Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
RESPECT
Although millions of visitors tour Maui annually and return home without incident,
every year there are a handful who have regrettable experiences in the islands. Tour-
ists get hurt and end up in hospitals. Landowners get sued and access becomes re-
stricted. Local-visitor relations become increasingly strained, and more often than
not, litigation has replaced handshakes, liability waivers become prolific, and warn-
ing signs stand where common sense once reigned.
While there is no denying the dirty underbelly of tourism, there is a single word
which can do more for island relations than any lawsuit, warning sign, or waiver
ever could:
Respect.
Healthy respect for the island, nature, people, and culture is essential to a mean-
ingful and successful vacation. Just as each local is an ambassador for the state and
should treat visitors with respect and
aloha,
every visitor to the island is a repres-
entative of the industry, and when visitors show respect for these islands, locals take
notice. Most island visitors already practice these virtues, but for those who are first-
time tourists, acquainting yourself with these general guidelines will be the best trip
planning you could possibly perform.
RESPECT THE LAND
In traditional Hawaiian culture, the land is sacred above all. The earth beneath our
feet and the sea in which we swim provide us with the sustenance and bounty
for sustaining life. To disrespect the land is the ultimate offense. The concept of
landownership is foreign to Hawaiian culture. We are instead seen as stewards of
the land who have been temporarily placed here to foster it for future generations.
While this might not be the same as the view where you live, you can do your part
while visiting the island by showing respect for the land around. Pick up your
opala,
or trash, and stay off sensitive coral reefs. Throw cigarette butts in proper recept-
acles, and help keep our valleys and shorelines as pristine as nature intended.
RESPECT LANDOWNERS' WISHES
Some unscrupulous travel publications encourage trespassing. As a result, far too
many visitors walk across private land even when signs tell them they aren't wel-
come. Over the years, due to disrespect for the land (leaving trash, urinating, park-
