O'AHU — Regenerative tourism creates positive impacts, preserves natural environments, supports local communities and provides meaningful, sustainable experiences for travelers. O'ahu's commitment to this tourism approach emphasizes safeguarding the island's cultural and environmental heritage while promoting eco-conscious practices, supporting local businesses, reducing carbon emissions and more. Key initiatives also emphasize community involvement and the pono (proper) promotion of Hawaiian culture and traditions. Through regenerative tourism, O'ahu aims to protect its natural world and support its communities for future generations, offering travelers a responsible and enriching way to experience the island.

Read on to learn about regenerative tourism activities happening now on O'ahu.

Participate in Activities That Give Back
Travelers can leave a positive impact on themselves and Hawaiʻi by participating in activities that give back to the island's natural world and culture. Such initiatives promote mālama (care) for Oʻahu's landscapes, surrounding ocean and communities while creating memorable experiences and deeper connections to the island for visitors.

• Kailua Beach Adventures engages with Oʻahu's natural environment and local community hosting monthly beach cleanups and community events encouraging visitors and residents to take an active role in preserving Kailua's coastline. In addition, Kailua Beach Adventures works closely with Hawai'i Marine Animal Response to report sightings of endangered marine species. By partnering with local conservation organizations, providing volunteer-day participants the equipment they need to join in, and promoting mālama ʻāina (caring for the land), its team aims to safeguard native ecosystems and marine life for future generations. KailuaBeachAdventures.com
• Romer House Waikīkī is a proud supporter of Honolulu's Genki Ala Wai Project, a community movement working to restore the Ala Wai Canal's ecosystem to make it fishable and swimmable again by 2026. The project's work aims to clean the canal by creating eco-friendly mud balls called genki balls, containing Effective Microorganisms® (EM®) eliminating toxic sludge. Upon request, guests of Romer House Waikiki are welcome to volunteer with Genki Ala Wai Project to make and toss genki mud balls into the canal to help with restoration efforts. RomerHotels.com
• As part of Romer's Love Thy Neighborhood Initiative, in collaboration with the City and County of Honolulu, Romer Waikīkī at the Ambassador and Romer House Waikīkī hotels have adopted King Kalākaua Park in Waikīkī. On the second Thursday of every month, from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m., the hotels host a communal park cleanup and neighbor meetup. After the cleanup, participants head back to the Romer Waikīkī at the Ambassador for a Friends-of-Romer Pau Hana (Happy Hour). RomerHotels.com
• VolunteerAlly is a Hawai'i-based online platform connecting residents and visitors who want to participate in volunteer activities with the local nonprofit organizations welcoming their help. With a goal of simplifying and streamlining the volunteering process, VolunteerAlly has partnered with more than 50 O'ahu nonprofits in search of volunteers for beach and coastline cleanups, nature trail maintenance, environmental conservation projects, cultural preservation initiatives and community development efforts. Just check out VolunteerAlly's website, browse its current volunteer opportunities and sign up for the project — or projects — you want to volunteer with. Your participation and help will have lasting, meaningful impacts on Hawai'i and its communities. VolunteerAlly.org

Support, Explore and Immerse Yourself in All Things Local
Supporting local artists, farmers and businesses while you take in Oʻahu's culture and visit its communities encourages responsible travel. On your travels, explore sustainable hotels, unique culinary offerings and vibrant events.

