HILO — A new collaboration between the Big Island Visitors Bureau and Hawaii County hopes to create a more conscientious tourist industry on the Big Island.
At a press conference Thursday morning, Ross Birch of the Island of Hawaii Visitors Bureau and county Managing Director Will Okabe presented the “Pono Pledge,” a public information campaign intended to build awareness for treating the island with respect.
The campaign is simple, Birch explained. The Pono Pledge is a nine-line mantra affirming that, while people can appreciate the beauty of the island, they will not do so in a way that disrupts the environment and community, or endangers people.
Birch said tourism-adjacent industries that partner with the program — hotels in particular — will offer campaign materials to island visitors in order to raise awareness about how to view the island safely, responsibly and respectfully. While they will not be required to do so, visitors can sign the pledge online and share it via social media, spreading awareness further.
Birch said that the campaign — which was intended to be unveiled in June, but was delayed due to the Kilauea eruption — arose in response to a change in tourism to the island.
“Ten, 15 years ago, you didn’t have social media,” Birch said. “Ten years ago, there were 1.66 million visitors to the island. There were 1.72 million last year. There hasn’t been a big change in the number of visitors, but they’re a different kind of visitor.”
Because of the ubiquity of social media, smartphones and selfies, visitors may be less conscious of the environmental impact their presence has on the island.
“An example I’ll use is Waipio Valley,” Birch said. “The lookout at Waipio Valley has limited parking spaces and access, but it gets more than 1,000 visitors a day, when in the past it got about 200 a day.”
Birch said the Pono Pledge dovetails nicely with the rise of “voluntourism,” a trend of ostensibly socially conscious vacationers volunteering their time at community service programs. Cruise ships and tour groups, many of which offer similar programs, can distribute information about the Pono Pledge to visitors before they arrive on the island.
While the campaign has not yet been adopted by airlines, Birch said he hopes such a partnership is possible in the future, because airlines would be able to inform passengers of the pledge before arrival.
“The extension of this is limitless,” Birch said.
If successful, the campaign — which was itself modeled after similar programs in Iceland and Palau — hopefully will serve as a model for other islands and tourist destinations, Birch said.
“This is a way to establish Hawaii as a leader in responsible tourism efforts,” read a prepared statement by Mayor Harry Kim.
While Birch said he hopes the pledge will result in positive environmental impacts over time, the only trackable goal of the campaign is the number of people who have signed the pledge. Birch said he hopes 10,000 people sign the pledge within the campaign’s first year.
The full pledge can be found and signed at ponopledge.com.
Email Michael Brestovansky at mbrestovansky@hawaiitribune-herald.com
The Pono Pledge
I pledge to be pono (righteous) on the island of Hawaii.
I will mindfully seek wonder, but not wander where I do not belong.
I will not defy death for breathtaking photos, or venture beyond safety.
I will malama (care for) land and sea, and admire wildlife only from afar.
Molten lava will mesmerize me, but I will not disrupt its flow.
I will not take what is not mine, leaving lava rocks and sand as originally found.
I will heed ocean conditions, never turning my back to the Pacific.
When rain falls ma uka (inland), I will remain high above ground, out of rivers and streams.
I will embrace the island’s aloha spirit, as it embraces me.
Try starting with the locals….as an example the three animals that attacked and nearly killed the security guard at Kona Seaside.
Me thinks this project is a tricky way to do just that
Took the pledge myself, and will have guests that visit me here in Kona do the same.
Does that mean every incoming tourist is going to be approached by a greeter with a clipboard and a request that they , and every member of their party pause and say the above pledge ? Heck they cannot even give them information on how to find their way out of the airports , much less and Malama Aina pledge . How about hiring young people to serve this function , at the airports ?
Local Pledge: I will not smash the car windows and steal valuables left on the seat. I will not remove the wheels and leave my old car or appliances on the side of the road when I am finished with it. I could think of a few more.
I will not leave my dogs chained up outside with no shelter.
Yeah we all know we need more signs telling us what we can and cannot do. From my house to Hilo there’s over 450 signs. Wonder who’s buddy has that contract for the signs.
The only trackable goal is signatures?
I can think of a few more to add:
I will take my rubbish to the nearest can and not leave it for someone else to pick up.
I will only use coral-safe sunscreens.
I will drive with aloha.
I will not pick anyone’s fruit from their trees.
I will not stack rocks.
I will not swim with the dolphins.
I will not step on the coral when snorkeling.
The list can go on and on…..
Its
not the Visitors , its most of the tour companies that disrespect ,
just look what happen to kahaluu the surf board ride sellers have
destroyed it . Limit the profiteers .
The tour companies are just another arm of the invasive species of tour guides that leads mass assaults on the dolphins, chasing them up and down the coast. Same for the manta snorkeler operations.
All profiteering and to hell with the effect on the area and animals.
In 40 years I have never seen a visitor leave trash anywhere , Too many vans and buses hauling too many people to all the wonderful places that is destroying things , limit the profiteers .
Jen Ruggles,where are you,when we need you.please come out and help the little people who depend on tourism to survive.we need all the help we can get.
Maybe none of these visitors had a mother to TEACH THEM MANNERS!