Kailua, Hawaii: Locals Don't Want Tourists Anymore

Kailua, Hawaii has had enough of tourists. It's white sand beaches and laid back vibe draws people from around the world, including President Barack Obama and his family, but residents are tired of tourists.

The Kailua neighborhood board has asked the state tourism agency to stop inviting guests to spend the night in the town. There's an ongoing battle between how much tourism Kailua wants and how much it should allow. An increasing number of tourists have begun to extend their stays and try to experience Kailua like a local, the Associated Press reports.

The neighborhood board is bothered by the successful bed-and-breakfast business and vacation rentals that are leased out for short terms without permits. The board believes places like this take away from Kailua's limited housing supply and lead to inflated costs and natives unable to buy property.

The residents don't like having strangers all around. "It doesn't feel like a neighborhood when you don't know the people there," board member Lisa Marten told AP. "If there's any sort of safety issue, there's no one to ask for help because you don't know them." Two of the three houses near Marten are vacation rentals. She says that a group of 20-year-olds stayed in one of the houses and did drugs the whole time, including smoking marijuana, which she could smell.

"I would say to them, 'I've got teenagers. I've got very young kids. I'm trying to teach them to stay away from drugs. You must have nieces and nephews, please take it inside and be discreet,'" she said. The group ignored her and said they had permission to smoke medical marijuana.

According to Vacation Rentals by Owner, there are 289 rental units in Kailua. According to the Hawaii Tourism Authority, there are about 500. However many don't have permits. According to Board Chairman Chuck Prentiss, only 35 bed-and-breakfasts and 30 vacation rental units have permits, while the others are illegal. Ohau hasn't released permits since 1990.

So the neighborhood board is upset that the tourism agency is pushing vacation rentals. In September the board held a vote. In a 12-2 decision, the board passed a resolution requesting the tourism agency to stop promoting Kailua as a great vacation alternative to Waikiki.

Marten believes it isn't right that a government agency is promoting vacation rental while the city tries to fight it. However the neighborhood board can't pass any laws.

Ikaika Anderson, who represents Kailua in the Honolulu City Council, says the board's thoughts don't reflect the opinions of most Kaluai residents.
"It's a signal to those folks who do not live in Kailua that Kailua residents do not welcome them," Anderson said.

Those who support vacation rentals say they're good for the local economy and supply jobs. They believe they have helped other local businesses do well. Those who offer vacation rentals say it brings in extra income which allows them to pay their own mortgage and remain in Kailua, which has high housing prices.

According to the Honolulu Board of Realtors, the median price of a home in Kailua is $794,500.

Mike McCartney, a Kailua resident who happens to be the head of the tourism authority says the community needs to strike a balance.