57and other business partners with educational and service
organizations to develop programs for tourists.
Outrigger Hotels & Resorts, for example, offers guests
a third night free if they sign up for a two-hour volunteer
program at the Kualoa Ranch Private Nature Reserve. Not
far from where Barnes teaches tennis at Mauna Kea Beach
Resort, guests can learn about beekeeping and how honey
from one of the eight apiaries on the property is used in
Hawaiian cuisine. Other programs include reforestation and
reef restoration.
These offerings may not matter to first-time visitors
intent on lounging on the beach by day and drinking mai
tais at night. But De Fries hopes that travelers returning to
the islands for their third, fourth, or fifth time—more than
65% of those who came to Hawaii before Covid were repeat
visitors— will want to get involved in cultural or environmen-
tal programs. This is especially true for affinity groups such
as birders, hula enthusiasts, and volcanology geeks.
It’s enchanting to think that someday travel, as both idea
and activity, could mean nurturing the places we visit. The
economist Brewbaker is skeptical. “I have no idea what
malama is,” he says. “It’s not really worth it for me to fig-
ure it out because the pandemic is such an overwhelming
obstacle right now to restoring travel and tourism.” There’s
no harm in going for big, long-term ideas, he adds. In the
short term, though, what will determine whether travelers
return to Hawaii has nothing to do with the tourism author-
ity and everything to do with the virus and perceived safety.
In many ways, the pandemic has already catalyzed a new
way of thinking about others and the ripple effects of indi-
vidual decisions. Masks, social distancing, hand-washing—
“these are all ways to malama,” De Fries says.
The key now is to fuse malama with management.
Stephanie Donoho, administrative director of the Kohala
Coast Resort Association, which represents several luxury
hotels on the west coast of Hawaii Island, recalls a recent
trip to Peru. Hiking the Inca Trail, another famous and frag-
ile tourism hot spot, she noticed the various fees required,
the careful management of visitor traffic, and the require-
ments to hire local guides. “The whole thing was about giv-
ing back,” she says.
Some wildly popular destinations such as Amsterdam,
Barcelona, and Venice are taking steps to limit the number
of tourists and mitigate visitor effects on culture, natural
resources, and the everyday lives of their residents. Hawaii
could end up doing the same. But what the state should not
do, De Fries says, is suddenly restrict the number of visitors.
“To drop to 6 million and hope they’ll spend more is a giant
leap of faith,” he says.
Instead he wants to attract those who are “more aware,
more sensitive,” he says. “We need them to malama us! This
culture of reciprocity is embedded in Hawaiian culture.” If
tourism simply returns to normal without consideration for
the emotional and economic well-being of the people who
PREVIOUS live here, he says, “there will be no aloha.”
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COURTESY
MAUNA
LANI,
AUBERGE
RESORTS
COLLECTION
March 1, 2021W h e n e v e r
Y o u ’ r e a b l e ...
More than half of Hawaii’s hotel rooms
will remain empty in 2021, according
to data from industry groups.
But these new and notable hotels
are waiting for youMAUNA LANI
Auberge’s $200 million reimagining of
the iconic resort officially opened on
the Big Island in November. Its focus
on wide-open outdoor experiences
goes beyond the classic surf lesson.
Book one-on-one workshops to learn
how to weave coconut fronds, blow
conch shells, and strum a ukulele.
Or study the ancient storytelling art
of mo‘olelo—all with the property’s
indigenous culture ambassador.
Social distancing is also easy at night,
thanks to toes-in-the-sand dining
options and private outdoor space for
every room.
SENSEI LANA‘I
Golf, horseback riding, mindfulness
sessions, nutrition consultations,
and even semiprivate air travel are
included in the $650-plus nightly
rate at this serene, adults-only Four
Seasons resort on one of Hawaii’s
tiniest inhabited islands. The holistic
approach to wellness seems purpose-
built for pandemic times: Rooms with
outdoor showers, takeaway service
from the Nobu restaurant, and open-air
spa treatments make it easy to follow
Covid guidelines without sacrificing an
ounce of luxury.HALEPUNA WAIKIKI
Last year, every major travel magazine
called this Champalimaud-designed
urban oasis—the little sibling of the
famous Halekulani resort—the best
hotel in Hawaii, even though it had
opened only a few months before the
pandemic took hold. When it comes
back in April, the Honolulu property
will defend that reputation by blocking
off alternating rooms to prevent
crowding, keeping them unoccupied
for 24 hours between guests, and
offering facials and massages in the
comfort of your own suite.1 HOTEL HANALEI BAY
Planning a trip further off in the
future? By this time next year, the
beloved Princeville resort will be
reborn on Kauai island under the
eco- luxury 1 Hotels brand. Its most
famous perk—the knockout sunset
views overlooking Hanalei Bay and the
Na Pali coast—will remain unchanged.
But newcomers will find beefed-up
amenities like a sprawling spa and five
restaurants supplied by an on-site
garden, in addition to new spaces
where guests can learn about how
social justice and environmentalism
intersect. �Nikki EksteinPoolside at Mauna Lani