After 2 years of not leaving home or traveling, everyone has been itching for an escape to a place that still close to home yet feels like a different country due to its way of life and mesmerizing natural beauty… and that place happened to be Hawaii.
For the past 6 months, I was living and working on Maui, seeing tons of tourists fly in everyday even when the state was crying for airlines to stop offering flights as there were just too many people on the island aka overtourism (so many there were no rental cars for people to use!). I saw tourists constantly disrespecting the island with their negative attitudes, their ignorance of the environmental harm they were causing, and just plain disrespect to the culture. HOWEVER I assume since you are reading this post, you want to be more than just another tourist, you want to know the proper Hawaii tourist etiquette and a traveler who is more informed on how to act respectfully in Hawaii.
If you can, try to pick a different destination- especially if you’re going to just lounge by the pool the whole time.
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WHAT IS RESPONSIBLE TRAVEL?
“Responsible travel is making the conscious effort to be more socially and culturally aware when you travel, understanding your affect on the places you visit and trying to make that affect a positive one. Responsible tourism refers to tourism which creates better places for people to live and to visit – with the emphasis on ‘to live’. “
You can become a responsible traveler by actually taking the time to do research before you go and respecting the people, environment, and culture of the place you are traveling too. Become a traveler, not just a tourist.
A saying in Hawaii is “malama ‘aina” which means taking care of the land. The State of Hawaii has done a great job at this by banning plastic bags, single use plastics, and harmful sunscreen.
HOW YOU CAN SUPPORT FROM HOME: You can even support Hawaii’s environment from where you are right now! There is a bill legislators would love to pass for visitors to contribute to the protection, restoration, and conservation of Hawaiʻi’s natural and cultural resources directly, the Hawaiʻi Green Fee. By signing a petition for Hawaii to enact a green fee, all the travelers who want to visit can help conserve Hawaii’s natural environment. Read more and take action on the Green Fee here!
Here are things to know before going to Hawaii to help you travel more responsibly:
KNOW THE HISTORY & EDUCATE YOURSELF
The history of Hawaii that is taught in the mainland vs the island is bit skewed. Hawaii was its own independent nation known as the Kingdom of Hawaii that was ruled by Hawaiian Kings & Queens up until 1898. In 1898, Queen Lili’uokalani was overthrown by American and European settlers and was placed under house arrest until she was forced to signed over Hawaii in exchange for the pardon of her supporters; the US annexed Hawaii shortly after. This is a reason why Native Hawaiians are so upset with disrespectful & ignorant tourists. Read this article on why Hawaii might be putting that resentment on travelers now and what Native Hawaiians want you to know before traveling there.
There is a dark side of Hawaii that many tourists might not see if they’re hidden away in their luxury resorts- the poverty and drug problems on the other side. With the housing market pushing Native Hawaiians out and everyone trying to move there to “live their best life”, Native Hawaiians can’t afford to keep up and are being displaced everyday. If you really look, Hawaii has a huge drug and homeless problem as well.
Some Hawaiian creators and accounts to follow on TikTok and Instagram: @ainamomona , @alohaitschelei, @melemaikalanimakalapuaa , @sustainablecoastlineshawaii and @mmmeliss__
PACK SUSTAINABLY
This means packing light to reduce plane emissions (if possible), packing your reusables (utensils, water bottle, masks, and bags) to reduce your plastic waste on the island, and only bringing reef safe sunscreen- NO SPRAY SUNSCREENS.
The last thing you want to do is bring or generate more trash when visiting the islands in the middle of the pacific so be mindful of your consumption and avoid single use plastics.
VISIT DURING SLOW OR SHOULDER SEASON
Let’s be real, regardless of the time of the year Hawaii will always have great weather. Summer is super hot anyway and the winter is a nice 70-80 degree temperature with cooling rains sometimes. Not only will traveling in these seasons help save you money, there will also be less people and less stress on local residents.
“Early spring (mid-April to mid-June) and fall (September to mid-December) will be the best times to find great rates and the fewest people while visiting Hawaii.”
LIVE ALOHA
The most important thing to keep in mind when traveling to Hawaii is the Aloha state of mind. The reason so many people fall in love with Hawaii is not only because of the beauty, but the culture of spreading Aloha wherever you go. So act kindly, share a smile, greet people as you pass, embrace the slow life, learn about the Hawaiian culture, and respect the natural environment around you. Don’t act entitled and expect to just receive endless Aloha, you must give it out to receive it first (you should be doing it out of the kindness of your heart regardless).
