Courtesy of HVCB
When you travel anywhere in the world, including Hawai‘i, you’re a guest in someone else’s home, and it’s necessary to consider their values, traditions, and culture just as importantly as you would your own. Sadly, too many people travel with a sense of entitlement rather than one of humility, respect, and love. Here are a couple of ways to respect our culture while you’re here:
Attend a festival or event. Doing so will introduce you to local culture, food, music, and the people you’re visiting. To find an event, bookmarkPark in marked stalls and follow all traffic signage. It’s shocking how many visitors don’t do this! Making your own parking space in someone’s yard or driveway so you can get to the beach easier is insensitive, illegal, and greatly inconveniences the resident.
Heed all warning signs when you’re out exploring, from “kapu” signs to strong current signs at the beach. Hawai‘i’s weather patterns can create dangerous conditions, and the signs are there for a reason: to keep you, the land, and the first responders safe. Cautionary signs also keep unwanted visitors from entering our sacred spaces that are meant only for those who truly understand their importance.
—Kainoa Daines, co-author of Island Wisdom and senior director of brand for the Hawai‘i Visitors & Convention BureauAs Hawaiians, we’re taught many traditional values when we’re young, and we live by them for our whole lives. One that can be especially useful when you visit isWhile this concept has many definitions, the one that aligns the most with tourism means righteousness, or doing the right thing to stay on track.
Hawaiians in Togas?