Pledge To Our Keiki Partnership Program
Stewardship starts here
About
Pledge to Our Keiki is an invitation for residents and visitors to give back during their stay. Our Pledge Partnership Program is a way for local businesses and organizations to play an active role in improving visitor stewardship in Hawaiʻi. As part of the program, businesses will work closely with our team to incorporate impactful changes to encourage responsible visitor behavior based on their industry and current tourism challenges. This will help us pave the way for sustainable and regenerative tourism throughout our island chain. Together, we can build a more respectful and responsible visitor sector that gives back.
Our Business Supporters & Partners
Business supporters have signed the Pledge to Our Keiki internally as staff and as a business. They have existing stewardship efforts embedded in their business practices, and help us amplify the effort on their media channels.
In addition to the supporter level above, business partners go a step further. They provide an opportunity to their patrons and visitors to sign the Pledge to Our Keiki, and work with our team to develop and implement new business practices that encourage visitor stewardship, or pursue a certification program outlined below.
Our Nonprofit Partners
Our nonprofit partners support the Pledge to Our Keiki as organizations that embody our kuleana (responsibility) to mālama our ʻāina. They provide service opportunities to our communities to get more involved, and pathways towards a more sustainable Hawaiʻi.
Our Certification Partners
We have partnered with certification programs to offer local businesses the option to gain recognition and join professional networks. Those programs reward businesses for their efforts, including policies that promote sustainability, reduce waste, and offer education on Hawaiian culture.
Sustainable Tourism Association of Hawaiʻi
Sustainable Tourism Association of Hawaii’s (STAH) mission is to protect Hawaii’s unique, natural environment and host culture through the promotion of responsible travel and education programs relating to sustainable tourism for residents, businesses, and visitors.
Hawaiʻi Green Business Program
The Hawaiʻi Green Business Program (HGBP) is a free state program that assists and recognizes businesses that strive to operate in an environmentally and socially responsible manner.
Native Hawaiian Hospitality Association
Native Hawaiian Hospitality Association (NaHHA) works to shape the future of Hawaii’s visitor industry by utilizing Hawaiian cultural values as the foundation for professional development and business leadership.
Ocean Friendly Restaurants
Ocean Friendly Restaurants, a Surfrider Foundation initiative, is building an inclusive community of eco-conscious restaurants, activists, and patrons that support a healthy lifestyle for ourselves and our planet in order to find more joy and peace in our everyday lives.
Just for Visitors
As a visitor to Hawaiʻi, you can be part of the solution by giving back during your stay, making respectful choices, and educating yourself before arriving.
Here are a few recommendations from our team:
- Sign the Pledge to Our Keiki before arriving to commit to a responsible visit.
- Support Native Hawaiian owned businesses throughout the islands. Find one near you!
- Prioritize fun activities that give back! Search our volunteer opportunities here or find others at Travel2Change or Malama Hawaiʻi.
- If you are on Hawaiʻi Island, join a beach cleanup with The Green Standard Global.
- Always follow wildlife distance guidelines to make sure you donʻt disturb or harm any species like sea turtles, Hawaiian monk seals, or seabirds.
- Never litter or leave rubbish behind, this can become hazardous ocean pollution.
- Use mineral sunscreen to protect Hawaiʻi’s coral reefs.
- Respect Hawaiian culture by educating yourself at places like the Bishop Museum or the Polynesian Cultural Center
- Sign an island-specific pledge based on your destination! Pono Pledge Malama Maui Aloha Pledge