#4: Hawaii travel with John De Fries
10/14/21 • 36 min
Hawaii had a record-breaking number of visitors in 2019, and now the Islands are thinking about how they want to manage tourism in the years ahead.
John De Fries is the President and CEO of the Hawaii Tourism Authority, and he’s the first Native Hawaiian to hold the position. John joins the podcast to talk about what it was like growing up in Waikiki in the 1950s, what was so hard about the summer of 2021, and what he wants all visitors to the Islands to think about before they arrive.
Also, listen up for a special bonus segment in which Paige embarrasses herself while trying to learn a foreign phrase...
Have you been to Hawaii recently? What was it like? Or if you live in Hawaii, how do you feel about tourism in the state? I’d love to hear about your experience and hope you’ll share by sending me a voice message.
Thank you so much for listening!
Resources
Hawaii Tourism Authority website
Links to Hawaii’s Destination Management Plans
Honolulu Star-Advertiser article, “Native Hawaiian leaders call new Oahu tourism plan ‘step in the right direction,’ but execution is key”
Hawaii had a record-breaking number of visitors in 2019, and now the Islands are thinking about how they want to manage tourism in the years ahead.
John De Fries is the President and CEO of the Hawaii Tourism Authority, and he’s the first Native Hawaiian to hold the position. John joins the podcast to talk about what it was like growing up in Waikiki in the 1950s, what was so hard about the summer of 2021, and what he wants all visitors to the Islands to think about before they arrive.
Also, listen up for a special bonus segment in which Paige embarrasses herself while trying to learn a foreign phrase...
Have you been to Hawaii recently? What was it like? Or if you live in Hawaii, how do you feel about tourism in the state? I’d love to hear about your experience and hope you’ll share by sending me a voice message.
Thank you so much for listening!
Resources
Hawaii Tourism Authority website
Links to Hawaii’s Destination Management Plans
Honolulu Star-Advertiser article, “Native Hawaiian leaders call new Oahu tourism plan ‘step in the right direction,’ but execution is key”
Previous Episode
#3: Connecting worlds with Andrew Alexander King
This week, Andrew Alexander King joins the podcast to talk about mountaineering, volunteering abroad and how he’s using his travels as a force for good in the world.
Andrew is an African-American explorer who started The Between Worlds Project as a way to provide support and media exposure to individuals, non-profits, and communities around the world that are battling sexism, racism, climate change, and economic barriers.
Andrew has climbed more than 50 mountains around the world, and he is aiming to be the first African-American to climb the highest mountain and highest volcano on each continent.
In this episode, you’ll hear Andrew talk about volunteering abroad, and how we can all go beyond “hashtag activism” and actually make a difference with our travels. And listen up toward the end of the interview, when Andrew tells us about a really important expedition that hasn’t gotten the attention — or the funding — that it deserves.
Have you been trying to make a difference with your travel? If so, how is that going for you? What challenges have you encountered? What questions do you have? I’d love to hear about your experience and hope you’ll share by sending me a voice message.
Thank you so much for listening!
Resources
Full Circle Expedition’s GoFundMe page
Next Episode
#5: Elevating travel with Dominique Callimanopulos
When Dominique Callimanopulos founded her sustainability-minded travel company in 2005, a lot of people in the industry didn’t understand what she was doing. Now, she says, other companies are catching up — but they all still have a long way to go.
In this episode, Dominique joins the podcast to talk about family travel, de-colonizing the travel industry, and how travelers can effectively give back to the communities they visit.
Plus, Paige learns a new Danish phrase that she thinks should be adopted worldwide...
Have you been trying to travel in a more thoughtful or sustainable way — either on your own or with your family? If so, how did that go? What challenges did you encounter? What questions do you have? I’d love to hear about your experience and hope you’ll share by sending me a voice message.
Thank you so much for listening!
Resources
Elevate Destinations website
Paige’s New York Times article with the hair dryer quote
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