Molokai RDP

Molokai Rural Development Project:

Visitor Industry Initiative

RDP entered into an agreement with the University of Hawaii College of Social Sciences and the Molokai Enterprise Community – Ke ‘Aupuni Lokahi to develop a five year responsible tourism plan appropriate for Molokai and incorporating community guidelines for stewardship of the island’s environmental, cultural, and infrastructure resources. RDP’s primary goal in contracting these entities was to provide a basis for identifying viable jobs and economic opportunities for its residents in this sector and provide associated work training.

The following are some of the highlights and recommendations from the Molokai Responsible Tourism Initiative - Community-Based Visitor Plan:

Goal: To develop a five-year plan for sustainable tourism on Molokai in order to increase jobs and small business opportunities for residents. The level of expansion needs to be acceptable to Molokai residents, respectful of the Native Hawaiian culture, and protective of the island’s natural resources.

Features of Community Tourism:
- Involves travel-related offerings created and operated by local, traditional, or indigenous populations to enhance their quality of life, protect and restore the environmental and cultural assets and engage visitors on terms defined by the area’s inhabitants.
- Activities evolve as a solution to economic, environmental, social, educational, and cultural growth challenges.
- Yields a fair exchange of value between the host and the hosted.
- Preserves the community’s sense of place, and brings dignity and pride to the host.
- Invites far more intimacy in the relationship between host and guest than is normally afforded by other tourism business models.
- Features far more authentic and genuine activities for guests, because the activities are for the community and not constructed specifically to entertain the stranger.
- Shares its real culture by the people who practice it.
- Place boundaries and limitations on how many visitors can be accommodated so that the sense of place is not overwhelmed by large scale tourism, and the ratio between the local population and the visitor count remains in balance
Creation of a Visitor Coordinator position to work closely with a community taskforce to create, develop, and preserve ongoing local events and activities that could attract and sustain an increased visitor count. Develop, implement, promote organized, community-based activities, such as softball tournaments, high school and community athletic events and tournaments, class reunions of local high school, family reunions, cultural exchange/educational tours, and small, local conferences. Collaborate with local, statewide, and national businesses, groups, organizations, and individuals. Success measured with an increase in the number of jobs in the visitor industry and an increase in contributions to the island’s economy from visitor activities and retail purchases.

Elements of 5-Year Plan to be Implemented by Visitor Coordinator:
- Establish and sustain island wide community network
- Develop a central calendar of events; plan and expand ongoing activities; coordinate complementary activities/events.
- Set up central clearinghouse system and office
- Develop community website
- Develop proposals and fundraise
- Seek capital improvement funds for Malama Park. Create a plan for activities. Launch activities and programs at park.
- Identify kama`aina visitor market. Link kama`aina visitors and `ohana events with re-opened Kaluako`i Hotel. Link resident entrepreneur cohorts with hotel.
- Organize classes and workshops for resident entrepreneur cohorts.
- Create Molokai visitor database.
- Coordinate future community planning upon review of data and outcomes evaluation.

The Molokai Enterprise Community has since hired a Visitor Coordinator to implement the objectives of this plan.

Training: HOST 90V Customer Service Excellence

This training arose from the results and findings of the RDP sponsored “Molokai Responsible Tourism Initiative: A Community-Based Visitor Plan” and also incorporates key input from individuals and employers on-island working in the hospitality and customer service related industries. The course HOST 90 V: Customer Service Excellence is a curriculum designed after partner meeting discussions and is specifically tailored to suit Molokai’s needs for an expanded tourism base. The project is geared to train a potential workforce in hospitality and customer service-based industries as well as provide an opportunity for skills upgrade of employees currently working in these fields.

The training runs in tandem with and complementary to the Hospitality and Tourism Associates Degree in Applied Science offered at the MCC Molokai Education Center from Spring 2007 and throughout the oncoming semesters. Students have several options for earned credit hours: a 9-credit Certificate of Competence, 15 credits for a Certificate of Completion, 33 credits for a Certificate of Achievement, and 63 credit hours for a Hospitality & Tourism AS Degree. The college will be offering the following courses over the Spring and Fall 2007 semesters that will fulfill Certificate of Competence and Certificate of Completion requirements:

• HOST 20 – Orientation to the Travel Industry
• ENG 55 – Business Communications
• MATH 23 – Practical Algebra
• HOST 101 – Introduction to Hospitality & Tourism
• BUSN 150 – Introduction to Business Computing
• ENG 100 – Composition I
• MATH 100 – Survey of Math
• HOST 152 – Front Office Operations

RDP’s training and the community college’s course offerings are direct results of collaboration with Molokai employers and community partners who have identified a critical need for workforce training in this arena. Of particular importance is preparation of potential employees of the Kaluakoi Hotel which is slated for reopening by the end of 2007. The training will also address the needs for retention and increased skills development of personnel currently serving existing hotels. Finally, the training is broad-based to encompass all service industry employees and prospective employees who will also need to meet the growing demands of an expanded tourism base on Molokai.

The training course covers a variety of topics geared towards anyone working in the field of customer service including those in the hospitality industry, the food service industry, the entertainment industry, as well as those in retail sales and general business. Topics include general customer service vs. customer service with excellence; dealing with difficult customers; human resources; communications and telephone etiquette; travel industry components; sales and marketing; sense of place; and cultural sensitivity. Training methodologies include short lectures, guest speakers, hands-on activities and games, journaling, group and individual work. At the end of this course students will:

• Understand and view their customers from a positive light
• Handle the stress of one-to one communication in difficult situations
• Communicate effectively in person, in writing, and over the telephone
• Appreciate the sense of place in which they work
• Recognize and perform customer service with excellence
• Understand that it is essential for all people to work together (laulima)

This course supplements the MCC-Molokai Education Center’s Certificate offerings Hospitality & Tourism AS Degree program. Training will lead to upgraded skills building of the existing workforce in the hospitality and customer service related industries on island, as well as increase employability for prospective employees needed for an estimated 50-110 jobs at the Kaluakoi Resort which is slated for re-opening in December 2007.

Final Report

Reach Molokai RDP by phone: (808) 553-8209, (808) 660-3720; By Fax: (866)-438-3813 or mail correspondence to: Molokai RDP c/o MCC-Molokai Education Center, P.O. BOX 440, Kaunakakai, HI 96748.

Home - Useful Links