Visitors See Other Side Of Hawaii With Rise Of Outback Excursions

HONOLULU - Vacationers have long enjoyed Hawaii's surf, sun, sand and rainbows. Now many are discovering the rugged delights offered by the state's growing ecotourism industry.

The ecotourists may find scenic pleasures on a rain-forest hike, on a demanding trek into a volcano crater or out at sea watching whales. Unlike many vacationers, they want to learn more about Hawaii's natural gifts. They're not content to merely enjoy the beaches of Waikiki.

"Some people just want to say they've seen a whale," says Dan McSweeney, who runs an adventure company that organizes expeditions from the Big Island. But his clients are "people who want more than boat rides. They want to learn something."

McSweeney has studied whales for 30 years, particularly the pilot whales off Hawaii's Kona coast. By now he can identify entire whale families and, in some cases, tell a whale's life story.

Tourism is the state's main source of income. And, in a rocky decade with negligible growth, Hawaii's travel industry is relying on McSweeney and others like him to tap another segment with more potential.

Declining tourism industry

The number of visitors to Hawaii fell from a record 6.9 million tourists in 1990 to 6.1 million in 1993, according to the Hawaii Visitors & Convention Bureau. Though business rebounded last year with 6.8 million visitors, it dipped again by about 1 percent during this year's first eight months.

It's unclear how many ecotourists visit the state. But the state Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism estimates that tourists spent about $500 million on nature-oriented travel last year. That's nearly 5 percent of the $11 billion spent on all tourism in 1996.

"When you look at other sun-surf destinations, the thing that sets us apart is the culture and the scenery and the environment," says Sue Kanoho, executive director of the visitors bureau on Kauai. The rural island is a favorite of ecotourists, who head into lush greenery and gaze at waterfalls.

For decades on the island of Oahu, tourists have climbed Diamond Head, the dormant volcano east of Honolulu's Waikiki Beach, and snorkeled in Hanauma Bay on the city's outskirts.

Now ecotourists seek out organized hikes and bird-watching, or want information about local culture and history, says Raymond Tabata, vice president of the Hawaii Ecotourism Association. The group was formed in 1995 to protect Hawaii's environment and culture through responsible travel. Its 150 members include representatives of tour groups, lodging and state agencies.

"They are looking for a little deeper experience than just looking at scenery," Tabata says.

"The value in Hawaii is not in building attractions. It's not in golf courses," says Reece Olayvar, owner and guide for Hike Hawaii on Oahu. "The value is here already. We have the history. We have the culture. We have the natural beauty."

Olayvar is a physical-education teacher who spends weekends and summers guiding nature hikes with about six people. She heads beyond Oahu's hotels and rolling surf, instructing groups on native plants and wildlife, plus history and culture.

Her goal is to imbue visitors with respect for the land and enlist their help in preserving Hawaii's resources. Before a hike, for instance, Olayvar asks clients to brush the soles of their shoes so they don't carry foreign seeds into the forest. She asks them not to pick flowers, not even leaves.

Avis Toochin of New York recently took a tour with Olayvar.

"I am not a hotel person, and I'm not a beach person," she says. "I really wanted to see the environment and have a feel of what the ecology was and the geography of the island. I wanted to see it first-hand rather than in a zoo or a garden."

Attempts at preservation

Hawaii is struggling to protect its eroding coastline, declining fish stocks and damaged coral reefs. The damage is caused by a combination of natural forces plus lax enforcement of regulations and overuse of limited resources. Ecotourism's conservation ethic can help, says Mike Wilson, director of the state Department of Land and Natural Resources.

By contrast, he says, the mass tourism industry suggests that visitors do what they like. But Wilson conveys a different message.

"This is a fragile island state," he says. Tourists "can enjoy it and learn about taking care of it."

Rob Pacheco, owner of Hawaii Forest & Trail on the Big Island, agreed. As he takes visitors hiking around volcanoes and in the rain forest, he points out native vegetation, rare birds and unusual insects.

Unfortunately, he says, ecotourism presents an inherent conflict, as humans traipse into delicate forests and fields to admire and learn about them.

"No matter what I do or what extent I take to prevent it, I have an impact," Pacheco says.

But Wilson's agency hopes to address this by beefing up the permitting process for commercial tours operating on public lands.

"Approached in a manner that has integrity," the director says, "ecotourism can help us go from a state of declining resources to improving them."