The Hawai‘i Tourism Authority today is launching a visitor industry certification program, called Qurator, that offers Hawaii businesses a chance to earn an official mark of excellence, which fits into HTA’s push toward a more regenerative tourism model.

The seal is a way for HTA to recognize businesses that make positive contributions to the environment, community and the economy. Patrons could also look for the Qurator seal to find Hawaii products and experiences that incorporate responsible tourism practices.

Mufi Hannemann, HTA board chair, said in a statement, “Qurator isn’t just a stamp of approval. It speaks to a set of brand values for the Hawaiian Islands, that we care deeply about our land, our people, our culture, and our guests. It’s a recognition of the interdependent relationship between businesses, visitors and our broader local community.”

Here’s how it works: Qurator evaluates businesses across six categories of excellence: the environment, cultural support, equity, safety, community and guest experience. Qurator also examines the response to broader community issues like wage inequality, human trafficking, communicable disease, and noise and light pollution.

The broad community-­driven certification program was developed in cooperation with Kilohana, the tourism division of the Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement. Qurator satisfies a portion of Kilohana’s duties under a multiyear $27 million contract for stewardship services that HTA awarded in May 2023.

Daniel Naho‘opi‘i, HTA president and CEO, said $735,000 of Kilohana’s contract was budgeted for destination stewardship support services to develop, implement and promote Qurator on HTA’s behalf. Naho‘opi‘i said Kilohana partnered with local nonprofit Purple Mai‘a to implement the technological components of the project, which is under budget. He said Purple Mai‘a has two staff members assigned to Qurator, and will increase staffing for audits as the project grows.

So far, 13 Hawaii businesses — Bishop Museum, Hawaiian Airlines, Southwest Airlines, Alaska Airlines, Four Seasons Resort Lana‘i, Maui Chocolate Tour, Holo Holo Charters, Hana and Beyond, HI Honey Farm, Hawai‘i Forest and Trail, Keoki’s Paradise, Stargazers of Hawai‘i and Trilogy Excursions — have been certified through a pilot program for Qurator that began in May.

Naho‘opi‘i said the pilot businesses were selected because they were “known leaders in responsible tourism, as well as smaller organizations known locally for giving back.”

“Qurator represents HTA’s effort to spotlight the best practices of businesses and organizations that provide outstanding visitor experiences while providing solid employment opportunities to residents and reinvesting in our community and environment,” he said.

Riley Coon, director of sustainable tourism with Trilogy Excursions, said in a statement, “As Maui’s oldest family-owned sailboat company, Trilogy has strived to be a leader in the marine hospitality industry for decades. We malama and embrace our kuleana for the marine environment, educating our guests and staff about Hawaii and how to minimize our impact. Driven by our core belief — ‘o ka pono o na kai (to better the condition of our oceans) — we are thrilled that HTA highlights our industry’s positive impacts through the Qurator program.”

Naho‘opi‘i said in a statement that Qurator exemplifies HTA’s commitment to championing businesses and organizations that enrich the community.

“Many travelers want to make responsible choices, and with Qurator, visitors can easily identify businesses that align with their values and contribute to a more sustainable, regenerative Hawaii,” he said.

HTA said Qurator’s criteria were designed to apply to businesses of any size across a range of categories, including airlines, cruise lines, hotels, food services, tours, transportation, attractions and retail. Participating businesses can choose to become certified in as few or as many of the six categories that they wish, ensuring that smaller businesses do not have to compete head-to-head with larger ones.

Any visitor industry business that is physically present in Hawaii, fully licensed and in good legal standing may participate in Qurator, which is free to participants.

Qurator certification starts with businesses completing self-evaluations, which contain 150 to 225 questions out of a possible 300 in the Qurator universe. An independent third party scores and audits the self- evaluations, and businesses that make it through the process are assigned a tier. Businesses start at a base “Qurator Certified” level, with top performers advancing to a “Qurator Honored” status, and partners with the highest scores earning a “Qurator Elite” label.

Jon Peahl, Kilohana’s quality assurance manager, said in a statement that global standards stop at tours and accommodations.

“We had to create something which hadn’t previously existed: standards to cover everyone from cruise lines to surf schools,” he said.

Naho‘opi‘i said Aotearoa’s Qualmark is one program that is comparable to Qurator. However, he added, “Qurator is unique amongst destination quality assurance programs in its breadth of categories and its ambition to honor the contributions of participants of all sizes.”

He thanked a 24-member advisory committee of representatives from the visitor industry, business associations, government and nonprofits for providing guidance. The committee, which was divided into subcommittees to focus on “place” and “people,” met six times between November and April.

Naho‘opi‘i added that some 100 outside groups also contributed to establishing Qurator’s criteria. Among the contributors were the Native Hawaiian Hospitality Association, Aotearoa’s Qualmark, the Sustainable Tourism Association of Hawai‘i, TripAdvisor, Unite Here Local 5, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, state Department of Health, Colorado Tourism Office, U.S. Cultural and Heritage Marketing Foundation, Susannah Wesley Community Center, Expedia, Jackson Hole Travel and Tourism, ILWU, University of Hawaii at Manoa, state Department of Agriculture, LGBTQIA+ Travel Alliance, Travaras, City and County of Honolulu Good Food Program, A3H, state Department of Land and Natural Resources, Queensland Tourism, Hawai‘i Green Business, Honolulu Police Department, Hawaiian Electric, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Hawai‘i Restaurant Association, Humane Society of Hawai‘i and other industry and advocacy groups.

Jerry Gibson, president of the Hawai‘i Hotel Alliance, said Qurator is a good idea because “it helps to validate a good company that is environmentally aware and culturally aware. We are fortunate that we have so many of our businesses that weave into our communities and are good examples to emulate.”

Keith Vieira, principal of KV & Associates Hospitality Consulting, said Qurator will help visitors have an authentic Hawaii experience with trustworthy businesses that have planned for their safety.

“It allows visitors to have trust, and it keeps away some of the shenanigans from overnighters who are just trying to make a buck here or there,” Vieira said.

Vieira said it will be important for HTA and Kilohana to ensure that the grading system is fair and transparent and that the process doesn’t favor large businesses over mom-and-pop stores.

He added that Qurator should eventually become self-supporting by charging businesses small fees to participate. He said he is not in favor of HTA covering Qurator’s cost by shifting marketing dollars to stewardship programs.

To learn more about Qurator or to apply, visit qurator.travel.