PHASE 2: Community Participation & Tourism Management Solutions

As part of the Kuʻu Home Stewardship initiative, Phase 2 gathers direct community feedback and identifies key challenges and actionable solutions to manage commercial tourism in Keaukaha. This phase outlines community concerns and proposed solutions for managing tourism along the Keaukaha Coastline, split into Commercial Tourism (organized tour buses/vans) and Fully Independent Travelers (FIT) (visitors that arrive by rental car)

  1. Driving & Parking Hazards

Key Problems:

Commercial tour vehicles operate without standardized loading or unloading procedures, leading to dangerous traffic congestion, blocked driveways, and long idling times in residential areas.   Tour vehicles unload indiscriminately in parking lots, on gravel, and along roadsides.   Large tour vans struggle to make turns into Waiuli Beach Park, causing hazardous traffic backups and delaying resident access.   

Proposed Solutions:

  • Permits & Licensing: Establish mandatory commercial tourism permits with annual recertification to curb misuse, enforce accountability, and strictly limit capacity.   
  • Vehicle Restrictions: Prohibit large commercial buses and restrict commercial tour vehicles to 15-passenger-style vans, which fit in standard parking stalls and turn into Waiuli without stopping traffic.   
  • Staging & Routes: Designate commercial van routes and off/on-loading points away from residential zones. Require vans to stage/park at the Lehia Park area before returning to pick up passengers.   
  • Pedestrian Paths: Create dedicated walking paths for commercial tourists staying ~30 minutes to separate tourist flow from community space.
  • FIT: Restrict local parking lots to Hawaiʻi residents and require non-residents to use off-site shuttles (e.g., from Bayfront). 
  • Develop designated new parking spaces or partner with the local community to manage parking at Lehia Park

 

  1. Parking Congestion & Overflow

Key Problems:Severe overflow parking alongside roads near Waiuli and 4 Miles.

Proposed Solutions / Community Feedback:

  • The community is cautious about adding more parking stalls out of concern that it will attract more visitors into Keaukaha. 
  • There is no support for establishing separate resident vs. non-resident parking areas.
  • FIT tourist, to park at designated areas, outside of Keaukaha and shuttle into Keauakaha beaches.

 

  1. Overcrowding & Capacity

Key Problems: High visitor volumes disrupt the natural beauty and serenity of recreational spaces, with Waiuli and 4 Miles heavily impacted by tour groups and general visitor activity. 

Concern: Regulatory Oversight Gaps. Commercial activity has historically lacked clear regulation and licensing from the County Department of Parks and Recreation.

Proposed Solutions:

  • Establish clear permitting and reservation rules across specific County Beach Parks (such as Lehia, Waiuli/Richardson, Waiolena, Carlsmith, Onekahakaha, Kūhio, and Reed’s Bay) or prohibit commercial activity across all parks.
  • Commercial Limits: Overall community sentiment is shifting toward prohibiting commercial tourism at Keaukaha beach parks. If allowed, limit visits to a maximum of one 15-passenger tour van per every ½ hour, with no commercial vans allowed on weekends or school breaks.
  • Reservation System: Implement a reservation system (such as a tri-park ticket similar to Hāpuna Beach Park) where tickets grant access to look for parking without guaranteeing a stall.
  • Capacity Caps & Transit: Implement a time-window reservation system for commercial vans (e.g., 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM) to avoid morning and afternoon school/work traffic. Cap commercial arrivals to fixed hourly limits (e.g., 1 van per hour or 1 van per 30 minutes) 
  • Explore shuttle services for tourists.
  • Alternative Venues: Shift and promote commercial tourism experiences outside of Keaukaha (such as Hilo One)

 

  1. Behavioral & CulturalConcernsKey Problems: Passengers unload without orientation, resulting in large groups wandering aimlessly without understanding or respecting the cultural significance of Keaukaha. Unguided visitor groups often lack cultural orientation, fail to generate direct local economic benefits, and lack accountability.

Proposed Solutions:

  • Utilize the mandatory commercial permit and annual recertification process to enforce operator accountability and correct driver/company behaviors.
  • :Require mandatory permits, licenses, and annual recertification for all commercial tour operators and drivers. Require driver and operator education covering proper loading protocols, community relation guidelines, Native Hawaiian/Hawaiian Homelands history, and Wahi Pana (place names and stories).
  • 5.Direct Local Economic Benefit
  • Key Problems: Tourism revenue rarely reaches the local community to support infrastructure or maintenance.
  • Proposed Solutions:Charge a non-resident park access fee to directly fund community stewardship and beach park maintenance and limit overall tourist usage.
  1. Ocean Safety & Emergency Preparedness

Key Problems: Issues surrounding safe ocean access points, swimming education, traversing rocky coastlines/cliffs, and lack of clear emergency evacuation plans for residents and visitors when ocean conditions become dangerous.

Proposed Solutions:

  • Require visitors to watch a safety video reviewing ocean safety and emergency preparedness before gaining access to purchase park entry tickets.

[Click here to take the survey or scan the QR code)

https://bit.ly/kuuhome2

 



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