{"id":3753,"date":"2021-10-20T11:13:59","date_gmt":"2021-10-20T21:13:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.waikoloabeachresort.com\/?post_type=naupaka_news&p=3753"},"modified":"2023-04-07T09:00:54","modified_gmt":"2023-04-07T19:00:54","slug":"kumu-hou-a-sustainable-foundation-for-the-future","status":"publish","type":"naupaka_news","link":"https:\/\/www.waikoloabeachresort.com\/naupaka_news\/kumu-hou-a-sustainable-foundation-for-the-future\/","title":{"rendered":"Kumu Hou: A Sustainable Foundation for the Future"},"content":{"rendered":"
Like any successful business, a resort must continuously evolve. Tastes change. Priorities shift. New generations have new perspectives. Back in the 1960s, for example, formal dining rooms with white table cloths serving French cuisine were considered the height of elegance, even in Hawai\u02bbi. At some resorts, if a guest showed up without a dinner jacket, one would be loaned. In the 1980s and \u201890s Hawai\u02bbi Regional Cuisine swept in, creating new culinary stars and a dining experience that was based on the uniquely multi-cultural identity of the islands. Nowadays, of course, dining is all about farm-to-fork with a strong and welcomed emphasis on locally-sourced foods.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
SHIFTING PRIORITIES<\/strong> And while golf still has an important place in Hawai\u02bbi\u2019s economy and along the Kohala Coast \u2014 golfers tend to stay longer and spend more on average than other tourists \u2014 demand in the state has never met expectations. In fact, it\u2019s no secret that golf has been in decline for nearly two decades nationally, with more course closures than openings for the last 13 consecutive years.<\/p>\n Throughout the Hawaiian Islands and beyond, golf play has declined dramatically over the past 25 years. Depending upon the year, Waikoloa has witnessed drops of up to 35 percent when compared to the highs play levels in the mid-90s. In 2002, more than 17 percent of Mainland visitors played golf during their visits; in 2018, that number had shrunk to 8.3 percent. It\u2019s an unfortunate related fact that the Kings\u2019 Course has never been profitable on its own and in many years has suffered sizable operating losses.<\/p>\n At the same time, there has been no such decline in demand for travel to Hawai\u02bbi, and tourism (pandemic year aside) is on track to set new records in the years ahead. What\u2019s changed is that the consumer is looking for something different: family-oriented activities that center on the ocean, authentic cultural experiences, and a deeper understanding of the fragile Hawaiian environment.<\/p>\n The other seismic shift in priorities? The huge and growing demand for time-share units as they deliver exactly what families want: more communal space, kitchen and laundry facilities, the ability to own and pay over time, and the luxury of operating on a schedule entirely their own.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n RENEWED PURPOSE<\/strong> \u201cOur renewed purpose is to refine and evolve Waikoloa Beach Resort to meet the needs of today\u2019s traveler and keep this iconic resort on top of its game for years to come,\u201d says VP of Resort Operations Scott Head. \u201cAt the same time, we have always been committed to making the local community a better place, and Kumu Hou allows us to accomplish both of those critical goals.\u201d<\/p>\n
\nWhen Waikoloa Beach Resort (WBR) was in its primary growth phase in the 1980s and 90s, golf was the driving force. Resorts and residential developments in the islands, as they were elsewhere in the U.S., were building golf courses as fast as possible, and opening \u201ca course a day until the year 2000\u201d was the National Golf Foundation\u2019s projection of demand. To meet this anticipated need on Hawai\u02bbi Island, WBR opened the Beach Course in 1981 and the Kings\u2019 Course in 1990.<\/p>\n
\nWaikoloa Beach Resort plans to deliver on this demand and plot a sustainable future at the same time with the Kumu Hou development, which in Hawaiian means \u201crenewed purpose.\u201d<\/p>\n