Proposed Environmental Solutions
One potential solution to help reduce environmental damages is by limiting the number of visitors in fragile ecosystems like hiking trails, beaches, and coral reefs. It could be implementing reservation systems or daily visitor caps at popular sites can help reduce overcrowding and protect ecosystems from excessive human impact. Another solution would be to that tourists can help protect Maui’s ecosystems by following environmentally responsibility behaviors. This can be using reef-safe sunscreen, properly disposing trash, avoid touching corals, and following local conservation guidelines. Education programs and signs at beaches and parks can also help visitors understand how their actions can affect the environment.
Engagement Question: What responsibilities do tourists have when visiting environmentally sensitive areas in Maui?
Proposed Socio-Cultural Solutions
Two potential solutions to the adverse socio-cultural impacts of tourism in Maui, specifically those resulting in the commodification and commercialization of cultural practices like language and dance, and the displacement of local residents, include education and improved government policy making.
In order to reduce the damage to cultural practices that occurs with the efforts for commercialization and marketability of these practices in the tourism industry, an effort should be made towards the education of tourists on the authentic meanings of these practices. This can be done through the intermediaries of the tourism industry like travel agents who can educate potential tourists of the sacred purposes of certain traditions (like hula kahiko), as well as on the importance of supporting native-led cultural-based tourism, which supports native and local livelihoods as well as the authenticity of their traditions.
Through the implementation of certain government policies like those that might require employee housing projects for new resorts and hotels, residents could also be protected from displacement when tourism infrastructures are implemented as well have access to these jobs and shorter commutes.
Engagement Question: What might be a solution to the congestion and traffic that is caused by tourists? Is there one?
Proposed Economic Solutions
To make affordable housing more equitable and accessible to resort workers, zoning could be changed to allow affordable housing to be built near resorts. Affordable housing is often not built near resorts in order to make the area seem more upscale for tourists, but this practice brings long commutes and high transportation costs for those who work in the resort industry. Zoning for affordable housing would make transportation more affordable and open these jobs up to people with limited transportation options.
Another fairly simple solution is to raise the minimum wage to meet the cost of living on the island. The current cost of living far exceeds the minimum wage, and a wage increase would help make life on the island affordable for those that work there.
Engagement Question: How can the resort industry avoid making housing unaffordable, thereby displacing its own workers?