The Hoomaluhia Botanical Garden on Oahu abuts the Koolau Range mountain range.
Warren Ishii/500px/Getty ImagesA botanical garden in Hawaii that’s become inundated with visitors wandering onto its main road to snap portraits among the splendor is considering adopting an admission fee and reservation system to curb overtourism.
The Hoomaluhia Botanical Garden in Oahu is framed by the Koolau Range, which makes for an ideal backdrop for photos when standing on the narrow access road. To protect both the property and its visitors, park officials posted signs to restrict photos and parking on the road throughout the 400-acre park.
These warnings went unheeded by many of the reported 570,702 people who visited the garden last year — more than doubling the amount of visitors that the parks department recorded in 2016.
“We have a very narrow road and we do not have a pedestrian walkway that can accommodate them,” recreation specialist Alma Phocas told Hawaii Public Radio. “So it’s unsafe for everybody. It doesn’t make sense. There are a lot of places in the garden where they can take better photos without putting themselves in harm’s way.”
The Honolulu Department of Parks and Recreation is examining how charging fees and requiring reservations could impact the neighborhood surrounding the garden. The Honolulu City Council would also have to approve a bill before a fee and reservation system could be put in place.
Oahu has five botanical gardens. Only the Foster Botanical Garden, which is closed for accessibility and maintenance projects, charges an admission fee for residents and nonresidents.