Maui's Conde Nast recognition as "World's Best Island." conscious decision to avoid mass tourism and to encourage a superior visitor experience based on fewer tourists who would each spend more dollars for their quality vacation. Mass tourism is not what Maui is about, nor should it be in the future.
Maui Island Plan would support the visitor industry
By DICK MAYER** -- Viewpoint / letters to the editor
reprinted courtesy Maui News 11/16/09
The Nov. 8 Maui News editorial flip-flops on the editorial position it took on Sept. 20 regarding the Maui Island Plan and our visitor industry. This most recent editorial claims that the Maui Island Plan is hostile to the visitor industry. This is wrong.
Historically, the Maui General Plan has had been much more restrictive on the role of tourism. Our present adopted General Plan has a very strong statement as one of its five major themes, "Protect Maui County's Shoreline and Limit Visitor Industry Growth." It adds numerous mechanisms to control that growth. For example, "Encourage enhancement of existing visitor facilities, without substantial increase in room count." The proposed Maui Island Plan is far more supportive of the industry.
The General Plan Advisory Committee recognized the important role of our visitor industry but was concerned by Maui's increasing overdependence on that one industry at a time when plantation agriculture is rapidly decreasing. There were two other concerns: a much larger visitor industry might negatively affect the quality of life of our residents, and this valuable industry potentially could damage its own product if allowed to grow uncontrollably. After all, we do not want to kill the goose that is laying all of our golden eggs.
The Nov. 8 Maui News editorial says that we should allow the industry to get bigger, just as long as there is a demand by visitors who want to vacation here. That would be planning for outsiders, and not balanced to the needs of residents. The GPAC tried to protect existing jobs, our quality of life and the natural environment that supports both the visitor industry and our residents.
Many years ago, our county made a conscious decision to avoid mass tourism and to encourage a superior visitor experience based on fewer tourists who would each spend more dollars for their quality vacation. The result has been Maui's repetitive Conde Nast recognition as "World's Best Island." Mass tourism is not what Maui is about, nor should it be in the future.
There is a benefit to our residents in the balanced approach recommended by the GPAC. We restrict most of the tourist facilities to selected areas (Wailea, Kaanapali, Kapalua, Makena) and thereby reduce the impact on the homes and communities of residents. This also protects our environment and helps ensure that visitors will continue to return.
The Maui Island Plan does much more than regulate tourist locations. It seeks to broaden the types of tourism so that we are less dependent on a single visitor market. Here are a few of the actual statements that the GPAC recommended:
* Support programs and strategies to create stronger linkages between the visitor industry and island businesses.
* Diversify the tourism industry by supporting appropriate niche activities including ecotourism, cultural tourism, voluntourism, ag-tourism, health and wellness tourism, educational tourism, medical tourism and other viable tourism-related businesses in appropriate locations.
* Ensure that small, locally owned inns or retreat centers are compatible with the character of surrounding communities.
* Discourage the conversion of the island's housing stock to transient vacation rental use.
* Allow bed-and-breakfast establishments that do not interfere with surrounding neighborhoods.
Furthermore, the plan tries hard to diversify our economy and thus reduce our overdependence on tourism. This is not hostility to the visitor industry but sound and balanced economic planning. Here are some of the recommended policies:
* Support the continued expansion of the Maui Research and Technology Park in Kihei as a locus for research and development and education.
* Require, where feasible, the government procurement of goods and services from locally owned, small businesses.
* Develop incentive packages for the film, media and creative industries that would allow a greater number of productions and local equipment providers to be more competitive.
Just as The Maui News editorial concludes with a warning not to overregulate this "clean industry," the Maui Island Plan takes this admonition seriously by making sure that our visitor industry remains healthy, wealthy and wise.
** Dick Mayer is a retired Maui Community College professor. He is the vice chairman of the Maui General Plan Advisory Committee but this Viewpoint reflects his personal perspective.
reprinted courtesy Maui News 11/16/09, original link www mauinews.com/page/content.detail/id/525820.html?nav=18&showlayout=0
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