This past weekend we did another Waikiki staycation. However, things were markedly different compared to our last few stays during the pandemic. The biggest difference, of course, being that the crowds are back in Waikiki! It was crazy, though nowhere near as bad as Miami.
I’ll get around to reviewing our recent staycation soon. For now, though, I’d leet to let you guys know that things are picking up again in Waikiki. In fact, arrival numbers have been on the rise for months now. Back in January, we were seeing an average of about 7,000 domestic passengers per day. In February, that rose to roughly 9,000 to 10,000 passengers per day. But, since the beginning of March, those numbers began shooting up quickly, culminating in over 22,000 arrivals on Saturday, March 20, alone. That’s just 8,000 less than our daily average in 2019. And half of those arriving in Hawaii do so in Honolulu.
The Crowds Are Back
With that many people making their way to the islands – and Oahu in particular – things are decidedly more crowded these days. The sidewalks are once again filled with visitors and locals strolling about. Store have patrons shopping in them once again, and restaurants are as packed as they’re legally allowed to be. And that brings about a major problem. Honolulu restaurants no longer have capacity restrictions. But, they must maintain a distance of six feet between tables and maximum party sizes of 10.
Don’t get me wrong; I think we should maintain these restrictions for the time being. With the crush of people now in Waikiki, though, this is leading to exceedingly long wait times. The crowds outside of The Cheesecake Factory at the Royal Hawaiian Center, for example, were epic. The line just to get your name on the list was insane too. Fortunately, we were there to pick up an online order for desserts, but even that was an ordeal in itself.
Heck, when I was making plans for our staycation, I couldn’t find available dining slots any time before 8:30 pm, nearly a week out. Granted, we did stay during spring break, but still. Luckily, we needed up securing a coveted take-out special from Sushi Sho Waikiki to enjoy in our room instead.
Behavior
Having the crowds back is certainly good for business. But, the crowds bring with them a major implication. When people are on vacation, they tend to act, well… Not so good. This was a problem in Hawaii before COVID-19 as tourists would disrespect cultural sites, residents, and even our laws. Now, though, things seem far worse. Many of the visitors I witnessed in Waikiki now seem far more entitled and callous than before. About half weren’t wearing masks, few ever followed hotel and business rules limiting elevator capacities, even fewer followed social distancing guidelines, and a huge majority paid no heed to traffic laws. The rampant jaywalking, even with oncoming cars approaching, was shocking.
Nevermind the pandemic for a minute here. Running out into a busy street like Kalakaua Avenue against the light with oncoming cars is stupid. It’s also just one of the types of behaviors that annoys the hell out of residents. It’s part of the reason why traffic is the way it is in Waikiki. So, please, wait for your turn!
Masks
Back to masks. Many people weren’t wearing them. This is especially true of visitors. Most locals we saw, even when heading to or coming back from the beach, had masks on. But many tourists, even those strolling along Kalakaua Avenue, weren’t wearing masks. Many in the International Market Place weren’t either in clear violation of the center’s masking policy.
Now, I don’t care where you’re from. But you need to follow our local laws and emergency orders. If you don’t, not only are you putting other visitors and residents at risk, but you could contribute to a rise in cases. And if cases rise high enough, Oahu will slide back into Tier 2 of its reopening strategy, placing strict limitations on restaurants, bars, attractions, and more. Needless to say, that would ruin future visitors’ time in Hawaii. Think I’m joking? Case rates are already on the rise once again.
For those of you that don’t know, Hawaii statewide emergency orders require masks to be worn at all times indoors except for certain activities such as eating and drinking. Masks must also be worn outside when social distancing isn’t possible. So, you know, in those crowded lines, when the streets get really packed, etc. Also, businesses have the right to institute their own stricter rules. Be respectful and follow their rules. Failure to do so could result in your arrest.