• Deck Waikīkī and Queen Kapiʻolani Hotel recently kicked off their Cocktail of the Quarter initiative, introducing the On the Lānai Mai Tai. The cocktail features hibiscus-infused Kōloa Rum Company rum, blueberry syrup, guava, lime and a dark rum float. A portion of proceeds from every cocktail sold is donated to the Hawaiian Humane Society. QueenKapiolani.com
• KoaWood Ranch is a Hawaiʻi lifestyle brand rooted in the restoration of Hawaiʻi's koa forests. Its stores offer an assortment of Hawaiian koa wood products, including jewelry, gifts and accessories. Proceeds from purchases help support the brand's koa tree conservation project. You'll find KoaWood Ranch's retail shop at the International Market Place in Waikīkī. ShopInternationalMarketPlace.com
• The Kuilima Farm Stand on O'ahu's North Shore offers a variety of farm-produced goods, prioritizing local-made Hawai'i products and supporting small businesses, farmers and artisans from the area and across the Hawaiian Islands. Produce at the stand is harvested and delivered fresh twice weekly and available for purchase. Featured vendors at Kuilima Farm Stand include Laie Vanilla Company, Hānai Hives, Shaka Tribe Designs and Hale'iwa Salt Co. KuilimaFarm.com
• Chef Peter Merriman of Merriman's Hawaii recently undertook a new approach to minimizing the carbon footprints of his restaurants, launching a boxed wine program across his Merriman's Hawaii and Handcrafted Restaurants locations. Merriman's new Planet Friendly Fine Wine initiative has decreased the carbon footprints of his restaurants by more than 50%, lessening the amount of fuel used to ship and recycle traditional wine bottles. His initial rollout of the boxed wine program will replace 1,344 bottles with 336 boxes. On O'ahu, travelers can dine at Merriman's Honolulu restaurant in Kaka'ako's Ward Village. MerrimansHawaii.com
• Locally owned Onepaʻa Hawaiʻi offers inclusive, high-quality women's swimwear made from upcycled ocean plastic such as discarded fishing gear. Each piece supports marine conservation and promotes cleaner oceans. OnepaaHawaii.com
• Held on Mondays from 4 to 8 p.m., the Waikiki Beach Walk Open Market (Kū'ai Hele) offers an eco-friendly way to support local businesses while discovering unique souvenirs, handmade art and snacks to take home. WaikikiBeachWalk.com

Learn About and Embrace Hawaiian Culture
The following are new O'ahu initiatives celebrating the knowledge, traditions, practices and history of the state's indigenous Hawaiian culture.

• 'Alohilani Resort provides its guests with opportunities to connect with Hawaiian culture, encouraging regenerative tourism by sharing a deep respect for and understanding of local traditions and communities. Guests can participate in weekly educational classes, including lei making, hula and Hawaiian story time on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. Additional resort sustainability efforts include water conservation, energy efficiency, waste reduction and local sourcing. The resort has partnered with Hawaiian Legacy Reforestation Initiative, a nonprofit organization committed to returning the indigenous koa, milo and sandalwood trees to the Hawaiian Islands. AlohilaniResort.com
• Aqua-Aston Hospitality offers guests opportunities to connect with Hawaiian culture and heritage, with each property presenting immersive on-site cultural experiences, including hula lessons, ʻukulele lessons and more. Additionally, guests at all Oʻahu Aqua-Aston Hospitality properties enjoy complimentary admission for two to the Bishop Museum and Honolulu Museum of Art. AquaAston.com
• The new home of the Hawaiian Music Hall of Fame is the Office of Hawaiian Affairs atrium on the second floor of Nā Lama Kukui. In partnership with Make Music Hawai'i, the space will host monthly Make Music Hawai'i Jam sessions on the 21st of each month, open for in-person attendance and live-streamed. HMHOF.org
• One of Waikīkī's first GPS-enabled audio tours, the International Market Place's Cultural Audio Tour aims to illuminate the area's rich history and promote cultural understanding through stories, sound and music. The free TravelStorys audio app is available for download in English, Japanese and 'ōlelo Hawai'i (Hawaiian language). As app users explore the center, geotags will initiate soundbites at 20 architectural features, sharing knowledge of significant people, places and practices that have shaped the Waikīkī area's history. ShopInternationalMarketPlace.com
• Enjoy ʻIolani Palace, the official residence of Hawai'i's monarch, and experience its opulence, innovation and political intrigue in a variety of ways. Choose from a variety of docent-led and self-guided tours to learn about the Palace's history. Every Friday from noon to 1 p.m., enjoy a live performance by the Royal Hawaiian Band, the only band in the U.S. with a royal legacy, on the Palace grounds. IolaniPalace.org
• Royal Hawaiian Center, in partnership with INPEACE, is presenting Kaulele at Helumoa, an interactive cultural and STEM exhibit featuring Hawaiian regenerative practices, including loko iʻa (Hawaiian fishponds) restoration, kapa (Hawaiian bark cloth) making and kaulana mahina (Hawaiian lunar calendar) reading. The exhibit is designed to invite guests to observe, explore and learn how early Hawaiian practices contribute to modern-day sustainability, environmental stewardship and community well-being. The exhibit runs through March 29, 2025, and is open Tuesdays through Fridays, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Saturdays, from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. InPeace.org
• Wahi Pana: O'ahu's Storied Places is a public art initiative exploring the layered and profound moʻolelo (stories) of the ʻāina (land) to inspire respect and provide educational experiences for all who experience its installations. The project brings to life a series of 11 multimedia installations island wide, connecting key destinations with Native Hawaiian stories of the location. Each installation, crafted by local artists, encourages the public to engage beyond surface knowledge, inviting deeper understanding of the people and places that inspired each location. Created in partnership with the City and County of Honolulu, Bloomberg Philanthropies, Puʻuhonua Society, Aupuni Space, Hawai'i Contemporary, the O'ahu Visitors Bureau and the Bishop Museum, Wahi Pana installations will be on display from 2025 through 2028. WahiPana.com

