BC gets tourists. Oregon gets tourists. Hawaii REALLY gets tourists.
Tourism is economic blessing and environmental curse. How do we balance this?
The Numbers:
British Columbia:
- ~6 million international visitors/year (pre-pandemic)
- Tourism revenue: $20+ billion
- Hotspots: Vancouver, Whistler, Victoria, Tofino
- Challenge: Seasonal concentration, over-tourism in hotspots
Oregon:
- ~30 million visitors/year (mostly domestic)
- Tourism revenue: $13 billion
- Hotspots: Portland, Crater Lake, coast, Bend
- Challenge: Loving the outdoors to death (crowded trails, trashed campsites)
Hawaii:
- ~10 million visitors/year (pre-pandemic)
- Tourism revenue: $18+ billion
- Tourism as % of economy: Dangerously high (~20% of GDP)
- Hotspots: Everywhere (it's islands)
- Challenge: Over-tourism is destroying what tourists come to see
The Hawaii Problem:
Hawaii has too many tourists. This isn't debatable.
Impacts:
- Housing: Vacation rentals price out locals
- Traffic: Oahu is gridlocked
- Environment: Coral trampled, beaches eroded, hiking trails overwhelmed
- Culture: Hawaiian culture commodified, sacred sites disrespected
- Water: Limited fresh water stressed by tourism demand
- Waste: Islands can't handle the garbage
Hawaiians are increasingly resentful. "Tourists go home" graffiti has appeared. The social contract is fraying.
The Eco-Tourism Trap:
"Eco-tourism" sounds good. Visit nature! Support conservation!
Reality:
- More people in sensitive ecosystems = more damage
- "Sustainable" resorts are still resorts
- Wildlife viewing disturbs wildlife
- Instagram-driven tourism overwhelms "hidden gems"
Eco-tourism can fund conservation. But eco-tourism can also destroy what it claims to protect.
A Different Model:
What if tourism was managed for quality, not quantity?
Visitor caps:
- Limit visitors to sensitive areas
- Reservation systems for popular sites (already used at some BC/Oregon parks)
- Off-peak incentives
Tourism taxes:
- Higher taxes/fees on tourism
- Revenue to conservation, housing, infrastructure
- Make tourists pay true costs
Resident priority:
- Locals get first access to beaches, parks, trails
- Tourism doesn't displace residents from their own home
Indigenous-led tourism:
- First Nations/Native Hawaiian communities control tourism on their lands
- Cultural tourism that educates, not exploits
The Integration Opportunity:
Spread the load. BC-Oregon-Hawaii as a unified destination means:
- Divert some Hawaii pressure to BC/Oregon — "Want beaches AND forests? Visit the whole region"
- Seasonal balancing — Hawaii winter, BC summer
- Different experiences — Not everyone needs to go to Waikiki
Joint marketing that emphasizes the full region, not just iconic hotspots.
Discussion Questions:
- Should Hawaii implement strict visitor caps?
- How do we balance tourism revenue with tourism impacts?
- What's the right level of tourism taxation?
- How do we ensure Indigenous communities control tourism on their lands?
- Is "sustainable tourism" possible, or is it an oxymoron?