Hawaii's long and winding road to sustainable tourism | GreenBiz - 0 views
-
"The entire travel and tourism industry is going to rely on being sustainable," Foster said during a plenary conversation at VERGE Hawaii. "Being sustainable economically, ensuring that local communities benefit and being sustainable environmentally."
-
The Hawaii Tourism Authority (HTA) already publishes monthly figures about occupancy, visits to parks and attractions, and other metrics. Nishizaki asked: Why not start sharing data about the carbon footprint, water usage, energy efficiency or local procurement strategies of hotels, resorts and rental car companies? Hotel property managers and local residents should be far more aware of these figures, he argued. This could be accomplished by displaying metrics on signage in hotel lobbies or at public attractions, for example.
-
Tourism is Hawaii’s biggest industry: more than 9.4 million people visited the islands in 2017, generating $16.8 billion in spending, according to HTA data. "The economy of this place is completely dependent on being a place that is welcoming and in demand by tourists," observed Hawaiian Airlines CEO Peter Ingram.
- ...1 more annotation...
-
And in April, Hawaiian Airlines began a collaboration with Raw Elements, which makes sunscreen specially formulated to not damage coral reefs. The chemicals oxybenzone and octinoxate, which show up in most of the world’s leading sun protection products, are toxic to many corals. Hawaii has banned those ingredients starting in 2021, and Hawaiian Airlines is showing in-flight educational videos meant to highlight this issue with would-be snorkelers, swimmers and scuba divers.
-
The article reports the state of Hawaii's hospitality and tourism industry is beginning to become more aware of how going green initiatives will effect the economy in a positive way. A management member of a consulting firm stated the efforts the hospitality and tourism industry need to be known to the community, guest and the staff of the hotels. He feels the research, figures and strategies need to be posted so everyone understands their role in the advancement of the states main industry's desire to become more sustainable. Hawaiian Airlines along with various hotels are reducing waste and sourcing more local items with in their outlets.