1. Although it has helped to stimulate the economy again since the beginning of the Pandemic, the sudden increase in visitors to Hawai‘i has caused crowding issues across the islands in airports, roadways, and public spaces, most severely seen throughout Oʻahu and Maui.
2. The amount of congestion in small spaces everywhere heightens the threat of COVID-19 transmissions as seen in the spike in overall numbers across Hawaiʻi, including the aggressively infectious Delta Variant
3. No matter what time of the year it is, remember that Hawaiʻi’s ecosystem is unique and fragile, and natural disasters can happen at any given time. An example of this would be the recent brush fire that has burned nearly 40,000 acres on the Big Island so far.
4. Respect for this land and its inhabitants should be emphasized now more than ever. This includes our non-human relatives, like our endangered monk seals who were subject to inappropriate interactions with tourists.
5. Lastly, remember that Hawaiʻi has a complicated history with visitors that continue to exploit our inhabitants and resources to this day that has resulted in near genocide and illegal and continuous occupation of a sovereign kingdom. Do not allow your actions, intentional or not, to continue this unjust legacy. Be smart, respectful, and safe!