Oh, and, wearing your mask around your chin doesn’t count…
Pandemic Update
As I mentioned earlier, cases are on the rise once again in Hawaii. Heck, cases are on the rise in 21 states right now, while a third wave is hitting other countries around the world. But, back here in Honolulu, we’ve seen cases rise from a 14-day average of 20 new cases per day only two weeks ago to an average of 43 new cases per day on Monday, March 22. That’s an 80% increase in the past two weeks. It also places us close to the 50 cases per day threshold that would force us back into Tier 2 of the reopening strategy. Honolulu’s test positivity rate also jumped from 0.9% to 1.6% during that same time.
The Hawaii Department of Health notes that our rising rate of infection is directly correlated with Honolulu’s move to Tier 2 and the increases in arriving visitors. And the trends certainly do match up perfectly.
What’s more, Hawaii’s hospitality workers only became eligible for the vaccine on March 15. Hawaii has one of the slowest rollouts in the nation. In fact, the national average says 1 in 4 Americans have already received at least one dose of a vaccine. But guess what the ratio is like in Hawaii? 1 in 5. What’s more, three of Oahu’s hospitals have ICU occupancy rates above 75% already.
The Crowds Are Back in Waikiki, Final Thoughts
Look, I don’t care if you believe the virus is real or not. Nor do I care what your home state’s rules are like. This is Hawaii and we have our own emergency orders in place. Things were going well for a time too, and now they’re not. To be clear, I’m not blaming all of this on visitors. There are lots of irresponsible residents too. But, if we want things to remain open, we all have to do our part. So please, for the sake of our business owners, our industry workers, other visitors, and even residents, wear a mask, keep your distance, and heed all emergency orders and existing laws. I’m grateful things aren’t as bad here as they are in Miami, but things are about to get worse if we don’t act now.
The self selection bias of those who have already started traveling to Hawaii from the mainland means that the non-adherence to rules among current visitors is totally unsurprising.
Case rates nationally are still high and vaccinated+recovered rate is still less than 50%. Politicians are too weak to say that reopening must wait until that rate is 90%+. So they reopen and then act shocked at social activity and travel driving the next wave of infections.
You’re absolutely right, Jig. It’s just disheartening and appalling to see this kind of disregard for others.
Yes, it is. And it’s actually a cop-out to blame the politicians as I did. They are just a mirror to the disregard you mentioned among a large portion of us, the people. Again, unsurprising given that portion’s broader societal attitudes.
I wonder why Hawai’i’s politicians don’t use law enforcement to crack down harder on unruly visitor behavior? Is it incompetence or fear of impact on visitors’ willingness to come? Surely a stronger enforcement posture would actually discourage miscreants and encourage a more considerate type of visitor. There wouldn’t seem to be any political price for a stronger attitude in this state.
You hit the nail right on the head. Stronger enforcement of any laws, emergency orders, etc. have been shied away from when dealing with tourists out of fear that they’ll be angered and stop coming. Ironically, it was COVID and the ensuing lockdowns that gave our politicians irrefutable proof that our level of tourism is harming our delicate ecosystem and that something should be done about it. So, finally, they’re enacting capacity limits, raising fees, etc. for some popular attractions such as Hanauma Bay. But, our politicians are stopping short of creating real change here – especially since their budget has taken a huge hit from the downturn in tourism. Alas, no one in our government is capable of thinking outside of the box, nor are they able to grow a pair. Our own Lt. Gov., once the champion of keeping Hawaii safe, is doing all he can to rush reopening to appease business owners since he’s looking to run for Governor in 2024. Nowadays, he blatantly ignores the science and the hard math, whereas this time last year he was rubbing it in our Governor’s face.
If you cater to red state trash, those are the people who will show up. I personally stay away from Waikiki, as I think it exemplifies everything wrong with tourism. Entitled, ignorant tourists, housing projects, transient hotels, predatory merchants. Waikiki needs to be torn down or walled off. Tourists who can afford decent resorts actually show respect to the locals, who aren’t trying to rip them off.
