Paradise Lost?

From 2002 to 2004 I decided to take the plunge and live my dream of beach bumming some of the most talked about beach destinations in the U.S. This included living for a stint on the island of Maui.

Actually, my first time to Maui only lasted three months, but I knew I'd soon be back. And I was. On my second trip in late 2002 I stayed for almost two years and brought along my girlfriend, Natalie, who incidentally was later so blindly captivated by the island's charms that she said yes to becoming my wife.

During our time there, we worked, not surprisingly, in the hospitality industry. I was a front desk clerk at the Aston Ka'anapali Shores and Natalie a pool attendant for the much better known Hyatt Regency. Located along the world-famous Ka'anapali Coastline, the Hyatt promises and actually delivers on just about anythings its guests could desire.

From man-made waterfalls and small water park, to exotic animals, fine dining, golfing, a spa and more - you would think there is very little left the Hyatt can provide to satisfy its guests -but there is.

One might also assume that the millions of dollars spent in design and construction of first-class resorts on an isolated island chain in the Pacific might include recycling reusable waste, such as aluminum cans and plastics bottles. But it didn't. Daily we watched hundreds of water bottles and styrofoam containers fill-up trash cans.

Or what about harvesting the ever abundant energy of the sun for the seemingly unlimited needs that the Hyatt and other resorts like it promise to offer 24-7. Nothing happened on that front either. Plenty of the sun was used to tan bodies but little, from what we could tell, was used to power an assembly line of washing machines or heat jacuzzis.

So what does sustainability have to do with pampering clientèle anyway? I suppose just as much as maintaining a trash-free oceanfront or reasonable prices on rooms and amenities.

Is Ka'anapali Beach known for being an okay beach, or Waikki famous for its overpriced rooms? No. So why must resorts that dominate the coastline invest in practices that help maintain their natural landscape pollution-free and their energy costs to a minimum? The answers are simple but, unfortunately, from my experience no so easily contrived by the powers-that-be among the top and even smaller hotel chains.

With a global economy driving prices down and prompting competitors to find new ways to differentiate themselves from the pack, sustainable tourism is primed for a surge in growth. But it is still the job of the knowledgeable tourist and traveler to demand these changes from hotels, either by seeking out the ones that are making these improvements or by asking that sustainability be practiced by those that aren't.