Olivia Rodrigo finds herself caught in the middle of the anti-tourism movement in Hawaii.
Following her ‘vacay dumpppp’ of photos and a video on her Instagram on Wednesday, some people have criticized the singer-songwriter for promoting her stay in Hawaii at the Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea.
While most people took to the comments section and shared their love and support for Rodrigo and her music, there were some who reiterated the calls of some locals in recent years to get people to stop visiting the islands.
‘Stop vacationing in Hawaii’ and ‘how do people not know not to travel to Hawaii?’ summed up what many in the anti-tourism movement were thinking when they confronted Rodrigo on social media.
Native Hawaiians and other residents have had valid concerns about the impact of over-tourism, especially in recent years, being that the islands are a popular destination for vacationers.
Backlash: Olivia Rodrigo, 20, is facing criticism for taking a vacation in Hawaii and promoting it on social media, amid the effort to reduce over-tourism on the islands
Situated about 2,000 miles from the U.S. mainland in the Pacific Ocean, Hawaii, and its eight main islands, is the only U.S. state outside of North America.
Since statehood in 1959, tourism has exploded on the islands. As a result, the cost of real estate has soared, leaving many properties affordable to developers and the rich and wealthy, which includes celebrities, who buy second homes that largely sit empty for much of the year.
All of this has also pushed Hawaii’s cost of living to among the highest in the U.S.
Over the years, many native Hawaiians have been pushed out of their homeland, where their ancestors lived for some 3,000 years, all while being significantly overrepresented in the homeless population, according to Buzz Feed.
Those who support the anti-tourism movement can point to the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic as evidence to their claims about the impact of over-tourism on Hawaii’s environment.
The reduction of visitors in 2020, amid the coronavirus crisis, allowed the state’s natural resources, such as beaches and coral reefs, to recover from the impacts of the steady influx of people on the islands, according to Tai Swim.
Plus, its believed that most Native Hawaiians and residents living on the islands don’t benefit from all the tourism.
One person who criticized Rodrigo maintained it was ‘very unethical’ to promote tourism to Hawaii.
Fun in the sun: The singer-songwriter heard it from naysayers after making a ‘vacay dumpppp’ on her Instagram on Wednesday, where she promoted her stay at the Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea
The California native can be seen posing for photos all around the islands
Rallying calls: ‘Stop vacationing in Hawaii ‘and ‘how do people not know not to travel to Hawaii?’ are some of the comments she’s faced from the anti-tourism movement
‘I mean no disrespect to her but can celebrities please stop going and promoting going to Hawaii?’ the user wrote, adding, ‘The people living there don’t benefit from the tourism and it is very unethical considering the damage tourist do to the environment and just not respecting the culture and Island.’
Another naysayer wondered how travelers could continue visiting the islands after Native Hawaiians have repeatedly asked them to stop coming.
‘How are people still going there after the people that lived there begged y’all to stop,’ the tweet read.
Some people wondered if most visitors and promoters of Hawaiian tourism aren’t aware of the issue, while also citing the struggles of island locals.
‘I guess celebrities don’t read the local’s requests, that people should NOT travel there. they are already struggling, pls don’t travel to Hawaii,’ someone else shared on Twitter.
Native Hawaiians and other residents have had valid concerns about the impact of over-tourism, especially in recent years, being that the islands are a popular destination for vacationers
Those who support the anti-tourism movement can point to the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic as evidence to their claims
New music: Rodrigo is poised to drop her second studio album on September 23
So far, Rodrigo has not directly responded to the criticism over her promotion of tourism in
The Murrieta, California native first gained recognition in the late 2010s with her lead roles on the Disney television series Bizaardvark and High School Musical: The Musical: The Series.
After signing a record deal in 2020, she saw her debut single Drivers License become one of the best-selling songs of 2021.
She has since earned critical and commercial success with her debut studio album Sour (2021) and the single Vampire, which shot to number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, ahead of the release of her follow-up album Guts (2023), which is set to drop on September 23.