Column: The best kind of visitor can give back to Hawaii

The appeal of Hawaii during a global pandemic remains strong. While COVID-19 brought tourism to the brink of collapse, more people are coming to the islands every day — some of them because the coronavirus crisis is even worse elsewhere.

In the first 10 days of this month, 77,895 people arrived in Hawaii by air — an average of 7,790 passengers a day. Nearly half of them came here to vacation, while 1,554 of them said they planned to move here permanently.

While 7,790 is nowhere near the 30,000 daily arrivals we saw last year, it’s a lot more than the 1,031 that trickled in on May 29.

Some residents concerned about public health and the environment would rather those visitor numbers be capped at zero, but our economy couldn’t survive that and the Constitution wouldn’t allow it.

Fortunately, the Constitution does allow the state to place restrictions on the people who land here, including quarantines and tests. Imagine if we could require even more of the people coming to Hawaii,

What if instead of starry- eyed vacationers, we got working professionals who bring their jobs rather than sunscreen and pool noodles? Hawaii has been pitching itself as the perfect place for telework since the 1970s, and working remotely is finally the norm.

Work from home or work from Hawaii? That’s not a tough choice. Between surf sessions and ukulele lessons, they can still earn paychecks from the mainland, then turn around and spend them here.

“‘Workations” are already a worldwide travel trend, and Hawaii has many natural advantages.

What if we could steer visitors away from illegal vacation rentals in residential neighborhoods, where such operations annoy neighbors until pricing them out of the market? Our high-capacity hotels in high-density neighborhoods have tons of empty rooms. They would be perfect “workation” stations, with great views and amenities that would dazzle any cubicle dweller.

What if we required people to promise that they will respect and learn about Native Hawaiian culture? Making tourists watch a movie at Hanauma Bay encourages them to tread lightly, but we can do so much more.

A mandatory commitment to being respectful might sound like a high bar, but the history of Hawaii is a core part of why the islands are a worldwide draw. Smart visitors know that more context only makes their time here more meaningful.

What if newcomers to Hawaii had to actually contribute to making Hawaii a better place? Our home is much more than a playground for oblivious tourists, and tourism has a very real impact on everyday life for residents. Let’s turn visitors into part of the solution for problems that they create.

And I don’t mean just asking for a donation to a local charity or going to a beach cleanup. Every person coming to Hawaii — and especially working professionals – has specific skills, talents and connections that could be priceless resources if made available to Hawaii’s people.

A filmmaker could teach a class at Kahuku High School. An engineer could lecture at a community college. An app developer could build a homeless outreach tool for a social service agency.

Lawyers, chefs, carpenters, doctors and startup founders can all find something meaningful to do during their stay. The people they teach, mentor or help will reap long-term benefits, and they in turn will be able to pay it forward.

In fact, the best kind of island visitor would embrace the chance to contribute to the local community. Such a visitor would probably stay for weeks instead of months, and really get to know Hawaii and its people.

And what if this new kind of visitor forms a lifelong bond with Hawaii? They could encourage their employers to hire Hawaii’s diverse and hardworking people for remote jobs. Or enlist a Hawaii designer or artist or accountant when the need next arises.

Imagine if the friends they made here could then tap into their broad professional and personal networks. This would create an exponentially growing web of opportunity for Hawaii residents, and help the world see Hawaii as more than a vacation destination.

The private sector and nonprofit partners can make this happen, with little government involvement. Offer small incentives like hotel discounts and round-trip airfare (so they can return if things don’t work out). And prioritize former Hawaii residents who are eager to return home.

Instead of “tourists,” who visit and take, we could call these visitors “shakas,” who move here and give. And we could call this program “Movers and Shakas.”

Except, all this is not a hypothetical. It’s happening. And perhaps most inspiring, the benefits of this approach are already being realized today.

Ryan Ozawa is communications director for local tech company Hawaii Information Service. Join his open tech community chat at HawaiiSlack.com.