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Shot on Oahu: Visitors Aloha Society of Hawaii helps tourist to return to California

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A Hawaii Vacation was cut short for a 34-year-old visitor from California. She was visiting  Oahu’s Northshore and was shot while driving on Kamehameha Highway at Kamananui Road close to the Dole Plantation just before 6 am.

The tourist was driving a rental car and was taken to Wahiawa General Hospital but stable. She was later on released from the hospital and remained in a state of shock.The woman was with her husband, who was uninjured in the shooting

With the help of the Hawaii Visitors Aloha Society of Hawaii, the couple was put on a flight back to California, cutting their vacation short.

The shooter appeared to have killed himself. Police did not release any details on the incident.

Not all the info on this story is out, as to how and what started this.

Just last week Susan Ballard, Chief of the Honolulu Police Department said Hawaii is safe for visitors.

 

 

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Number of Hawaii visitors up but spending down

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Visitors to the Hawaiian Islands spent a total of $1.39 billion in February 2019, a decrease of 2.7 percent compared to February 20181, according to preliminary statistics released today by the Hawaii Tourism Authority. This is another dip following the 3.8 decrease in January.

In February, visitor spending increased from the U.S. West (+4.7% to $503.3 million) but declined from U.S. East (-6.7% to $370.9 million), Japan (-0.8% to $170.1 million), Canada (-0.7% to $150.7 million) and All Other International Markets (-15.3% to $188.7 million) compared to a year ago.

On a statewide level, average daily visitor spending was down slightly (-0.9% to $200 per person) in February year-over-year. Visitors from Japan (+3.3%), U.S. West (+1.2%) and All Other International Markets (+0.7%) spent more per day while visitors from U.S. East (-4.1%) and Canada (-1.0%) spent less.

A total of 782,584 visitors (+0.5%) came to Hawaii in February 2019, up slightly from the same month last year. Arrivals by air service (+0.3% to 766,293) were comparable to last February while arrivals by cruise ships (+12.1% to 16,291) increased. However, total visitor days2 declined (-1.9%) versus February 2018 due to a shorter average length of stay by visitors from most markets.

The average daily census3 of total visitors in the Hawaiian Islands on any given day in February was 248,244, down 1.9 percent compared to February last year. Arrivals by air service realized growth from U.S. West (+6.5%), Canada (+2.5%) and Japan (+1.1%) which offset decreases from U.S. East (-0.9%) and All Other International Markets (-17.2%).

Visitor spending on Oahu decreased (-1.6% to $613.0 million) while visitor arrivals (456,820) were flat compared to last February. Maui recorded increases in both visitor spending (+1.2% to $413.0 million) and visitor arrivals (+1.5% to 220,801). The island of Hawaii saw declines in visitor spending (-17.5% to $192.3 million) and visitor arrivals (-14.8% to 137,502). Visitor spending increased on Kauai (+4.7% to $153.5 million) while visitor arrivals were similar (+0.2% to 104,167) to February 2018.

A total of 1,010,961 trans-Pacific air seats serviced the Hawaiian Islands in February, up slightly (+0.5%) from a year ago. Growth in air seats from Canada (+10.9%), Japan (+6.3%), Oceania (+1.8%), U.S. West (+0.5%) and U.S. East (+0.5%) offset declines from Other Asia Markets (-25.1%).

Year-to-Date 2019

Through the first two months of 2019, visitor spending declined (-2.4% to $3.01 billion) compared to the same period last year. Visitor arrivals increased (+1.8% to 1,603,205) but a shorter length of stay (-1.8% to 9.43 days) resulted in no growth in visitor days. Average daily spending (-2.4% to $199 per person) was lower compared to a year ago.

Visitor spending decreased from U.S. West (-0.8% to $1.06 billion), U.S. East (-1.8% to $832.5 million), Japan (-3.8% to $349.6 million), Canada (-0.4% to $318.3 million) and All Other International markets (-7.5% to $443.2 million).

Visitor arrivals increased from U.S. West (+5.5% to 631,064), U.S. East (+0.7% to 356,943), Japan (+3.3% to 251,488) and Canada (+0.7% to 133,915), but declined from All Other International Markets (-7.9% to 201,981).

Other Highlights:

U.S. West: Visitor arrivals from the Pacific region rose 7.6 percent in February compared to the previous year, with more visitors from Alaska (+13.7%), California (+8.4%), Washington (+6.7%) and Oregon (+2.9%). Arrivals from the Mountain region were up 3.2 percent in February with growth from Arizona (+9.5%) and Nevada (+8.5%), offsetting declines from Utah (-5.7%) and Colorado (-1.3%). Through the first two months, arrivals from the Pacific (+7.4%) and Mountain (+1.8%) regions increased versus the same period last year.

