Helping travelers in times of trouble

There is a particular tone to maintain in all of this, a balance of warm optimism in the face of hard truths.

The truth is, the more visitors come to Hawaii, the more tourists there are who get into trouble. All kinds of trouble: crime victims, shark victims, ocean accidents, hiking accidents, car crashes …

The Visitor Aloha Society of Hawaii is often quoted in news stories about tourists who met up with trouble. VASH helps with the hard stuff when things go wrong, like translating between crime victims and cops, dealing with calls from reporters and helping the devastated spouse figure out how to get their loved one’s body back home. Its work is largely done by volunteers, and its funding is from the HTA, Hawaii Lodging and Tourism Association and donations. VASH is holding a 20th-anniversary celebration and fundraiser this evening to raise money for the work it does. It needs an estimated $10,000 just to get through the summer period of peak travel.

Tickets are $80 and still available at the door. The event is 5:30-7:30 p.m. at the Sheraton Waikiki Hotel.

“The money will be used to provide assistance to our visitors in need this summer, which may include shuttle transportation — sometimes we assist victims who get their car stolen on the North Shore while they are swimming, and we send our shuttle service to pick them up and take them back to their hotel — discounted accommodations, meal vouchers, clothes, gift cards, diapers,and more. Every victim is different, and we start by doing a personal assessment of their situation,” said Jessica Lani Rich, president and CEO of VASH.

The VASH website, like the quotes attributed to the organization over the years, strikes that particular tone of clear-eyed compassion meeting grim reality:

“While Hawaii still remains among one of the safest tourist destinations in the world, and our police and prosecutors do a fantastic job within the scope of available resources, we unfortunately will never prevent all crime against visitors. We must therefore ensure that each and every traumatized visitor receives timely assistance and experiences the true aloha spirit of our people.”

The truth is, also, that visitors often let their guard down when they’re here on vacation. They do things that are unsafe or unwise, often inspired by images on social media that make stuff like leaning over a cliff or frolicking under a remote waterfall look both magical and doable. Hawaii sells itself as paradise, and then social media goes even further to portray it as a private utopia.

Sometimes people get in trouble innocently, through no fault of their own. Sometimes it’s like they’re just asking for it. It’s amazing that in these cynical, angry, blame-filled times, a kind, practical organization exists to help travelers whose paradise plans meet up with misfortune, and that though Hawaii feels the effects of the increased tourism numbers, there’s still a desire to treat visitors with compassion.

Reach Lee Cataluna at 529-4315 or lcataluna@staradvertiser.com.