Accommodations Doing Good and Giving Back
Oʻahu accommodations are embracing regenerative tourism by implementing eco-friendly initiatives and supporting local communities. From organizing beach cleanups and adopting public parks to promoting cultural education and reforestation efforts, hotels like Halekulani, Halepuna, Renaissance Honolulu Hotel and Spa and Twin Fin Waikiki are giving back while offering guests a sustainable and enriching travel experience.

• With a commitment to practicing sustainable and regenerative tourism, Halekulani utilizes wood key cards for guest rooms and has transitioned from plastic to aluminum water bottles throughout the hotel. In addition, the hotel's newly reopened SpaHalekulani continues to partner with Green Circle Salons, a leading organization in sustainable practices for repurposing, recycling and capturing salon and spa waste. The collaboration aims to ensure materials such as hair clippings, color tubes, foils, wax, chemicals, electronics and various recyclables are processed in an eco-efficient manner reducing their impact on landfill waste. Halekulani.com
• Halekulani sister property Halepuna Waikiki's sustainable and regenerative tourism efforts include eco-friendly initiatives such as wood key cards for guest rooms, refillable water stations and complimentary reusable water bottles for all guests. Additionally, Halepuna's partnership with the Hawaiian Legacy Reforestation Initiative (HLRI) donates proceeds from each purchase of signature Halepuna logo collection items toward supporting HLRI's mission of restoring and preserving the biodiversity of Hawaiʻi's native forests. Halepuna.com
• Renaissance Honolulu Hotel and Spa opened in February 2024 as the first new-build hotel on Oʻahu in over two decades. Its spaces implement multiple elements contributing to environmental sustainability, including room air-conditioning sensors that auto shut off when any door is opened, light sensors that automatically shut off throughout the property, Energy Star-certified appliances in its Residence Suites, on-property EV charging stations and more. Marriott.com
• The Twin Fin Hotel in Waikīkī recently partnered with Boomerang to eliminate single-use plastics throughout the property. Using Boomerang's closed-loop, semi-automated system, Twin Fin Waikiki is now refilling up to 400 reusable water bottles an hour in-house using locally sourced water. In addition, The Twin Fin and global environmental organization Parley for the Oceans have entered a multiyear partnership committing to help protect Hawaiʻi's beaches and coastlines. The Twin Fin's pop-up AIR Station educates guests and offers opportunities for them to get involved in local restoration efforts. At the property's Parley Interactive Classroom, guests can learn about how they can help protect Earth's oceans while creating unique art pieces from marine debris collected from Hawaiʻi's beaches. TwinFinWaikiki.com

Exploring the Hawaiian Islands Via Alternative Transportation
While driving a gas-powered rental car remains an easy go-to option for checking out attractions and getting around the Hawaiian Islands, travelers to O'ahu will be pleasantly surprised to learn they can also seamlessly explore the island utilizing the diverse options for alternative modes of transportation.

• Biki is the sixth-most-used bikeshare system in the country and a kamaʻāina-based system contributing to Honolulu's shared mobility efforts. GoBiki.org
• Since 2005, Hawaiian Style Rentals and Sales has specialized in moped, scoot coupe, motor scooter and bicycle rentals in Waikīkī. HawaiianStyleRentals.com

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