Through February 2019, average daily visitor spending dropped to $182 per person (-2.4%) compared to the same period last year, largely due to decreases in transportation and food and beverage expenses.

U.S. East: Growth in February visitor arrivals from the East South Central (+1.6%) and East North Central (+0.6%) regions were offset by decreases from the West South Central (-4.1%), South Atlantic (-4.0%), New England (-2.4%) and Mid Atlantic (-0.7%) regions compared to a year ago. For the first two months of 2019, arrivals were up from the East South Central (+7.2%), West North Central (+2.6%) and South Atlantic (+0.7%) regions.

For the first two months of 2019, average daily visitor spending declined to $214 per person (-1.4%), largely due to a decline in transportation expenses.

Japan: In February, more visitors stayed in hotels (+5.2%) while stays in condominiums (-16.1%) and timeshares (-7.6%) decreased compared to a year ago.

For the first two months of 2019, average daily visitor spending declined to $238 per person (-4.4%), primarily due to lower lodging and transportation expenses.

Canada: In February, less visitors stayed in condominiums (-7.3%) and hotels (-1.6%). Stays in rental homes (+23.7%) and timeshares (+4.4%) increased from a year ago.

For the first two months of 2019, average daily visitor spending decreased (–0.7% to $177 per person) compared to the same period last year, due to lower shopping as well as entertainment and recreation expenses.

MCI: A total of 57,043 visitors came to the Hawaiian Islands for meetings, conventions and incentives (MCI) in February, an increase of 10.4 percent from last year. More visitors came to attend conventions (+18.6%) and corporate meetings (+2.2%) but fewer traveled on incentive trips (-1.0%). Contributing to the growth in convention visitors was the 2019 International Stroke Conference, held at the Hawaii Convention Center, which brought nearly 6,000 delegates. Through the first two months, total MCI visitors grew (+10.5% to 116,310) compared to the same period last year.

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Aloha is not “Aloooooha”: Stop visitors from offending Hawaiians

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Do not say ALOHA or better ALOOOOOHA when visiting Hawaii.

“Those of you particularly in the tourist industry and in entertainment, stop saying “ALOOOOOOOHA”.  There is no such word and as the Hawaiian Queen said herself, they have stolen the country, and now they want to redo our language. Stop it. Just stop, It’s Aloha, not Alooooooha.”, said Adam Keawe Manalo- Camp, a native Hawaiian resident on Oahu.

Hawaii visitors and the travel and tourism industry together with the entertainment world is making Hawaiians very angry. Hawaiians think the largest industry in the State of Hawaii misusing the word “Alooooha” is disrespecting them and their rich ancient culture.

The Hawaii Tourism Authority should better educate stakeholders and visitors on cultural concerns native Hawaiian people raise. HTA must put an increased effort in on managing tourism and not just look at increasing arrival numbers. Increasing arrival numbers may not be a good indicator for a healthy tourism industry anymore.

With mass tourism and thousands of visitors arriving and leaving the US Pacific State every single day, it appears a boiling point is on the horizon. There may be is an urgent and immediate need to keep this industry safe and profitable. The largest industry in the State of Hawaii is seen as a business of invasion and disrespect by many.

Are you planning to travel to Hawaii? Are you operating a tourist attraction in the “Aloha State?” Overtourism comes with great concerns, and a massive number of people on Waikiki’s sidewalks, restaurants, hotels, and shopping malls, and beaches are a good indication there is a limit to tourism.  Has this limit been reached? Native Hawaiians are even more concerned. They are worried the travel and tourism industry is overwriting their rich Hawaiian Culture. For them shouting out “Alooooha” is a good indication.

A recent discussion on the eTurboNews Publishers Facebook points out such concerns.

Derek Hiapo told eTN: “To use the HAWAIIAN word “ALOHA” I need to make something VERY CLEAR!!  HAWAIIANS AND THE USE OF OUR LANGUAGE have been taken over by people who have NEVER known the true meaning of the word. For us kanaka maoli, we have had EVERYTHING stolen from us by people who are intent on raping us of EVERYTHING WE HAVE!!! The meaning of aloha cannot be lived or practiced, when what people have learned about the word “aloha” was taught to them at the usual tourist luau with someone onstage screaming the word and giving some halfwitted story about what that word means.