You can learn about the Hawaiian culture and traditions through classes such as lei making, making poi, hula, etc. On Oahu, the Hawaii Convention Center offers free classes every week.
CHOOSE LOCAL, ETHICAL AND SUSTAINABLE
Instead of going to chains, choose to shop local. This means choosing local produce, paying state park or national park entry fees for conservation, locally owned guesthouses, locally owned tour agencies and guides, and locally owned restaurants/stores.
Shop at farmers markets for local produce, crafts, souvenirs, and foods. Support the islands small local businesses! Here is a list of farmers markets by island. Skip Mcdonalds and try some Hawaii favorites at L&L instead (Hawaiian fast food basically- it is a chain but started in Hawaii) or any local food places!
When looking for accomodations don’t just stay at the Marriot. Find sustainable, local and eco friendly hotels to support- you can do this by looking up “Green Hotels in Hawaii or Eco Hotels in Hawaii”. Turo is a great website to rent cars from local people, it also is known to be less $ than chain rental car companies.
LOOK, DONT TOUCH
This goes for any marine life (reefs, turtles, dolphins, stingrays, seals, etc) in the ocean.
General rules are:
- Keep your distance and do not get too close marine life (this includes touching or chasing them in the ocean)- the suggested distance is to stay at least 10ft away.
- DO NOT step on reefs. They are living delicate systems that are essential to life in the ocean. If you cant swim dont go out- the reefs are not there for you, they are there for the marine life.
- DO NOT take anything from the island this includes sand, lava rocks, sea glass, shells, etc. Not only is taking anything from the island bad luck until it is returned, it is also illegal (read more about Pele’s curse here). Imagine if every one of the 500,000 visitors each month took something.. there would be nothing left.
NO GEOTAGGING
If you happen to find a beautiful place in Hawaii or a local is kind enough to show you, please keep it to yourself and DO NOT geotag it on social media for others to find. Locals are already being run off the island due to skyrocketing housing market prices and do not need to be run out of their favorite spots by tourists on top of that.
Why people gatekeep locations in Hawaii
LEAVE NO TRACE AND CHALLENGE YOURSELF TO A 5 MINUTE BEACH CLEAN UP
This shouldn’t even have to be said, but DON’T LITTER. Keep Hawaii beautiful and take your trash with you! If you see trash= pick it up! Any time I go to the beach I try to challenge myself to a 5 minute beach clean up where I pick up as much trash as possible so it doesn’t fly into the ocean for marine life to choke on.
READ THE SIGNS & OBEY THE LAW
Signs are there for your own safety. If there is a high surf advisory (high tide), stay out of the water. Never turn your back on the waves because you never know when a big one is coming your way, and if you don’t know how to dive under it- you could get seriously injured.
Stay on trails, scrub your hiking shoes before going on trails, and remember to leave a place better than you found it.
Some laws to be aware of before you go:
- only 1 person is allowed per moped and mopeds are not allowed on major highways
- it is illegal to touch, disturb, pick up, or kill any type of sea turtle; doing so can result in a fine of up to $25,000 and even jail time
- It’s against the law to touch or harass a Hawaiian monk seal, with penalties up to five years in prison and upwards of a $50,000 fine
- It is illegal to take volcanic rocks or sand
- Trespassing is illegal so respect the ‘Kapu’ or ‘No Trespassing’ signs. “Always seek explicit permission from the landowner or local officials before venturing onto private or government-owned land that is closed to the public, regardless of whether it is fenced or signposted as such.”
LOWER YOUR EMISSIONS
This means choosing a nonstop flight, using public transportation like the bus (its honestly super reliable and a cheap way to get almost anywhere), taking a moped, or just walking when possible! If you are renting a car opt for lighter car shades as they use less energy than a darker one.
TAKE IN THE BEAUTY OF NATURE
The reason why the people of Hawaii have become the leaders in environmental stewardship is because they have always lived in balance with nature. The ‘aina is always to be respected as it provides so much- produce, beautiful landscapes, and shelter.
When you’re visiting, make sure to put your phone down and take in the beauty around you. Leave your resort to swim in the beautiful ocean or waterfall. You will feel more connected and in return we will all feel more connected to one another and this beautiful planet we live on.
I encourage you to do your own research before you travel anywhere. Thank you for caring about your impact! I hope you can take in everything mentioned in this post and incorporate it into your travel life to travel more responsibly 🙂
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