Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 39, Number 1, 1 January 2022 — He Ui, He Nīnau - What is Regenerative Tourism? [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

He Ui, He Nīnau - What is Regenerative Tourism?

J LAMAKU HO'OKIPA V ^ A BEACON OF HOSPITALITY "

By Mālia Sanders When I am asked to explain "regenerative tourism," I point to a Kānaka understanding of aina and the ingenuity by whieh we continue to thrive. For countless years, acres of lo'i kalo (taro terraces) fed generations of Hawai'i's people. What is the secret to eenturies of success? The lo'i kalo system is regenerative. The lo'i kalo system borrows water from streams, nourishes the kalo, and most importantly, returns the water with nutrients ffom the lo'i's fertile ecosystem. In other words, the water returns in a better condition than when it was received. When we feed the system more than it feeds us, we create a regenerative system of abundance. Regenerative tourism is at the core of the Hawai'i Tourism Authority's strategic vision to "Mālama Ku'u Home," or "care for my beloved home." It also guides the important work of the Native Hawaiian Hospitality Association (NaHHA). We believe that in order for tourism to be sustainable, it needs to be regenerative. It needs to feed Hawai'i more than it consumes Hawai'i. This is not just about money. Regenerative tourism acknowledges that we are a part of a larger, environmental system of island existence. Like the water that flows through lo'i kalo, if we borrow natural resources from this system, we must not only replenish it, but add to it. How do we make this happen? One pathway has emerged in a partnership between NaHHA and travebchange. The Kaiāulu Ho'okipa Cohort is a program that builds the capacity of Hawai'i nonprofit organizations to host experiences that not only allow kamaaina and malihini (guests) to enjoy our home, but to ensure that these experiences ultimate-

ly regenerate more than they consume. These experiences include caring for native ecosystems, working fishponds and farms, and an overall deeper engagement with our home. I ask all kamaaina to visit NaHHA's website, nahha.com, to learn about this program and the 29 regenerative experiences it has assisted so far. Kama'āina - if we expect our visitors to engage in regenerating our aina, so must we! So I ask you, how are we managing our resources, the ways by whieh we and this aina find sustenance? What will you do to make sure we sow more than we reap?

A lo'i kalo at Kōne'ohe, O'ohu - Photo: Heather Goodman, HĪA

If we continue to take more than we give back, we ean expect that the metaphorical stream will run dry, that lo'i of sustenance will produce less and less, and that we will thirst. Such a grim, yet sobering, reality is one we must avoid. We all play a part in creating a different future, whether it is engaging these organizations dedicated to this future or creating a regenerative opportunity yourself. No matter what you do, it all starts with one question: Are we putting back more than we take, or are we simply drinking with unquenchable thirst? ■ Mālia Sanders is the executive director of the Native Hawaiian Hospitality Association (NaHHA). Working to better connect the Hawaiian community to the visitor industry, NaHHA supports thepeople who provide authentic experiences to Hawai'i's visitors. For more information go to www. nahha.com Pollow NaHHA on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter @nahha8o8 and @kuhikuhi8o8