HR 45: urging the executive branch to advance efforts to emerge as a global leader in sustainable tourism that preserves and restores cultural and natural resources, enhances resident quality of life, and ensures high-quality visitor experiences.

HOUSE RESOLUTION

urging the executive branch to advance efforts to emerge as a global leader in sustainable tourism that preserves and restores cultural and natural resources, enhances resident quality of life, and ensures high-quality visitor experiences.

     WHEREAS, UN Tourism defines "sustainable tourism" as "tourism that takes full account of its current and future economic, social, and environmental impacts, addressing the needs of visitors, the industry, and the environment and host communities"; and

     WHEREAS, unsustainable tourism degrades cultural and natural resources and forces residents to compete with tourists for the same space, resources, and infrastructure; and

     WHEREAS, tourists desire to engage in sustainable tourism practices and are willing to pay additional fees to do so in Hawaii; and

     WHEREAS, the Hawaii 2050 Sustainability Plan states that one of its primary focuses is to promote sustainable economic recovery through "support[ing] Native Hawaiian culture & reduc[ing] impacts of the tourism industry to local communities" and "reduc[ing] the environmental footprint of the tourism industry"; and

     WHEREAS, the Hawaii Tourism Authority 2020-2025 Strategic Plan states that the Authority endeavors "to strategically manage Hawaii tourism in a sustainable manner consistent with economic goals, cultural values, preservation of natural resources, community desires, and visitor industry needs"; and

     WHEREAS, existing law mandates that the Hawaii Tourism Authority "[d]evelop, coordinate, and implement state policies and directions for tourism and related activities taking into account the economic, social, and physical impacts of tourism on the State, Hawaii's natural environment, and areas frequented by visitors"; and

     WHEREAS, the efforts of the Hawaii Ecotourism Association and Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism to assess the sustainability of tourist-serving businesses are non-accredited, voluntary, dependent on self-assessment, and have limited participation, restricting their ability to achieve useful outcomes; and

     WHEREAS, sustainable tourism can protect cultural and natural resources, enhance resident quality of life, boost local economies, and create more enriching tourist experiences; now, therefore,

     BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Thirty-third Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2026, that the Executive Branch is urged to advance efforts to emerge as a global leader in sustainable tourism that preserves and restores cultural and natural resources, enhances resident quality of life, and ensures high-quality visitor experiences; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Executive Branch is urged to:

     (1)  Mandate tourist-serving businesses, including hotels, transient accommodation operators, and tour operators, to be assessed and certified in sustainable tourism practices by an accredited third-party with no financial interests in the tourist-serving business, such as the Global Sustainable Tourism Council;

     (2)  Become, as soon as practicable, a Certified Sustainable Destination by the Global Sustainable Tourism Council, which includes pursuing sustainable management and cultural, socio-economic, and environmental sustainability;

     (3)  Acknowledge the value of sustainable tourism in promoting cultural and natural resource restoration and preservation, enhanced resident quality of life, and high-quality visitor experiences;

     (4)  Acknowledge that the State's present-day tourism industry is not culturally, environmentally, and economically sustainable and must urgently adopt and effectively enforce sustainable practices;

     (5)  Acknowledge that sustainable tourism is more economically viable than Hawaii's present-day tourism industry, since sustainable tourism preserves and restores the cultural and natural resources that drive the industry;

     (6)  Acknowledge that sustainability in Hawaii must involve restoring and preserving Native Hawaii ancestral land, rights, and practices, and thus tourism must stop the ongoing exploitation of Native Hawaiian cultural and natural resources;

     (7)  Minimize the expansion of tourist accommodations until sustainable practices are adopted and effectively enforced to reduce stress on the State's residents, infrastructure, and environment; and

     (8)  Continue to actively co-develop policies and financial incentives with Hawaii residents, cultural stewards, and environmentalist organizations to ensure tourist-serving businesses honor the shared responsibility to preserve and restore cultural and natural resources; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted to the Secretary-General of the UN Tourism; Chief Executive Officer of the Global Sustainable Tourism Council; Hawaii's congressional delegation; Governor; Lieutenant Governor; Director of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism; President and Chief Executive Officer of the Hawaii Tourism Authority; Chair of the Board of Directors of the Hawaii Tourism Authority; Chief Executive Officer of the Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement; and President and Chief Executive Officer of the Hawaii Lodging and Tourism Association.

Report Title: 

Sustainable Tourism; Certification; Cultural and Natural Resources