Unusual touristic activity - On the southeast coast of O’ahu, a group of visitors from Renton, Washington, has come to help clean up the island with 808 Cleanups, a local group that works to remove harmful plants from the shoreline., Details about the activities - "I couldn’t visit Hawai'i without doing something to help," said Doris Martinez, who is visiting for the first time. "Today we are cleaning up bushes that aren’t native to Hawaii, which we learned about this afternoon.", Examples of regenerative tourism - Doris and her group are doing something called "regenerative tourism." This means visitors do activities that help the local community, like cleaning a beach, planting native plants, or fixing a fishpond., Tourism upsides and downsides - Hawai'i’s tourism industry is very big, with over 9 million visitors every year. It creates many jobs, but it also puts stress on the local people. Many feel that tourism sometimes hurts the community., Event that made locals mad at tourists - In August 2023, wildfires in Maui showed the tension between tourists and locals. Some tourists were still on vacation while people were struggling with the damage from the fires. One resident, Courtney Lazo, said it felt wrong to see tourists still enjoying their vacation while others were trying to save their homes from the fire., Tourism is positive impact but it is not perfect - Kalani Ka'anā'anā, the head of the Hawai'i Tourism Authority, says tourism brings money, but also challenges for locals. Some people working in tourism have to work two or three jobs to make enough money to live., Tourists behave badly sometimes - Many locals are upset because some tourists don’t respect Hawaiian culture or the environment. There are many stories of tourists damaging sacred lands, bothering animals, or breaking rules, like touching turtles or seals. These actions can lead to big fines., Tourists forget what matters to Hawaiians - "The problem is that tourists see Hawai'i as just a fun place to visit, not understanding the importance of respecting the land and the people," said Pā'ele Kiakona, a local resident., Tourists can have a positive impact - Hawai'i wants to change the way tourism works. Instead of mass tourism where people just visit and leave, locals want "managed tourism." This means visitors should support local businesses, like eating at small restaurants or visiting local shops instead of big chains., An opportunity to educate tourists - The Hawai'i Tourism Authority is trying to teach visitors how to be respectful and mindful during their visit. They promote values like "aloha" (love, kindness) and "malama" (care and respect), asking tourists to leave the place better than they found it., Meaningful contributions tourists can make - Visitors can also help by volunteering. The Hawai'i Tourism Authority has a website called Mālama Hawai'i, where tourists can find volunteer opportunities. This helps visitors connect with the community and have a more meaningful experience., New policies can help Hawaii - Hawai'i’s Governor, Josh Green, recently signed a bill that will help protect the environment and support responsible tourism. Many locals want tourists to feel like they are part of the community and help rebuild and protect the islands., Travelling is about balancing what you get and what you give back - In O’ahu, Kimeona Kane, who works with 808 Cleanups, says they want visitors to understand Hawai'i’s history, culture, and challenges. "Visitors today didn’t just want to take from the islands. They wanted to give back.", A time to rebuild - On Maui, people are still recovering from the wildfires of 2023. "Hawai'i has shown so much kindness to people," said local resident Jordan Ruidas. "Now, it's time for visitors to show that same kindness to us while we heal and rebuild.",

Hawaii Annotations

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