Economy

“In the midst of every crisis lies great opportunity.”

We have an opportunity to reevaluate, reinvent and restart our economy. Pre-covid, Kaua’i’s economy was primarily dependent on tourism. According to the HTA Strategic Plan, in 2019 tourism increased while money tourists spent decreased. We were working harder for less. As recently as 2019, Kaua’i topped out at over 30,000 visitors per day, driving 10,000 rental cars, per day. On the average, 3 out of 10 people on Kaua’i were tourists. Kaua’i resident satisfaction (quality of life) dropped 17%.

• Pre COVID = high volume of tourists
  • Low spending
  • Low resident satisfaction
• My Future Vision for Kauai = Lower volume of tourists
  • Higher spending visitor
  • Higher resident satisfaction

We can do this by refocusing our “paradise marketing” to avoid “budget” promotions. Let’s think quality, not quantity.