Hawaiʻi has been called the “endangered species capital of the world,” and many tourists are attracted by the chance to see such rare creatures. Hawai‘i’s tourism industry is expected to promote 10 million visitors by 2020. Therefore Hawai‘i, as a top vacation destination, faces an unexpected and unprecedented challenge to protect sensitive marine species from tourism.
Some particularly charismatic and iconic animals are popular tourist attractions. Since foreign visitors often have different expectations of how they can interact with wildlife, their behavior can inadvertently disturb them and sometime negatively impact them, and furthermore provoke resentment from locals who may perceive inappropriate behavior as disrespectful. The largest proportion (25%) of foreign visitors to Hawai‘i is from Japan, but information–or access to information–is lacking regarding how to responsibly view sensitive marine species which are a major driver of the Japanese tourism market. Upon learning this, many students who study Japanese at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa (UHM) wished to improve the situation.
To promote appropriate viewing of sensitive marine species, it is necessary to provide visitors with correct information. The challenge, however, is how to communicate effectively. Especially in Japanese, where there are various inflections and nuances in a translation, communication can be difficult. In response this challenge, students decided to create Japanese information in culturally appropriate ways for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) signage and viewing guides in order to encourage Japanese tourists to respectfully view marine species.
Using their acquired Japanese language skills, students produced appropriate information that provides Japanese tourists with clear and specific guidance in a culturally appropriate and relevant manner. To inform their work, they also studied the historical relationship between humans and these sensitive marine wildlife in Japan and Hawai‘i, and analyzed media (e.g., tourism magazines) to understand what kinds of expectations Japanese people may have towards sea turtles. This collaborative project has resulted in significantly improved messaging and signage specific for the Japanese tourism industry and the sign using their translation are now used not only all over islands of Hawaii but also Florida.
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PONO members produced more appropriate information that provides Japanese tourists with clear and specific guidance in a culturally appropriate and relevant manner.
Students also helped to produce a sign to protect monk seals:
NOAA’s viewing guide for Hawaiian tourism and wildlife, reproduced with permission:
