Gathering Place: Tourists

If I may comment on my own article, herewith, a few responses to the above, I received:

Thank you for sharing such an inspirational and truthful letter of facts
with us.  Your letter should have been featured on the front page. The
Advertiser should publish yours.  Your letter has set in deeply and in a sense brings tears to my eyes and
rips through my gut because it brings back so many fond memories which we so
dearly loved.  You mention Santa Barbara and you are so true.  Wow, you are a letter writer.  You should consider applying for Johnson's position and hopefully they will replace him but question whether than will
happen.

Our locals have been "forgotten" and we are an example of that because we
haven't been to Waikiki in years. My wife and I never dreamed that we would
ever want to leave Hawaii but as you put it; Hawaii isn't Hawaii anymore.

Our mahalos to you for such a meaniful letter.  I want to share your letter
with others and to some of our political friends.  OHA should use your
letter.

What a great article.  And how true it is.  We really noticed a difference on our visit to Oahu this past February.  We could hardly believe Waikiki. It was such a fun place to visit when we were there with the family 10+ years ago.  The best part about Oahu this trip was getting to spend some time with both of you, but it didn't take us long to realize that spending alot of time on Oahu wasn't our idea of a vacation spot. 

It seems to me that these are the times for the Hotel Industry to extend "deals" to encourage our islanders to stay in the hotels!
It's sad, but they've taken the romance & nostalgia of Hawaii out of Hawaii....
 

Thank you for sharing this article.  There's so mamy people (silent
majority) who agree with his comments. 

http://www.eturbonews.com/2597/hawaii-tourism...

http://www.eturbonews.com/2597/hawaii-tourism...

Kimo - I could not agree more! So many places do this--tear down local culture and then expect people to pay big bucks to "vacation" in a place that is just like where they came from. This is especially sad in Hawaii. I do not think that Waikiki is ruined, but it definitely needs to be much more careful about crushing the aloha and stripping out Old Hawaii. If you want people to vist Hawaii, it must be Hawaii, not Cleveland.

I couldn't agree more!

Many fond memories of Hawaii.
Lived there for 2 years in the mid 80s and traveled there many times up until the mid 90s.

Yeah. I know. Might as well go to Cancun. A place I avoid as well.
For me culture is everything.

I go to the Cooks now....Or Rio.

I am from North Dakota but I am nto sure that cultural assets brought me here.

Too much greed in the islands, we can't bring back "old Hawaii." The politicians and land developers want the big bucks, not the kama 'aina lifestyle. They syphon the money out of the land and invest their earnings in multi million dollar homes on Maui or Kauai. Beachwalk is a disater, in what was a great part of the old Waikiki. Now it's destroyed. Thankfully, we still have our beautiful beaches. I'mua ohana!!!!!!!!

It's all about money!!!!!!!!

Well said Kimo.

dudealohajoe wrote:

<quoted text>
If I lived in Tulsa, I'd travel as much as possible too.

Don't have to live in Tulsa to travel. Just read books,watch a movie, the Travel,Discovery,History Channel to get me to plan and grab my carry-on.

Just read that Hydropolis will be completed next year........

It is cheaper to live here though.

totally agree with the author Mr. St. James in this article. Hawaii's leaders are short sighted.

OMG!

Well you can start by getting rid of the politicians who run the state of Hawaii that's turned it into a welfare state! Where homeless has gotten worse all over ala park and the native Hawaiians that are homeless all over Makaha Beach! That the Democrats who run the place do a good job of hiding and treat like 3rd class citizens. Deportation of all the over stay and illegal aliens that live on the island that's sucked up it's resources (Samoan, Tongans, Marshall etc.). Oh, did I mention I was Samoan myself? I am, and if you run your state like a welfare state... this is what you get for your results... more homeless, restrictions on businesses to expand your market to bring in more tourist and more taxes to charge the citizens of the state to pay for a campaign on bringing tourism to the island??? The market corrects itself by the consumers... not more taxes to run a tourism campaign?!?! The market already illustrates that by the consumer going else where for their vacation destination... and if Hawaii wants to draw them back...? The market(companies) will make arrangements to draw them. Do I need to say more...?

waikiki needed a facelift and still does. we cannot get away with trash and out dated shops everywhere. i will pray for out future

alice wrote:

waikiki needed a facelift and still does. we cannot get away with trash and out dated shops everywhere. i will pray for out future

We?

Tourism and the promotion of tourism is now the problem, not the solution. The promotion of tourism has made Oahu an overcrowded metropolitan nightmare. Tourism is a disease that must grow until it's host dies.

alice, your comment is patently absurd and nonsensicaL. By your logic, buildings should be torn down every three years, and brand new businesses and the absolute latest design and architectural fads and trends represented in the facades. then destroyed again. cuz it is all trash and is out dated. sheesh. don't mix yer meds!

Rex Johnson is just going to use the funding for his porn sights!!!!!!!!

taro should be planted in rows of a thousand around waikiki. people will return to the island in the masses.
the expensive stores up and down waikiki offfer nothign of true hawaii. sears has everything a poor uh student needs..giggle

the sea of cars and slums is enough to send any vistor running.

We need you to run with them!