Kauaʻi residents provide ideas for improving tourism while balancing locals quality of life

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On sticky notes, Kauaʻi residents wrote their insights and ideas about the future of tourism on the island during two public input sessions last week that were run by the Hawaiʻi Tourism Authority.

The suggestions included improving parking at congested beaches, providing a shuttle in Kapa’a, extending public transit hours and building a roundabout at the intersection of Kaumuali’i Highway and Maluhia Road, also known as the Tunnel of Trees in Kōloa.

One resident expressed shifting boat tour business hours to accommodate morning and evening residential traffic, while another said there should be less direct flights to the island.

Caroline Anderson, interim president and CEO of the Hawaiʻi Tourism Authority, said the sessions provide residents an opportunity to “share their mana‘o on tourism in a way that reflects the needs, values and priorities of their communities.”

About 40 people attended the first session on Sept. 10 at the West Kauaʻi Technology & Visitor Center in Waimea, while another 60 people were at the second session the next day at the Kukui Grove Shopping Center in Līhu’e.

Also present were officials from the Hawai’i Tourism Authority, the Department of Land and Natural Resources, the Kaua’i Chamber of Commerce, the Kaua’i Visitors Bureau, and Kaua’i County, among many others.

The information gathered during these sessions will help update Kaua‘i’s Destination Management Action Plan, which was approved by the Hawai‘i Tourism Authority’s board
of directors in December 2020 and made available to the public on Feb. 5, 2021.

The meeting marked the first time the Hawaiʻi Tourism Authority included community members to participate in person to provide input for the plan. There was a previous meeting for the original plan, but it was done via Zoom due to the COVID pandemic.

The plan aims to hit goals that balance the benefits of tourism with the needs of residents, while also preserving natural and cultural resources, and improving residents’ quality of life as well as the visitor experience on the island.

While tourist numbers are down in some areas of the Hawaiian Islands, mainly Maui, the numbers are up on Kauaʻi.

During the first seven months of this year, 852,671 people visited Kaua‘i, compared to
836,861 visitors (+1.9%) in the same time period in 2024 and 825,696 visitors (+3.3%)
in the first seven months of 2019, according to statistics from the Hawaiʻi Tourism Authority.

But visitor spending on Kauaʻi at 1.73 billion the first seven months of this year was down nearly 3% to the $1.78 billion spent by visitors during the same time period in 2024. However, compared to 2019 visitor spending for the first seven months, it has nearly doubled from the $1.17 billion.

At the input sessions, Kauaʻi residents put the sticky notes with their ideas and suggestions under questions on a wall.

Discussions followed, with traffic infrastructure and access at the forefront of many people’s minds.

Third-generation Kapahi resident Leila Suzuki attended a session to voice her concern about the ongoing issues with parking, excessive foot traffic and rude visitors going to the trailhead to Ho’opi’i Falls in Kapa’a, a popular location featured in the 1993 blockbuster Jurassic Park.

Suzuki posted the problems on social media, which prompted her to start a petition requesting that a county inspector visit Kapahi Road and assess the need for signs and trash bins, so that the county can provide and install them.

“There are no sidewalks, no parking infrastructure, and cars regularly block our driveways, mailboxes, and access points,” Suzuki said. “Emergency vehicle access is compromised every day.”

She suggested a shuttle with hiking permits for anyone wanting to visit the falls.

When the topic of enforcement and safety was brought up, many residents expressed wanting more signage and educational information, such as hiking skill level and conditions at trails, including the Kalalau Trail, where there have been many rescues just this year. It includes a Texas visitor who was airlifted due to exhaustion.

Several proposed fines of up to a thousand dollars for misuse of emergency resources, while others recommended less penalization and more education.

Others said: “Install cameras.”

Another suggestion was having park rangers walk the Kalalau Trail, similar to the Wilderness Ranger program at Mt. Rainier in Washington State.

Park Rangers at Mt. Rainier walk the hundreds of miles of trail and wilderness in the park every day, regulating and educating hikers, answering questions, helping lost or injured hikers, and assisting exhausted or inexperienced hikers. It eases the burden for first responders.

Another resident suggested a mandatory app be downloaded after booking a flight into the islands, similar to New Zealand’s Electronic Travel Authority, also known as NZeta.

The app requires all visitors to provide personal information 72 hours before boarding, including a passport and health conditions, to assess whether they are unlikely to pose a risk to the health of the people in New Zealand.

It also requires a criminal background check and a booked return flight, along with a minimum of $1,000 every month if the visitor plans to stay in the country for more than 30 days.

“Wow, that is a wonderful suggestion,” yelled a resident.

Additionally, a QR code was suggested for all trail signs, businesses and visitor hot spots.

QR codes at National Parks across the country have become more popular due to easy access to educational information about the user’s current location, such as hiking trails and their skill levels, and acceptable or alternative trails for the area.

In addition, the QR codes can offer a list of available establishments in the proximity, such as beaches with lifeguard towers, a language selection for visitors, bathroom locations, bus stops and a space to provide feedback.

Keoni Watson, who owns and manages Princeville Landscaping and Maintenance, said the input meeting was informative but he was concerned with the lack of information that is currently shared or known among the community.

“It’s mind-blowing to me that this is the first in-person meeting,” Watson said. “I am surprised at how uninformed the majority of us are, myself included.”

Watson, who interacts with visitors on a daily basis, explains that he is aware that it is his kuleana (responsibility) to be well-informed on Kauai’s happenings and is consistently educating visitors on phrases, asking if they’re wearing the proper sunscreen, and guiding them about where to go and where not to go.

“You don’t know how many times I have to explain what Pono means,” he said. “It’s disappointing that these meetings weren’t arranged sooner. We wouldn’t have these issues on the dock today, plain and simple.”

Patti Ornellas, the Kaua’i Destination Manager with the Hawai’i Tourism Authority, said she was “very pleased with the turnout and the diversity of people that attended the meeting and shared their opinions about the next generation of destination management.”

She said a third meeting is scheduled for December, where the Hawai’i Tourism Authority will provide a clearer picture of the plan and what could come to fruition.

Many residents strongly recommended an email newsletter to improve transparency on important issues and encourage involvement in future community meetings.

“We don’t have any type of track record on how successful they (the Hawai’i Tourism Authority) have or have not been,” Watson said.

“What can they do or not do? How soon can we expect to see progress on these issues? Is it two years, or 10 years down the line? How successful have they ever been? I don’t know if I should be full of faith or be apprehensive.”

Community input from 2020 led to tangible actions in Kaua’i, such as removing up to 200 illegally operating rental vehicles daily from the Līhu‘e Airport public parking, along with the cancellation of tours on the Wailua River over the weekend.

For an in-depth look at the Hawai’i Tourism Authority’s progress, a statewide visitor arrival breakdown, or to subscribe to their newsletter, click here.