Californians’ ‘glamping’ business enterprise accused of exploiting Hawaii

Californians’ ‘glamping’ business enterprise accused of exploiting Hawaii

A luxurious “glamping” company is stirring up controversy in Hawaii’s peaceful Waimanalo local community, Hawaii Information Now claimed.  

The outlet suggests that Glamping Hawaii, which provides a “high-end tenting and function working experience,” has been accused of illegally propping up tents just yards away from homeless households in the county beach park. This controversy comes just after Monthly bill 38 was signed into law, which prohibits most industrial actions like weddings and picture shoots from Waimanalo to Makapuu. Now, the firm — which is also operate by a group of Californians who not too long ago moved to Hawaii — is reportedly below investigation by the metropolis of Honolulu. 

“This was not just a camping outfit. This was glamping in its total hewa resource. I mean, it was a bar, a tall bar, set up with bar stools,” Waimanalo Neighborhood Board Member Kapua Medeiros told the outlet.  

According to their web-site, Glamping Hawaii presents extravagant tent deals that can be outfitted with 5-foot-tall teak kitchens, fire pits, and bars for further charges. Even though they really do not list package deal charges, Hawaii News Now says they price tag “several hundred dollars” per night. 

Corporation reps told the outlet they did not believe they ended up violating the law, stating that patrons are responsible for obtaining tenting permits. Nonetheless, Hawaii Information Now says this might also be illegal as permits are not transferable. 


Emma Koa, a Waimanalo native and organization owner, instructed the outlet that she confronted the company owners in man or woman and accused them of peddling a “romanticized” model of Hawaii to travellers. (Having said that, firm associates told the outlet that 70% of their clients are locals.) 

“We never need to have far more people prostituting and exploiting Hawaii and her individuals and her aina, and the entire paradise depiction of Hawaii,” Koa informed the outlet. 

“Persons fork out to appear and exploit Hawaii and have an authentic Hawaiian knowledge,” she continues in a recorded movie, zooming in on the glampsite. “Meanwhile, proper there is the authentic Hawaiian working experience,” she says, panning to the homeless encampment. “That’s uncomfortable.”

Just one Yelp user, Keks Manera5, still left a a single-star evaluate admonishing the firm’s steps. ” … This is these a slap in the facial area to Indigenous Hawaiians/kanaka Maoli and the area generations that been listed here for decades who are having difficulties to endure and get by. … Hawaiʻi is so around the greed and exploitation of the islands. PACK IT ALL UP …”

“This is not an attack on industrial exercise, but it is a warning, a shoutout to all small business owners who are running on our parks and beaches that you are not welcome right here. And we passed a legislation to cement that,” Waimanalo Community Board Member Kapua Medeiros instructed Hawaii News Now. 

Glamping Hawaii did not answer to SFGATE’s request for comment at the time this report was prepared.