The Hawaii Tourism Authority (HTA) has launched a visitor industry certification program entitled Qurator, which evaluates participating state tourism businesses on six criteria: environment, cultural support, equity, safety, community and guest experience.
The program was unveiled at a June 26 press conference in Honolulu, where HTA officials joined with members of the Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement's (CNHA) Kilohana tourism division to introduce Qurator's certification details.
"Qurator isn't just a stamp of approval," Mufi Hannemann, the HTA board chair, said in a statement. "It speaks to a set of brand values for the Hawaiian Islands that we care deeply about our land, our people, our culture and our guests. It's a recognition of the interdependent relationship between businesses, visitors and our broader local community."
Qurator certification first requires a "self-evaluation" conducted by participating tourism businesses, making use of a survey featuring up to 220 questions designed for companies of any size and travel industry focus, according to a June 27 statement from the HTA.
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Those self-evaluations are then handed over to an independent third party, who conducts its own scoring as well as further auditing for truthfulness and accuracy, the HTA said.
The Qurator program will also feature separate tiers of certification for standout tourism businesses, including a "Qurator Certified" designation, a "Qurator Honored" recognition for top performers and a "Qurator Elite" award for the highest scoring companies.
The CNHA's Kilohana tourism division worked alongside the HTA to create Qurator, and officials noted that Hawaii "businesses may participate and be recognized in as few or as many categories as they wish," according to the HTA statement.
"Businesses can be recognized for contributing in whatever way they are able — whether that means providing good jobs, protecting wildlife or nurturing Hawaii's culture," the HTA statement reads. "Smaller businesses in particular can struggle to meet ambitious certification goals set forth by other programs, but Qurator seeks to broaden the playing field, so that small, local businesses can be equally celebrated."
According to the HTA, 13 businesses were certified during a Qurator pilot program in May, including Hawaiian Airlines, Four Seasons Resort Lanai, Trilogy Excursions, Hawaii Forest and Trail and the Bishop Museum in Honolulu.