A Tropical Paradise: Native Hawaiians and Visitors to Hawaii Landscape Perception of Aesthetic Qualities of the Urban Forest and Natural Landscapes of Hawaii

Hawaii is one of the world's most popular vacation destinations with approximately 7 million visitors a year. The State also has a permanent population of around 1.2 million, which includes 265 thousand native Hawaiians. The aesthetic beauty of the landscape makes Hawaii a popular travel destination and place to live, but the natural environment may be taken for granted or not understood. This often can be true in densely populated areas, which can lend to their deterioration. In addition, pressures from agriculture and urban development jeopardize these natural areas. Identification of a landscape's aesthetic qualities reveals the complexities in the human relationship with vegetation and its importance to people and, society. This pilot study reveals the similarities and differences in the perception of the "Hawaiian sense of place" between native Hawaiian residents and visitors. The landscape preferences of native Hawaiians living in the county and city of Honolulu and visitors staying in Waikiki for the aesthetic qualities of the urban forest and natural landscapes of Hawaii were investigated. Results indicate that the "Hawaiian sense of place" seems to be dominated by coconut palms and non-urban scenes are preferred to urban scenes. Also, native Hawaiians have a slightly higher preference for Polynesian introduced and native plants. Quantifying what aesthetic qualities lend to the "Hawaiian sense of place" will assist in the understanding of the barriers and opportunities for current and future establishment and management of Hawaii's urban and natural forests.