THERE’S WAY MORE MEANING TO THE WORD ALOHA AND THE PRACTICE OF LIVING ALOHA!!! You ask where is the aloha?? Being chased off of, and away from, it’s native homeland!! Where is the aloha?? In the bank accounts and pockets of all who’ve come to Hawaii to make their money at the cost of us kanaka maoli!! Where is the aloha?? In the twisted history being taught to the world that says that Hawaii was “saved” by America and not being told the TRUTH behind the theft of our internationally recognized sovereign kingdom. People want us to show ALOHA, but all we’ve been shown is disrespect, poverty, death, and the bastardization of our culture for the benefit of the illegal foreign occupier.”

Adam added this story:

“A long time ago, there lived a Hawaiian family. They worked the land for generations. Then one day there appeared a stranger. He was a haole guy (caucasion guy) who got lost and stumbled upon the Hawaiian family.

They told him where to go back but they invited him to stay with them as he seemed to have a cold. He lived with them for a week and they took care of his needs. He eventually left.
Then soon afterward, the family got sick and only the mother was left. The man returned and brought his Japanese friend. They stayed in the Hawaiian family’s house. The Hawaiian mother took care of them as she was still in mourning. The haole guy and the Japanese guy decided that it would be great if others could experience her hospitality and “the culture”.

They devised plans and started a tour business. When the Hawaiian woman began to complain as she now was being forced to work under them in her own land, they asked her, “Where was your Aloha Spirit? Don’t be such an angry Kanaka” She then began to be quiet. Then more of her time and food was being given to the strangers. She then complained again.

This time the haole guy said “Okay let’s be fair and democratic about this. Let’s vote. ” The haole and Japanese guys voted to keep the Hawaiian woman as their employee while taking over her family’s lands. And that, in a nutshell, is what is happening in Hawai’i.”

Aloha is not only a magical word for Hawaii but was stolen further by destinations like Hainan, China. The Chinese destination is fully banking and integrating on the magic this word had for many and is further offending native people in Hawaii.

The overthrow of the Kingdom of Hawaii began on January 17, 1893, with a coup d’état against Queen Liliʻuokalani on the island of Oahu by subjects of the Kingdom of Hawaii, United States citizens, and foreign residents residing in Honolulu.

Read what the Queen said in 1907:

The Hawaiian Queen comment on the word ALOOOOHA

Wikipedia posted: Liliʻuokalani was born on September 2, 1838, in Honolulu, on the island of Oʻahu. While her natural parents were Analea Keohokālole and Caesar Kapaʻakea, she was hānai (informally adopted) at birth by Abner Pākī and Laura Kōnia and raised with their daughter Bernice Pauahi Bishop. Baptized as a Christian and educated at the Royal School, she and her siblings and cousins were proclaimed eligible for the throne by King Kamehameha III. She was married to American-born John Owen Dominis, who later became the Governor of Oʻahu. The couple had no biological children but adopted several. After the accession of her brother David Kalākaua to the throne in 1874, she and her siblings were given Western style titles of Prince and Princess. In 1877, after her younger brother Leleiohoku II’s death, she was proclaimed as heir apparent to the throne. During the Golden Jubilee of Queen Victoria, she represented her brother as an official envoy to the United Kingdom.

Liliʻuokalani ascended to the throne on January 29, 1891, nine days after her brother’s death. During her reign, she attempted to draft a new constitution which would restore the power of the monarchy and the voting rights of the economically disenfranchised. Threatened by her attempts to abrogate the Bayonet Constitution, pro-American elements in Hawaiʻi overthrew the monarchy on January 17, 1893. The overthrow was bolstered by the landing of US Marines under John L. Stevens to protect American interests, which rendered the monarchy unable to protect itself.

The coup d’état established the Republic of Hawaiʻi, but the ultimate goal was the annexation of the islands to the United States, which was temporarily blocked by President Grover Cleveland. After an unsuccessful uprising to restore the monarchy, the oligarchical government placed the former queen under house arrest at the ʻIolani Palace. On January 24, 1895, Liliʻuokalani was forced to abdicate the Hawaiian throne, officially ending the deposed monarchy. Attempts were made to restore the monarchy and oppose annexation, but with the outbreak of the Spanish–American War, the United States annexed Hawaiʻi. Living out the remainder of her later life as a private citizen, Liliʻuokalani died at her residence, Washington Place, in Honolulu on November 11, 1917.

It appears the problem of overtourism and local culture is not unique to Hawaii.
Barcelona also thinks Tourism is an invasion, but ETOA doesn’t want tourists to go home yet 

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