Diamond Head State Monument to require reservations for out-of-state visitors (rent, amusement park)

[whtviper1]

This is going to catch a lot of people off guard -

https://www.staradvertiser.com/2022/...tate-visitors/

The Diamond Head State Monument will begin requiring advanced reservations for out-of-state visitors to enter the park starting May 12.

The Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources announced today that Diamond Head will become the third park unit in the Hawaii state park system to require advanced reservations from non-residents.

Hawaii residents, meanwhile, may still access Diamond Head for free and without reservations, but entry may depend on parking availability.

[prospectheightsresident]

I've never been. But apparently popular with the masses. You may manage crowds better with a reservation system at the locations requiring reservations, but I gather it won't stop people from visiting the state. You'd probably have to require reservations for the beach in order to have that effect.

[hotzcatz]

Will locals have to pay to park? I used to run up and down Diamond Head occasionally, it was a fun hike with the interesting bunkers up on the top, but then they started paving it and it just didn't seem real 'hike like' much anymore. That was awhile ago, though.


And which governor was it who wanted to put an amusement park inside Diamond Head?

[whtviper1]

Originally Posted by hotzcatz

Will locals have to pay to park?

No - if you can get a spot.

[prospectheightsresident]

When we were last in Hawaii in September, we did try to go to Diamond Head just to say we went. But the parking situation was terrible so we turned around. It reminded me of the parking situation at the Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles, where we also ended up not going due to not being able to find parking.

[Beachbum808]

Here's an idea:

Let's just stop spending millions of tax dollars funding the Hawaii Tourism Authority, whose primary job is to attract visitors and their money, and "go dark". Spend that money on infrastructure instead. Fix the schools, the roads, the parks, the dilapidated structures and property that belong to the State and C&C, increase pay for teachers and others that are simply being taken advantage of.

It makes no sense attracting more and more visitors, and then limiting where they can rent lodging, where they can park, what venues they can visit and when, requiring reservations, limiting where photos can be taken, etc. etc... Even the views are intentionally blocked by very high vegetation along many main roads, coastal and inland, preventing enjoyment of the scenery from all but a few controlled areas, and insecure locations that are known, easy and frequent opportunities for theft.

No one seems to want tourists anywhere...they just want their money, which is not even important enough to clean up the homeless problem in this otherwise beautiful tourist "destination". It is truly embarrassing!

[whtviper1]

Originally Posted by Beachbum808

Here's an idea:

Let's just stop spending millions of tax dollars funding the Hawaii Tourism Authority, whose primary job is to attract visitors and their money, and "go dark". Spend that money on infrastructure instead. Fix the schools, the roads, the parks, the dilapidated structures and property that belong to the State and C&C, increase pay for teachers and others that are simply being taken advantage of.

The budget was already recently cut 20%+ and some islands and the budget they do have would give a whopping raise of $4,600 to each DOE teacher - and then you'd start having layoffs when tourism declines.

The solution is making tourists pay more - get wealthier tourists to fund the initiatives you suggest.