FilterHN

The end of the middle-class traveler in Hawaii is near

27 points

by rblion

5 hours ago

| past

| 4 comments

| sfgate.com

| HN

▲

dxm007

4 hours ago

[-]

all examples of price increases in that article, I could easily apply to my groceries, clothes, marketplace health insurance, restaurants, pet care costs and just about everything I buy everyday (surprisingly price of gasoline has been somewhat of an exception). In 2021 while i was consulting my monthly health insurance via NYS marketplace was $405/mo, the one I just got was $629/mo

So yeah... If what that article about "pricing out middle-class" is true, how about we increase its scope beyond Hawaii.

Let's just go ahead and say middle-class (and how about everyone who middle-class believes is below them) is priced out of life in general, including that Hawaii vacation.

▲

rblion

3 hours ago

[-]

You are right. I posted this partially because I live on Kauai, am working on a solution, and just to see what others thought.

This is definitely bigger than just Hawaii.

▲

TheJoeMan

1 hour ago

[-]

I feel very fortunate to have been able to attend a local Hawaiian resident’s wedding in Waimea, Kauai this past summer. As we stayed on the south-side, we mostly enjoyed our simpler accommodations while only seeing the Sheraton et. al. from the beach. We made one day trip north of Lihue and were turned off when we saw tourists at a plaza watching the dads get called up to hula and put flowers in their hair as a gag. So I understand the big resorts may be becoming unachievable, but perhaps there is hope it will open some people’s eyes to more authentic experiences.

▲

steve1977

31 minutes ago

[-]

This makes it sound you consider it a problem.

IMHO, less tourism is almost always a positive.

▲

rblion

6 minutes ago

[-]

The problem I'm solving isn't just relating to tourism. It's much bigger and beyond Hawaii too. This is just the perfect place to test what I'm building.

▲

faidit

1 hour ago

[-]

The end of the middle class is here. Latifundia perdidere Italiam.

▲

garbawarb

4 hours ago

[-]

Or maybe there are just more high-income people than there used to be? More people in the upper ranges of the middle class? The author cites rising hotel prices, but there are the same number of hotel beds. Meaning just as many people are staying, they're just paying more to do it.

▲

rblion

4 hours ago

[-]

No, I live on Kauai and Maui before this. The Hawaii Tourism Authority runs ads on the radio for 'sustainable travel' and they want fewer people here paying more to curb overtourism and crowding, damage to parks.

I agree with them. I posted this to just see what others thought.

It's interesting how many people I meet from the tech world that move out here or vacation here often. I don't want to leave but would do some extended trips to places on my list for sure and always come back to one of the islands.

▲

kittikitti

4 hours ago

[-]

This is a good thing. Social media has made visiting Hawaii a horrible experience for both the visitors and the locals. People are very misinformed, and even this article reeks of it. However, if it discourages people who get their information from social media to visit Hawaii, then I'm for it.

▲

rblion

3 hours ago

[-]

I agree. It's overcrowded in places that are not built to handle that many people. The resentment between locals and tourists is growing, also between locals and people who move here with a lot of money and don't add any value to the community but demand a lot from everyone else.