“Travellers are seeking a deeper, meaningful experience, and what makes the Hawaiian Islands unlike anywhere else in the world is our people, multi-cultural heritage, and reciprocal connection with the land and ocean,” said Mufi Hannemann, HTA board chair. “The Mālama Hawai‘i dashboard allows visitors to easily connect with nonprofits seeking volunteers to support our community in ways such as restoring Hawaiian fishponds, sorting food donations at food banks, and helping at community events.”
Visitors can explore volunteer options with special focus on aiding Maui's recovery post-2023 wildfires. Registration is easy via RSVP submission, and visitors can also provide monetary donations directly to the nonprofit organisations if they choose to.
“HTA’s partnership with Kanu Hawai‘i in developing the Mālama Hawai‘i dashboard is an example of regenerative tourism development benefiting our community,” said Daniel Nāho‘opi‘i, HTA’s interim president and CEO. “By integrating Kanu Hawai‘i’s system and their network of nonprofit organisations throughout the state, we are seamlessly connecting visitors with even more opportunities to improve our home for future generations.”
Keone Kealoha, executive director of Kanu Hawaiʻi, underscores the importance of quantifiable actions in responsible tourism, highlighting visitor volunteering as a positive contribution to Hawaiʻi's well-being and a memorable part of the travel experience.
Throughout April, HTA supports Volunteer Month organised by Kanu Hawai‘i, aligning with its 2024 Community Enrichment program. This statewide initiative encourages community involvement across sectors to enhance the visitor experience authentically.
Since its 2020 launch, the Mālama Hawai‘i program has grown significantly, boasting 36 participating organisations statewide.
Read the full press release here.
For more information on Mālama Hawai‘i, visit GoHawaii.com/malama.
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