Rachel Kaiama has joined the Island of Hawaiʻi Visitors Bureau (IHVB) as Destination Manager. In her newly appointed role, Kaiama will oversee the implementation and reporting of Hawaii Island’s Destination Management Action Plan (DMAP) and Community Enrichment Program. The goal is to rebuild, redefine and reset the direction of tourism over a three-year period, while enhancing residents’ quality of life and improving the visitor experience.

Kaiama was born on Hawaiʻi Island and has worked in the travel & hospitality industry for more than 30 years. She comes to the Island of Hawaiʻi Visitors Bureau from the University of Hawaiʻi at Manoa School of Travel Industry Management (TIM) on Oʻahu, where she has served for nearly three decades in a variety of roles, most recently as the school’s director of travel industry management professional programs.

“In my career, I have seen firsthand the positive and negative impacts tourism has on the natural resources, to kamaaina and malihini, and to its unique cultural and historical importance that we cherish,” said Kaiama in a press release. “I am honored to join the Island of Hawaiʻi Visitors Bureau and am eager to work for the preservation of Hawaii and the care of its people to ensure the island’s prosperity for generations to come.”

Photo credit: State of Hawaiʻi Governor’s Office