Benefit Is Hosting Influencers In Hawaii, Even Though Locals Don’t Want Them

Profit Cosmetics is dealing with critique after inviting influencers on a PR journey to Hawaii. It comes as individuals from the island are asking potential guests not go to, attributable to overtourism.

Final 12 months, the island struggled to deal with excessive ranges of tourism calls for as tens of 1000’s of additional US vacationers left Hawaii in turmoil.

US travellers who had been totally vaccinated had been allowed to go to the island and skip quarantine and pre-flight testing final 12 months. This, nevertheless, led to a number of problems throughout the Hawaiian islands, reminiscent of shortages of hospitality employees, congested roads and 90-minute restaurant occasions.

Native residents additionally reported water shortages, with some pointing to the long run penalties of overtourism, together with the displacement of natives to prioritise vacationer sights and the ruining of sacred websites. A petition calling for an finish to overtourism has gained nearly 2,000 signatures.

Whereas the Hawaiian tourism board has not banned vacationers, is has posted guides for these visiting on the best way to minimise their affect on the island. However on TikTok, some Hawaiians are urging vacationers to remain away altogether.

Nonetheless, Profit Cosmetics not too long ago took a bunch of influencers to the island regardless of the calls to not. On Instagram, the model shared a submit telling followers: “The Benebabes have landed in Hawaii” – although it’s but to submit any pictures or movies from the journey.

Profit has lengthy used Hawaiian tradition inside its advertising technique. YouTube movies present the model internet hosting influencers in Hawaii way back to 2016. And although the model has toned down its use of hula women and lei garlands on merchandise, you’ll be able to nonetheless discover loads of examples on eBay. Followers had been additionally inspired to “say aloha” to 2 new shades of the model’s Hoola bronzer in 2019.

The appropriation and commodification of conventional Hawaiian tradition has lengthy had its critics. This newest PR journey has solely added gasoline to the hearth.

Feedback on Profit’s Instagram submit embrace sentiments like: “You’re so out of contact…I’m embarrassed for you.”

One other person mentioned: “However native Hawaiians are actually asking individuals to not go. Don’t inform me you ignored them? Why is your girly model journey and coloniser mindset extra essential? What provides you………the precise?”

This was adopted by extra critique on Twitter.

We requested Profit Cosmetics for remark and a spokesperson claimed the workforce is “dedicated to supporting native communities in the whole lot we do. Our world launch occasion in Hawaii isn’t any completely different”.

“Throughout each touchpoint, we’ve got partnered with cultural consultants, native artisans, enterprise house owners, and entertainers from throughout the islands to make sure our time right here is finished responsibly and respectively,” they mentioned.

“We now have labored very carefully and in dialogue with our companions and guaranteeing a cohesive working setting throughout our keep right here. It is very important Profit to organise significant actions and help the native organisations, the island’s coastal foundations and amenities together with small companies in Hawaii.”

Although we’re but to see what the influencers have been as much as, the spokesperson mentioned actions had been chosen to “pay tribute to the generations of Asian and Pacific Islanders, recognising and celebrating the contributions, historical past, achievements, and cultures”.

Additionally they mentioned the model has carried out a seashore clear at Manele- Hulopoe Marine Life Conservation District and made a donation to Sustainable Coastlines Hawaii, alongside supporting quite a few native companies.

“As at all times, supporting native communities is vital to the whole lot we do,” they mentioned.

However a few of these efforts have nonetheless fallen brief on social media. When Profit shared a separate Instagram submit spotlighting “treasures from our native Hawaiian associates”, somebody replied: “It’s actually shitty that you simply needed to submit this as a substitute of simply not having a model journey in any respect.”