Tourism in Hawaii

Hawaii is a beautiful group of islands in the Pacific Ocean and is part of the U.S. state. The main islands where many people visit are Hawaii, Oʻahu, Maui, and Kauaʻi. These islands are known for their warm weather, stunning beaches, and rich culture, making them very popular with visitors.

In recent years, many people have come to enjoy the beauty and charm of Hawaii. Many visitors like to come during the summer and on holidays, especially to escape cold weather elsewhere.

People from many countries visit Hawaii, but many visitors come from Japan. This is because of strong ties between Japan and the United States, and because it is not too far to travel.

History of travel to Hawaii

Hawaii was first populated between 1000 and 1200 AD by people of Polynesian origin. Western contact began due to exploration during the European Enlightenment and continued with Protestant ministers from New England in the early 19th century.

16th century

According to Hawaiian tradition, a vessel wrecked near Keʻei close to Kealakekua Bay in the 1560s with only two survivors: the captain and his sister. They married into the native population, and their descendants became important leaders.

18th century

The first recorded Western visitor to Hawaii was Captain James Cook on his final voyage in the Pacific. Cook’s ships first saw Niʻihau and Kauai in 1778. During this first visit, the locals showed respect to the visitors, and both sides traded goods. Cook later returned to Hawaii, and they anchored in Kealakekua Bay in 1779.

19th century

Prominent travelers to Hawaii in the 19th century included journalist Isabella Bird, as well as American and British authors. Tourist visits stayed around 2,000 per year from 1872 to 1898. American writers like Mark Twain traveled to Hawaii as a journalist in 1866, and Herman Melville deserted from his whaler in 1843. British writer Robert Louis Stevenson also visited and later wrote In the South Seas based on his time there.

Regular steamship service to Hawaii began in 1870 with the North Pacific Transportation Company of Australia. The Oceanic Steamship Company was created in 1881 to run a steamship line between San Francisco and Hawaii. This helped increase tourism.

20th century

In 1907, Jack London and his wife sailed to Hawaii, learning to surf and traveling to Haleakalā and Hana. By 1929, 22,000 tourists visited Hawaii, and the number exceeded 1 million for the first time in 1967.

Marine service

The second SS Lurline, completed in 1908, was the first steamship built specifically for passengers as well as cargo. Matson added Wilhelmina, which began its journey from San Francisco to Honolulu in February 1910.

By 1913, Matson was building more passenger ships for the Honolulu route. Direct service from Hawaii to Los Angeles started in October 1914 with Manoa. Another Matson ship, Maui, was launched in 1916. However, World War I interrupted Matson’s Hawaiian routes. After the war, tourist travel grew. Matson opened its headquarters in 1924 and introduced the SS Malolo in 1927. Despite a collision during sea trials, tourist numbers jumped from 17,500 in 1927 to 22,000 in 1929 until the Great Depression began.

Matson built three sister ships to Malolo, completed in 1932: Mariposa, Monterey, and a new Lurline. After Lurline completed her long maiden voyage in early 1933, Matson started regular service between Honolulu and other places. By 1941, tourism had recovered to pre-Depression levels.

Lurline was traveling from Honolulu to San Francisco when the attack on Pearl Harbor happened; she returned quickly to San Francisco. The United States entering World War II led the government to take Matson’s ships as troopships. After the war, Matsonia was the first to return to passenger service in May 1946. Lurline returned in April 1948 after a major rebuild.

Air service

The United States Navy tried the first nonstop flight to Hawaii from mainland America in 1925 using seaplanes, but faced difficulties. They succeeded in 1927 when Lieutenants Lester Maitland and Albert Hegenberger completed the first successful nonstop flight to Hawaii.

The first commercial passenger flight to Hawaii started on October 21, 1936, operated by Pan American Airways. After World War II, other airlines like United Airlines and Northwest Airlines began service to Honolulu.

21st century

After the September 11 attacks, tourism in Hawaii dropped. Although tourism increased in 2006 and 2007, it declined again due to economic problems.

In 2007, Japanese tourists used to spend more than American tourists, but this changed with economic issues in Japan. Now, tourists from South Korea and China are visiting more.

By 2014, a record 8.3 million visitors arrived in Hawaii. This increased to 9.4 million visitors in 2017.

Impacts of tourism in Hawaii

As Hawaii grew from a kingdom to a state, its jobs changed a lot. In the past, farming, like growing pineapples, was very important. But when flights to Hawaii started, more visitors came. This made tourism very important for Hawaii's money and jobs. Even though this brought growth, it can be risky if fuel prices go up or if there are big money problems everywhere.

Tourism has created many jobs in Hawaii. It brought in a lot of money for the islands. Big hotels and airlines benefit the most from this.

Tourism can also affect the environment. Many hotels are near beaches, but they use a lot of water. This can cause problems, especially where it doesn't rain much. Building many hotels changes the land and can hurt plants and animals. Some places that used to be homes for birds and wildlife are lost when buildings are built. When many people visit beaches and go snorkeling, they can accidentally hurt plants, animals, and coral reefs.

Hawaii uses a lot of energy, and many hotels and cars need power. Hawaii wants to use more clean energy in the future.

Finally, tourism can change how people live. Some local people feel that their culture is shown in ways that aren't true, and they worry about losing their land and jobs to tourism. Others see tourism as important for the state's money, even though it can bring some problems.