Hawaii Tourism Authority

How might we address the concentration of visitors at popular places to sustain Hawaii’s natural resources and facilitate compelling experiences for both visitors and residents?

Challenge Brief

The number of visitors coming to Hawaii keeps climbing and sustained growth of the tourism industry is crucial for our local communities. However, many popular sites are facing congestion and overcrowding, which affects the experiences our visitors and residents have at these sites. Additionally, visitors are frequenting places that are not prepared for tourism.

The solution may not be to cap the number of visitors, but rather guide them in a shared responsibility towards achieving a balance that serves the needs of local communities, infrastructure, sustainability and cultural preservation. Consider the case of the transformation World War II Valor in the Pacific. Once plagued by long lines, and no clear idea of wait times, entry requirements, parking, and accessible consumer venues, it now operates effectively as one of the leading visitor attractions. Still many other places are experiencing change due to high visitor traffic – from Diamond Head, Hanauma Bay, Manoa Falls, Koko Head Crater to Kailua.

How might we improve the issue at highly popular places? How can technology help to manage sustainable growth? How can visitors contribute to the sites positively? How can we redistribute tourism flows?

Share your innovative ideas to contribute to our local communities, compelling visitor experiences and the sustainability goals of Hawaii outlined in the Aloha+ challenge.

Collaboration Incentive

– The team with the best solution is invited to join a paid travel2change activity to experience tourism that creates a positive impact for local communities.

– To members of the team are invited to join the EEx Town Square summit by Elemental Excelerator.

– Sultan Ventures provides a co-working space in downtown Honolulu for 1 month for the winning team.

– The best team gets a $1,000 credit for any of the XLR8HI Entrepreneurial Workshops provided by XLR8HI