Visitors who lend a helping hand in Hawaii will get a free hotel stay, the tourism board announced.
The program, called Mālama Hawai‘i, calls for visitors to “take a trip that gives back.” Malama translates to “care for” in the Hawaiian language.
“This is more than an invitation to come to Hawaii. This is an invitation to reconnect. To rethink how we travel”, a statement on the project’s website reads. “By slowing down. And really getting to know a place. Travel deeper and take a trip that gives back – to Hawaii and to you.”
Volunteer projects range from tree planting and reforestation, beach cleanups, ocean reef preservation, and making Hawaiian quilts for the elderly.
Once complete, visitors will receive a complimentary extra night at participating hotels across Kauai, Maui, Oahu and the Big Island. The hotel list includes the Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea; The Ritz-Carlton Residences at Waikiki Beach; the Fairmont Orchid in the Big Island of Hawaii and the Sheraton Kauai Resort.
You can check out a list of all participating hotels right here.
The volunteer program comes just as state officials began welcoming tourists again. If you plan to travel to Hawaii, you will have to show proof of a negative COVID-19 test from a state-approved testing partner to avoid self-quarantine for 14 days.
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