Regenerative Tourism in Hawai‘i: Finding Solutions for a Better Future

Abstract

Effective tourism management is needed in Hawai‘i to counteract the impacts on the local residents, economy, cultural preservation and natural environment. This problem must be addressed through collaboration between residents and local government. In order for local communities to find meaningful solutions for tourism in Hawai‘i, they must be aware of the need and how tourism management can be utilized to improve their communities. To address this issue an online learning website was developed to provide basic information about tourism management, and to facilitate meaningful solutions from Hawai‘i community members. The website was tested by 17 participants to determine its learning effectiveness, and any attitudinal changes of participants. Results showed an overall improvement of 35% from pre-instruction to post-instruction, and unanimous agreement that the site could be a valuable asset for improving tourism management in Hawai‘i. Informed collaboration between community members and governing agencies is critical for establishing effective tourism management for the diverse locations in Hawai‘i.