HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.R. NO.

59

TWENTY-SECOND LEGISLATURE, 2004

 

STATE OF HAWAII

 
   


HOUSE RESOLUTION

 

requesting the governor to form a task force to research and collect input from local tour operators and the local community, relative to creating a comprehensive definition of ecotourism AND DEVELOPING STANDARDS and OPERATING guidelines for implementation of an ecotourism program.

 

WHEREAS, Hawaii is heavily dependent on its tourism industry; and

WHEREAS, the continuing success of tourism in Hawaii, in turn, is heavily dependent on the natural environmental beauty of the Islands; and

WHEREAS, tourism and Hawaii's natural environmental beauty work hand-in-hand in what many refer to as ecotourism; and

WHEREAS, ecotourism is fast becoming a significant component of Hawaii's tourism industry; and

WHEREAS, ecotourism is defined by various organizations in a variety of ways, such as:

"Nature- and culture-based tourism that is ecologically sustainable and supports the well-being of local communities";

"Nature-based travel to Hawaii's natural attractions to experience and study Hawaii's unique flora, fauna, and culture in a manner which is ecologically responsible, sustains the well-being of the local community, and is infused with the spirit of aloha aina";

"Tourism involving travel to areas of natural or ecological interest, typically under the guidance of a naturalist, for the purpose of observing wildlife and learning about the environment"; and

WHEREAS, to facilitate and encourage the further development of the ecotourism industry in Hawaii, while ensuring the protection of Hawaii's natural environment, there is a need for a clear, comprehensive definition of "ecotourism" and the development of standards and operating guidelines for the ecotourism industry; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Twenty-second Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2004, that the Governor is requested to establish a task force to research and collect input from local tour operators, the local community, environmentalists, and the Hawaiian community relative to creating a clear comprehensive definition of ecotourism and developing standards and operating guidelines for implementation of an ecotourism program; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Governor is requested to include in the composition of the task force representatives from: local tour operators; the local community; environmental groups; the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism; the Department of Land and Natural Resources; and the Office of Hawaiian Affairs; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Governor is requested to submit findings and recommendations of the task force to the Legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2005; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted to the Governor; the Director of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism; the Chairperson of the Board of Land and Natural Resources; and the Chairperson of the Board of Trustees of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, each of whom in turn is requested to distribute copies of this Concurrent Resolution to members of the local tour operators, the local community, environmental groups, and the Hawaiian community.

 

 

 

OFFERED BY:

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Report Title:

Ecotourism Defined; Governor's Task Force