experts - Surf lessons with HawaiiSurfGuru, Take a tour at Kualoa Ranch, or surf a canoe in Waikiki with Faith Surf School or Aloha Beach Services.
Take care of the reef and Malama i ke kai (Care for the ocean) - many visitors come to Hawai’i to experience the amazing and beautiful ocean water, reef and all the marinelife it supports. Hawai’i is home to 80% of the reef in the United States. Yet over a third of our reefs face extinction. Simple things you can do to minimize your impact to the reef - wear locally made reef safe sunscreen, cover up and minimize the amount of sunscreen you wear as all sunscreen has an impact on the reef. Avoid physical contact with the reef as the oils in our skin are destructive to the reef. Bring and use a water bottle - turtles mistake plastic water bottles for jelly fish and eat them.
Respect local communities and Native Hawaiians - To engage in sustainable tourism you must learn about the indigenous communities. Take the time to learn about the complex history of Hawaii. Some great places to visit and learn more are the Iolani Palace and Bishop Museum.
Respect the Aloha Spirit - be friendly to everyone no matter if you know them or not.
