Hawai‘i Tourism Oceania, represented by The Walshe Group, have once again shown how travel and tourism can play a positive role for community and environment through their annual ‘Sea The Future’ event.
‘Sea The Future’ is a regenerative tourism initiative, that is founded on connection and the Hawaiian term kuleana (meaning responsibility).
Darragh Walshe from The Walshe Group, who began the initiative, explains that as Pacific neighbours we are connected by the currents and tides of this beautiful body of water, along with the heritage of the voyaging history. Which means all of us have a duty.
This year, for the first time, the initiative spanned the Pacific Ocean, West to East, with a partnership between Hawai‘i Tourism Oceania (HTO) and Hawai‘i Visitors & Convention Bureau (HVCB). Both HTO and HVCB are Global Marketing Team contractors for the Hawai‘i Tourism Authority looking after (respectively) Australia / New Zealand and the USA.
This partnership, with the support of Hawaiian Airlines, saw Youth Ambassadors from Seattle join similar youth, with a passion for the environment, from Australia, New Zealand and Hawai‘i for a 5-day program in Maui in September.
The program was curated by acclaimed environment non-profit, Sea Cleaners, from New Zealand. Hawai‘i Tourism Oceania and Sea Cleaners have been running this initiative since 2018 with the aim to highlight the issue of plastic pollution in our oceans. In particular, highlighting how the habits we follow in our own back yards can impact the back yards of our Pacific neighbours.
Across the two clean-up days, the group collected over 16,000 litres of plastic and discarded fishing net debris, including 10,000 litres on the first day and 6,000 litres on the second. The Pacific Whale Foundation will analyse the materials collected to determine, among other aspects, their origin and age.
This was the first time that the initiative was brought to Maui and involved a number of local partners including the Maui County office, Maui Visitors Bureau, Outrigger Kā‘anapali Beach Resort, Love The Sea Foundation, Kahākūkahi, and local schools in the Lahaina area.
The issue of plastic pollution in our oceans requires a collaborative approach to educate and inspire young leaders who have the ability to help make change. We are happy that the Sea The Future initiative can be part of this effort.
