Off topic, Economic impact on vacation travel.

[kknox]

Took a business trip to Kona, HI. I posted a photo in the gallery today, here are a few more that shows the decline on the Hawaiian Islands. The decline in vacation travel has had a great impact on the islands. This old hotel was in its hey day from the 30's - 60's. The owners have just let it decline. This is just one of many I saw on the island of Kona, & this is in the heart of town in the tourist shopping area. Very sad, the shop owners all over the Island said it was very hard for them to make a living. Many shops & hotels are closed.

 

[kknox]

 

[kknox]

 

[kknox]

 

[deirdre]

Wow, and I've always thought of Kona as the "rich side" of the island.

I'll be going in a couple of weeks.

 

[Frontman]

That is sad. I have never been to Hawaii, but it is a popular place with my Japanese friends. More of them have been traveling lately because of the high value of the yen. Coincidentally enough, one of them is going to Kona next week.

I just booked a trip to America for the Christmas holidays. When I came to Japan a few years ago, the exchange rate was 125 yen to the dollar, when I paid for my tickets the other day, it was only 81 yen to the dollar. I will be doing a lot shopping in America while I am there...

 

[Mcary]

While I'm sure the current slow economy and job market in the U.S has had an impact I wonder for older places like this if its more a case of people choosing to stay at more modern hotels/resorts. Which of course means less business for older places like this no matter what the current economic.
Question how many people here that live/travel in the U.S. stay in the older non-chain hotel/motels, typically located along the old U.S Highway system, rather then staying at the more modern place located just off the interstates?

 

[Olsen]

Tourism

Tourism

It is, first of all, a dramatic drop in the tourism industry that has forced Greece, Spain and Portugal into economical problems. Their governments have had to guarantee for loans made by private banks to the building industry, - and send the bill to the tax payers.

But now tourism is picking up again. Number of flights out of the major Norwegian airports and many other European ones, have been record high lately. Match this with record wet & cold summers, two years in a row in Northern Europe. And record low flight fares.

Run down tourist spots like the ones above is just as much a symptom of lack of funds to invest in maintenance and upgrading which is important to stay up market . How can this be with the record low interest rates of today? They look charming, though.

 

[Doug]

We stayed in Kailua-Kona a couple years ago and noticed a lot of empty storefronts, and other signs of financial stress. They are so dependent on discretionary spending...

The upside for visitors however is the easier parking and lower traffic, and sale prices with motivated sellers. A good time to go there!

I know the Kona Inn in your pics, but had not been around to the beach side recently. I hope their fine restaurant is still operating.

 

[Roger Hicks]

While I'm sure the current slow economy and job market in the U.S has had an impact I wonder for older places like this if its more a case of people choosing to stay at more modern hotels/resorts. Which of course means less business for older places like this no matter what the current economic.
Question how many people here that live/travel in the U.S. stay in the older non-chain hotel/motels, typically located along the old U.S Highway system, rather then staying at the more modern place located just off the interstates?

Well, me, for a start, but for the majority of people, your argument is incontrovertible.

Cheers,

R.

 

[deirdre]

Question how many people here that live/travel in the U.S. stay in the older non-chain hotel/motels, typically located along the old U.S Highway system, rather then staying at the more modern place located just off the interstates?

Depends on why I'm traveling.

I go to a lot of conventions, and for those I typically stay at the convention hotel for socializing and cost reasons.

If I'm researching a place for a book I'm working on and thus want a feel for the locale, I'm more likely to stay at some independent -- so long as it does have internet access (and in these kinds of places, I prefer non-free as free internet at this kind of place is typically worth exactly $0).

 

[kknox]

Their restaurant was still open. Thats it, I guess the same guy owns the 60's style hotel across the street. It was open, but looked very run down also. I wish them all luck.

 

[kknox]

Nice cat in you photo Doug, I had to put mine to sleep last week. He had bad cancer. The day before I left for Kona. I miss him bad.

 

[Doug]

Thanks, K.Knox; that's my cat Cinnamon... or maybe better said I'm her person. 🙂 Snoozing on my lap now. So sorry to hear of your recent loss; it's tough when they're a "family member" and you really care.

The hotel on the corner across the road from Kona Inn looked more modern as I recall, but we were at the Kona Reef further south, then a day at a B&B in the hills above Hilo, and a week at the Kona Coast II in Keauhou at the south end of Alii Drive.

Um... I was shooting a Pentax K100D with only a 24mm f/2 SMCP-FA* lens. But we're already off-topic! 😀

Edit: My gosh, speaking of deterioration, I just remembered while we were at Kona Reef we had a problem with the shower valve, one of the Moen-type one-handle mixing faucet. The maintenance guy who showed up pulled the old core out without turning off the shutoff valve and the core shot out of the valve housing under full water pressure and damaged the opposite end of the shower! Then it ran full-blast for a long time because they had to find someone who knew where the shutoff was. Quite a flood. Hard to find good help eh.