You’re not wrong, Steven. The difference in behavior we witnessed between the Ritz-Carlton Residence Waikiki and most other hotels was quite the contrast. But, I wouldn’t write off Waikiki completely. There are a lot of fantastic businesses there worth patronizing. If you take a look at some of my past posts about La Vie Waikiki, Sushi Sho Waikiki, Hawaiian Crown Cafe, and a few others, these are all businesses I love and wouldn’t hesitate to return to. A friend of mine also open a little hole-in-the-wall ice cream shop that’s right next door to a similarly humble Italian take-out spot that are well worth the trek into Waikiki in my opinion. Stay tuned for my post on them as well!
It’s kind of funny. I’m here reading a post about respect for others and I see comments like “Red State Trash” and I have to laugh out loud at the irony. It’s part of what is wrong with this world. It seems sometimes those that preach tolerance are the last to afford it to others.
My wife and I will be visiting at the end of the month from one of these “Red Trash States”. Despite both of us being fully vaccinated we are very aware of the current rules and plan on following them to the letter. In fact, we’ll probably go above and beyond. We’re really hoping things don’t get more locked down before we get there–but if that’s what it takes to keep Hawaii and it’s residents and visitors safe, then it’s time to crack the whip.
When we visit, we still hit some of the “touristy” locations, but we usually like to avoid most of the super over-populated places. I came across this blog while I was trying to find out how some of the more “local” venues are faring with current crowd levels. How crowded are the non-Waikiki beaches like Shark’s Cove, or Electric Beach (two of my favorite shore dive locations)?
What about the more “local” restaurants? Are crowds pretty crazy there as well? Have they subsided now that Spring Breaks are winding down or are they getting worse?
I agree with everything that Island Miller is saying about people just needing more respect and human decency. If everyone played by those rules, so many of the world’s problems (including the current pandemic) would end.
Praying that one day we will get there.
Agreed. Generalizations are hurtful and uncalled for. It isn’t one demographic that behaves poorly – a subset of every demographic does. Sadly, the political environment as of late is only intensifying these generalizations. Personally, I have friends across many different walks of life, political leanings, etc. We all get along because we appreciate each other for being humans that, more often than not, have many common interests.
That said, just the other week I took a drive around the island. Shark’s Cove was packed, as was Electric Beach. Part of this was likely because it was Good Friday, so many had the day off. So, hopefully, you’ll find slightly less crowds during week days. It’s worth noting, though, that visitor arrival numbers remain fairly high. In fact, on average, the state is seeing a recovery of 66% of pre-pandemic totals with Maui seeing visitor arrivals exceeding 100% of their 2019 averages.
As far as restaurants crowds go, it really depends what you’re looking at. Popular spots such as Roy’s, the new Hau Tree, La Vie Waikiki, Merriman’s, etc. are still difficult to secure reservations at, even during weekdays. But, hidden gems, places more off the beaten path, and chains have gotten significantly easier to get reservations for on week days. That could also change come May 5, though, as our 7-day average has remained above 50. My suggestion is to lock-in any coveted spots you can now. Just in case.
Also, if you don’t have a rental car yet, you should look into it ASAP. prices are insanely high as demand is far outpacing supply. However, a great alternative would be to use Hawaii’s own car share service Drive Hui by Servco Pacific. All cars are Toyota or Lexus with prices starting at $84 per day – Prius is the base model offered. Not bad considering you’re only required to return the car with a quarter tank of gas and insurance and roadside assistance is included.
At any rate, let me know if you need any help with your Hawaii plans. And thank you in advance for being a responsible traveler!
Thanks man. And thanks for the tips. We’re really excited to get back there, it’s been nearly 4 years and that’s too long to go without tasting paradise. Added bonus that it’s a big anniversary for us. 25 years. I’m not sure how she lasted this long. . :)
That is a long time. But don’t feel too bad. It’s been longer than that since I’ve been to Maui and Kauai haha. Do let me know if you want any recommendations, etc. while here – always happy to help! Oh and, happy anniversary! I think your silver jubilee deserves an extra special celebration, eh?