THERE'S a prediction for the travel industry's future that mildly disturbs me. Hawaii could get left behind -- not certainly, but possibly. More exciting destinations
for touristsIt identifies trends away from old, established destinations to newer and more exciting ones, and to a need for service customization that today's Hawaii might not be able to attract the investment capital to afford.
Some of it is blue-sky stuff --like flying tourists into space within 20 years, or putting them on energy beam transports that can hop from New York to Sydney in 45 minutes, or building "starscrapers" 500 stories high.
Some of it is deep stuff like putting them into underwater hotels. One already exists off Key Largo, Fla.
Some of it is eye-opening insight into what already exists. Example: Europe has 13 resorts of about 400 acres each operated under the names Center Parc. Each one has a "Suntropical Swimming Paradise" under a transparent dome -- all landscaped, 84-degree indoor environments with tropical flowers and trees and a variety of water activities.
Surrounding these are individual villages, all with their own wide variety of restaurants, shopping and other recreation activities. Millions come for short visits. Occupancy rates exceed 90 percent.
My source is the world's biggest resort design firm, which happens to be Honolulu-based -- Wimberly Allison Tong and Goo. Its vice president and corporate managing principal, Howard J. Wolff, put forth his ideas in the magazine Urban Land, published by the Urban Land Institute.
High tech of the present makes possible smart hotel rooms where business people can use 37-inch TV screens to hook into the Internet. It offers in the not-too-distant future the possibility of filling a bathtub by voice command. It pretty well assures that in the future bathrooms, where guests already spend much of their time anyway, may grow to be nearly as big as the sleeping rooms and take on spa qualities.
It offers security to converse with and see callers via microcameras without opening a hotel room door.
It offers the possibility of achieving "mass customization," a seeming oxymoron in which guests at large hotels and resorts will be able to have services detailed to their individual desires.
Among the things tourists want are shopping and eating. Hotels and malls may complement each other. Food choices may range from breakfast in the room to a fast-food lunch to a luxury dinner.
Fitness and pampering are goals, too. It was with this in view that Hyatt Regency Kauai has changed its name to the Hyatt Regency Kauai Resort and Spa.
THEY want meeting spaces for business and to meet with friends. And they have wishes that are paradoxical, like wanting a raft adventure that is safe, big spending versus value-mindedness, a desire to keep in touch while getting away from it all, a love for both ersatz theme attractions and local authenticity that is unique, a concern for the environment while they bask in luxury, opportunities for both solitude and interaction with others, a quest for fun while working and profiting, desires for both more time with the family and more time away from the kids.
The people described in the above paragraph sound just like most human beings to me, with the difference that they will have more disposable income than many or most. Attracting enough of that income to Hawaii will be one of our key future economic needs.