As part of a community-based tourism plan, the Hawaii Tourism Authority has published an action plan to manage tourism in what is known as the Maui Nui which includes the islands of Maui, Molokai, and Lanai.
The Hawaii Tourism Authority (HTA) has published the 2021-2023 Maui Nui Destination Management Action Plan (DMAP). It is part of HTA’s strategic vision and continuing efforts to manage tourism in a responsible and regenerative manner. It was developed by the residents of Maui, Molokai and Lanai, and in partnership with the County of Maui and Maui Visitors and Convention Bureau (MVCB). The DMAP serves as a guide to rebuild, redefine and reset the direction of tourism on the three islands that make up Maui Nui. It identifies areas of need as well as solutions for enhancing the residents’ quality of life and improving the visitor experience.
“All credit goes to the people of Lanai, Molokai and Maui who committed themselves to the DMAP process and were willing to face tough issues, embrace diverse viewpoints, explore new ideas and identify actionable priorities. The DMAP process provides a collaborative framework within which participants are inspired to ‘malama’ – to care for, nurture and protect the places and traditions they cherish most,” said John De Fries, HTA’s president and CEO.
The community-based plan focuses on key actions that the community, visitor industry and other sectors deem necessary over a three-year period. The foundation of the Maui DMAP is based on HTA’s 2020-2025 Strategic Plan. The actions are based on the four interacting pillars of HTA’s Strategic Plan – Natural Resources, Hawaiian Culture, Community and Brand Marketing.
Maui
Molokai
Lanai
These actions were developed by the Maui, Molokai, and Lanai steering committees, comprised of residents representing the communities they live in, as well as the visitor industry, different business sectors, and nonprofit organizations, with community input. Representatives from the County of Maui, HTA, and MVCB also provided input throughout the process.
“The hidden gift of COVID-19 is that it gave everyone in Hawaii the opportunity to pause and reevaluate the important role of our hospitality industry. By working with environmental partners, cultural experts, and other aligned stakeholders, the steering committees of Maui, Lanai and Molokai were able to incorporate special considerations for their island communities. I look forward to working with the Maui Nui Destination Management Action Plan steering committees and the Hawaii Tourism Authority to support their commitment to accomplish the action items in this plan,” said Maui County Mayor Michael Victorino.
The Maui Nui DMAP process started in July 2020 and continued with a series of virtual steering committee meetings, as well as three virtual community meetings in October and November.
“The timing of the Maui Nui DMAP is more than serendipitous. As devastating as COVID-19 has been to our community and economy, it gave us the needed ‘pause’ to truly look at ways to bring back tourism in a more thoughtful, managed way. Maui County stakeholders and community members put a lot of thought and dialogue into this plan and creation of actionable items. I am proud of the plan we have put together and look forward to the continued work as we move into the action phase,” said Lisa Paulson, community liaison for the Maui County mayor’s office.
The members of the Maui steering committee are:
“I am grateful to have been given the opportunity to contribute ideas about protecting Maui’s nearshore ocean water quality, coral reefs and marine wildlife for the Maui Nui Destination Management Action Plan. Thank you HTA for convening this collaborative project and keeping it productive and inclusive, even though we couldn’t meet together in person due to COVID-19,” said Anne Rillero, communications, community outreach, and development manager for the Maui Nui Marine Resource Council and Maui steering committee member.
The members of the Molokai steering committee are:
“Through the remarkable partnerships and pivoting of our strategies in the development of the 2021-2023 Maui Nui DMAP, we’re confident that moving forward our community and industry partners will see a strong recovery. Through these next three years, MVCB looks forward to working with the Maui Nui community to redefine and reset the direction of tourism, and rebuild our economy,” said Sherry Duong, executive director of the Maui Visitors and Convention Bureau and member of the Maui, Molokai, and Lanai steering committees.
The members of the Lanai steering committee are:
“As a small-business owner on Lanai for 19 years, I was humbled and honored to play a role in helping to shape a plan that seeks to malama the island and responsibly promote tourism,” said Kathy Carroll, owner of Mike Carroll Gallery and Lanai steering committee member.
The Maui Nui DMAP is available on HTA’s website:
www.hawaiitourismauthority.org/media/6860/hta-maui-action-plan.pdf
The Hawaii Island DMAP is being finalized for public distribution, and Oahu’s DMAP process is expected to start this month. The Kauai DMAP was published in early February and is available on HTA’s website: https://www.hawaiitourismauthority.org/media/6487/hta-kauai-dmap.pdf
To learn more about HTA’s Community-Based Tourism program and to follow the progress of the DMAPs visit: www.hawaiitourismauthority.org/what-we-do/hta-programs/community-based-tourism/
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