Hawaiʻi Tourism Authority Unveils Mālama Hawai‘i Dashboard to Link Travelers with Volunteer Opportunities and Support Local Nonprofits

Saturday, April 6, 2024

The Hawaiʻi Tourism Authority (HTA) has collaborated with Kanu Hawai‘i to streamline the process for tourists to discover and register for meaningful volunteer activities across the islands. Now, tourists planning their vacations to the Hawaiian Islands have access to the Mālama Hawai‘i Volunteer Dashboard.

“Travelers are seeking a deeper, meaningful experience, and what makes the Hawaiian Islands unlike anywhere else in the world is our people, multi-cultural heritage, and reciprocal connection with the land and ocean,” said Mufi Hannemann, HTA board chair. “The Mālama Hawai‘i dashboard allows visitors to easily connect with nonprofits seeking volunteers to support our community in ways such as restoring Hawaiian fishponds, sorting food donations at food banks, and helping at community events.”

Tourists can explore the Mālama Hawai‘i volunteer opportunities, including special initiatives to assist Maui’s recovery from the August 2023 wildfires. By RSVPing to volunteer, tourists initiate communication with the partner organizations for more details. They also have the option to make direct financial contributions to these nonprofits.

“HTA’s partnership with Kanu Hawai‘i in developing the Mālama Hawai‘i dashboard is an example of regenerative tourism development benefiting our community,” said Daniel Nāho‘opi‘i, HTA’s interim president and CEO. “By integrating Kanu Hawai‘i’s system and their network of nonprofit organizations throughout the state, we are seamlessly connecting visitors with even more opportunities to improve our home for future generations.”

A custom reporting dashboard has also been designed to track key metrics statewide and by island, including the number of volunteers who sign up and the number of service hours provided. Nāho‘opi‘i added, “HTA will gather this baseline and ongoing data of visitors participating in these volunteer opportunities, which will also minimize the burden on the organizations and community groups to collect and report the information.”
 
“We need to invest more in quantifiable actions that will inform whether we are making a difference when it comes to responsible and regenerative tourism,” said Keone Kealoha, executive director of Kanu Hawaiʻi. “Creating a clear pathway for visitors to actionize the Mālama Hawaiʻi message through volunteering is one way we can do that. Not only is it a positive giveback to Hawaiʻi, it’s an experience that many will say was the highlight of their visit.”

Throughout April, HTA backs Volunteer Month, hosted by Kanu Hawai‘i, under its 2024 Community Enrichment program. This initiative promotes experiences created within the community for its own members, which are also shared with tourists. This extensive, collaborative campaign unites locals, tourists, nonprofit organizations, businesses, educational institutions, and government bodies in a unified drive for grassroots actions that benefit the communities across Hawai‘i.

The HTA, along with the Hawai‘i Tourism USA team, rolled out the Mālama Hawai‘i program in 2020 amidst the pandemic. The program, a blend of private and public partnership, has since expanded to include 36 entities across the state. These participating groups, listed on a dedicated dashboard, have met HTA’s Visitor Readiness Checklist criteria. This ensures they are well-equipped and have the capacity to welcome tourists to join residents in their activities.

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