HTA Publishes Community-Based Tourism Management Plan for Oahu

HTA News Release (21-31) August 31, 2021

HONOLULU – The Hawaii Tourism Authority (HTA) has published the 2021-2024 Oahu Destination Management Action Plan (DMAP), a guide to rebuild, redefine and reset the direction of tourism on Oahu. The community-based plan is part of HTA’s work toward Malama Kuu Home (caring for my beloved home) and its accelerated efforts underway to manage tourism in a regenerative manner.

Developed by the residents of Oahu, and in partnership with the City and County of Honolulu and the Oahu Visitors Bureau (OVB), the Oahu DMAP identifies areas of need as well as solutions for enhancing the residents’ quality of life and improving the visitor experience. Community feedback was gathered during two virtual presentations as well as an online input form.  

“We appreciate the Oahu residents who participated in the DMAP process and passionately contributed their diverse viewpoints, discussed various tourism-related challenges in their neighborhoods and helped set forth an actionable plan that is necessary for the community’s well-being,” said John De Fries, HTA president and CEO. “It’s about continued collaboration and moving forward together to malama this cherished place and each other, as desired by the people of Oahu.”

The DMAP focuses on key actions that the community, visitor industry and other sectors deem necessary over a three-year period. The foundation of the Oahu DMAP is based on HTA’s 2020-2025 Strategic Plan, and the actions are based on the four interacting pillars – Natural Resources, Hawaiian Culture, Community and Brand Marketing.

“Oahu is a special place and stands out from anywhere else in the world thanks to its natural beauty and its remarkable people. By working together as a community to care for our resources, we create an environment where our culture, our land and water, our economy, and our relationships can thrive,” said Mayor Rick Blangiardi. 

He continued, “In working with the Hawaii Tourism Authority on Oahu’s Destination Management Action Plan, the City and County of Honolulu will focus on three community-based priorities: Protect our most popular sites and manage the experience for everyone who visits them, limit short-term rentals to resort zoned areas, and increase the use of sustainable visitor-related transportation options.”

The following actions were developed by the Oahu steering committee, comprised of residents representing the communities they live in, as well as the visitor industry, different business sectors, and nonprofit organizations, with community input.

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