Sustainable tourism impacts and measurement strategies for Kaho'olawe

Hawaii

Sustainable Tourism Impacts

The impact of sustainable tourism on Kaho'olawe can be divided into three constituent parts: the economic impact, the physical or environmental impact, and the socio-cultural impact.

Economic impact: The economic impact of sustainable tourism on Kaho'olawe is predicted to be a net positive gain after initial investment. Hiring only local labor, when possible, will conform to sustainable tourism goals. This will also prevent financial leakage: that is, losing any revenues gained to outsiders and instead keeping revenues within the island. This will have a net-positive impact on the local economy and permit further investment.

Physical/environmental impact: This is the area of greatest concern regarding the development of Kaho'olawe. Tourism infrastructure is likely to lead to issues and potential problems such as pollution, land degradation (erosion, sinkhole), and habitat loss for local flora and fauna. Additionally, the development of tourism could have unforeseen aesthetic drawbacks such as the need for large parking lots and the presence of traffic.

III. Socio-cultural impact: The development of sustainable tourism on Kaho'olawe has been designed and envisioned to support local commerce and culture. It is believed that a continual influx of tourists who are open to learning new things will stimulate interest in local indigenous traditions and keep those traditions alive when they might otherwise fade away. However, it is important to preserve authenticity of cultural expression, prevent the commercialization of local culture, and also prevent the exploitation of local culture.

IV. Summary: Although there are some concerns related to the development of Kaho'olawe, it is believed that sustainable tourism will have a net positive impact on the island.

Measurement of Sustainable Tourism

I. What to measure?

Measuring sustainable tourism's impact on Kaho'olawe will require both qualitative and quantitative measures. The qualitative measures will include surveys of local people and the employees working in the industry. Quantitative measures will include environmental measures such as soil and water purity.

II. How to measure?

For the qualitative measures, it will be necessary to hire professional researchers who can collaborate with locals on a sensible research design, survey, and interview methodology. For the quantitative measures, it will be necessary to work with researchers and scientists, preferably those from Hawaiian institutions.

IV. What is the timeframe for measurement?

Within a year, it should be possible to have some preliminary data. If we can get researchers started within the next few weeks or month, one year will be enough time to gather the first data set. After that, periodic measures should be taken especially with regards to environmental integrity.

SWOT Analysis Summary

A SWOT analysis shows the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats to tourism development on the island of Kaho'olawe. The strengths include the opportunity to share local culture and geography, to raise awareness, and stimulate interest as well as research. The weaknesses include the cost of development, the arid land, and the lack of awareness of what Kaho'olawe has to offer. Opportunities, however, include the ability to create niche market travel and the ability to stimulate the local economy. Finally, threats include positioning Kaho'olawe effectively from a marketing standpoint, as it will be competing with other Hawaiian islands. Overall, it is believed that the benefits outweigh the costs.