Hawaii fires: 'Tourists swim in the waters we died in'

stopthatgirl7@kbin.social to News@lemmy.world – 100 points – Hawaii fires: 'Tourists swim in the waters we died in'
bbc.com

The jarring contrast between those holidaying and those hurting is hard to bear for many in Hawaii.

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The loss of life is tragic, but I’m not sure what she’s upset about. Tourists didn’t come there to mock or make light. They just have bad timing in paradise.

Tourism will play a huge part in helping the community recover economically too. They’re going to need tourists to stay/come back asap. I thought the Greek president was canny to offer tourists affected by the wildfires in Rhodes a free holiday next year.

I hear the challenge right now is that even before the fire there was a housing shortage. Tourists should not travel to Hawaii right now if those hotel beds can instead be used to shelter displaces people near term.

Ya exactly. "It's okay if a local people are exploited by industry and country. It helps the economy" is such a terrible take and I genuinely don't know why people here are defending it

I was thinking more along the lines of a large proportion of locals must work in the tourist industry - whether that’s owning hotels, working in them, owning touristy shops, tour guides, surf instructors etc etc. The locals haven’t just suffered loss of life, property and sites of historic importance, a lot of them will lose their jobs without tourism. “Economy” was the wrong term I guess. People need those jobs not just to live but to rebuild their lives and their property.

I don't think destroying the Hawaiian economy would help the homeless problem in Hawaii. If anything, what needs to be happening is that the Hawaiian government needs to set up temporary housing and support rebuilding efforts.

Tourists should not travel to Hawaii right now if those hotel beds can instead be used to shelter displaces people near term.

I am not saying there should not be any tourism. I am saying that near term, there is likely a shelter need that needs to be addressed. Putting tourism on hold for a few months won't kill tourism. Hawaii shut down for the pandemic and had very strict Covid requirements as the world re opened. I think it can shut down for a few weeks until more aid and support arrives and is built.

Oh, sorry, I misunderstood you. Yeah, for a few weeks, absolutely, the government should be buying up vacant hotel rooms in bulk while they arrange temporary housing

NP. My take was very quick and short. I think tourism will likely always be a big part of Hawaii's recovery, and will help the recovery. But I just want to know that the workers and people that live in hawaii have roofs over their heads when things re open.

I’m not sure what she’s upset about

I mean we can all sympathise. We know why she's upset. If she took more than a couple of minutes to calm down, she'll argue herself that the country needs tourists and that they can't be blamed for wanting to make the most of their holidays.

Out of personal experience, it's incredibly frustrating to see people happy and smiling when your whole world is collapsing around you. It's irrational but it makes sense.

And without tourists Hawaii would probably be even more expensive.

@TragicNotCute @stopthatgirl7

Tourists should have left, like they were supposed to, or not visited days after the fire.

It's not that hard a choice to make to do the right and kind thing here. But instead those tourists chose the selfish way.

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Fucking media… find the idiot that actually wants to be on tv and interview them, easy way to get engagement.. it’s like there’s a certain type of person that wants to be tv

So one thing you have to remember about Hawaii is that Hawaii didn't CHOOSE to become part of the US. The US seized the place and forced the Queen to sign some paperwork turning the country over to them. And now a bunch of people from the country that took over your country come every year to party it up, even if there's been a disaster that killed a bunch of native Hawaiians.

This is why a lot of native Hawaiians have a big problem with tourists not just now, but ALL of the time. And if you say their economy is getting uplifted by tourism you will get an EARFUL about how foreign companies are what's actually reaping the rewards of that tourism, and that the land on the island is too expensive for natives to buy BECAUSE of the tourist industry snapping it up and how they'd basically rather be poor than occupied by a party industry that encourages outsiders to come down, treat people like servants and trash the place.

Now I can't do anything to solve this and neither can any of you. Just give them a break, guys. It's not easy to live in another man's paradise.

Dude it's so sad... I am going to rant a little cause I am outraged with CBS! THEY KEEP SHOWING AND INTERVIEWING OPRAH!! Asking her how she feels and how this hurt her.....Who the fuck cares about how Oprah feels about her mega million dollar house that was basically untouched while the community is hurting and many died!!! Oprah wasn't even there, she flew in!! They keep interviewing Oprah and asking how she feels... Gail King on CBS tried to Martyr Oprah by saying Oprah went to buy some cots.... How about opening that mega million dollar house for the community? How much money is she worth these days,? Why can't she foot some of the bill for her community and actually step up if she feels so connected to the Island that she lives at 10% of the years for..

It's not bad until Scott Morrison is there shaking your hand. He's normally in Hawaii during bushfires.