Hawaii has had a hard go since the COVID-19 pandemic choked off tourism as one of its main revenue streams. Between local community lockdowns and strict quarantine requirements imposed on inbound travelers, many of the state's key businesses remained at a practical standstill for months.
This summer, some of the islands experimented with so-called Enhanced Movement Quarantine, or "resort bubbles", which allowed visitors to at least step outside of their accommodations and enjoy a vacation-like experience, albeit strictly within the confines of their hotel or resort property.
Then, in October, its long-delayed launch of a Pre-Travel Testing Program to help tourists bypass standard quarantine arrived just in time for another surge in COVID-19 cases across the U.S. this autumn. Just yesterday, the renewed worry of importing fresh viral infection prompted the island of Kauai to opt out of the program in favor of two-week quarantine measures. In short, efforts to reinvigorate Hawaii's tourism economy have been a bit chaotic.
Now, a group of state officials and community leaders have today launched a grassroots initiative called "Movers & Shakas" (referencing the Hawaiian term for its signature "hang loose" hand gesture), which is intended to diversify and create a more resilient Hawaiian economy. The group's community of stakeholders realized that they could appeal to a new type of traveler that's emerged out of pandemic conditions-the full-time teleworker.
Instead of relying solely on short-term tourism, they saw that, if remote workers from the rest of the U.S. could be enticed to come distance-work in Hawaii and stay for longer periods of time, the state's economy and communities could benefit. And, participants would get to enjoy the enhanced quality of life that the islands inherently offer, contribute to the host culture, and help protect Hawaii's natural resources and its people.
There are many upsides for domestic teleworkers transferring their remote offices to a tropical spot in Hawaii. Besides the allure of islands' natural beauty, their paradisiacal year-round climate and celebrated culture, Hawaii's singularly cautious and stringent approach to the pandemic has produced one of the lowest rates of COVID-19 infections per capita in the country.
The remote worker campaign kicks off today, providing the program's first 50 approved applicants with free roundtrip tickets to Honolulu. Other perks include significantly discounts hotel rates, co-working space and regular community-building opportunities. In fact, one condition of the program is that participants spend several hours a week helping at a local nonprofit, according to AP News.
Individuals are handpicked and agree to stay in Hawaii for at least 30 days, with the option to extend. The program also requires that approved participants arrive within one month of receiving notice that they've been selected as a Movers & Shakas awardee, or they forfeit the award.
"The primary goal of M&S is to help foster an economy that is resilient to economic downturns by seeding industries that aren't tied to transportation across the ocean," Movers & Shakas states on its website. Among the uniquely beneficial aspects of the notions are that, "remote work requires less land, can run entirely on green energy, doesn't rely on further degradation of the environment, isn't extractive towards the host culture and does not deprive locals of opportunities," it writes.
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