Take A Journey With… Debbie Misajon – Founder of The Coconut Traveler

The B-Corp certified company crafts unique experiences for discerning travelers worldwide and provides travel advisors and global tour operators with exceptional itineraries and experiences on the islands.

Debbie founded the company after a diverse hospitality career that saw her work across multiple continents and some of the world’s most prestigious properties including AMAN and the Four Seasons made her recognise a gap in the market.

She currently resides in Papaikou on Hawaii’s Big Island and finds enjoyment from immersing herself in the island’s natural beauty, exploring its trails and waterfalls, and fostering partnerships that resonate with her values.

All a bit formal, that. So tell us something about you that not a lot of people know.

I love to sew.

If I could walk away from everything and make a living sewing, I’d love to be stepping over fabric, trimming necklines, and putting in the perfect zipper.

Let’s get down to the nitty-gritty. Why did you start The Coconut Traveler? What problem did you seek to solve?

I have had a decades-long career in the luxury hotel industry that culminated with AMAN, followed by consulting, but I never had the opportunity to sell luxury in my home state of Hawaii from where I worked remotely for years.

Travel advisors frequently asked me about luxury things to do while on the islands.

I realized that there wasn’t a luxury website to send them to and with that gap in the market, I set off to create something special.

What would you say is the biggest motivator behind why you do what you do? And what impact does The Coconut Traveler aim to have?

My biggest motivator is the belief that tourism businesses can be good for the community, locally, globally, or both.

I grew up in Hawaii, a tourism destination that suffers from overtourism, and know the pain of that firsthand.

It didn’t feel responsible to start an inbound tourism company without creating a benefit to the community on whose back the business is built. Without Hawaiians, the community at large, and the natural beauty of the islands, there could be no tourism.

Last year, you donated $64,770 to improve the community and environment of the Hawaiian islands from a ‘Responsible Tourism Fee’ you charge your guests. Tell us more about this amazing initiative and how it came about.

I think we learned that you can’t change consumer behavior without a lot of time and money.

People still buy cigarettes after decades of governments telling consumers the dangers of smoking.

That may be an extreme example, but because I was unable to see a way to make people behave differently on their vacation, I created a way to make the vacation behave differently for the community and environment.

We always love meeting other businesses who share our values of supporting good causes. Tell us some of the worthwhile projects that The Coconut Traveler supports and the impact that your partnership has had.

Last year, our Responsible Tourism Fee donated just over $10,000 to six different organizations: Aloha Tree Alliance, Malama I Na Honu, Hawaii Association of Watershed Partnerships, Conservation Dogs of Hawaii, Hawaii Wildlife Center, and Save Kahoolawe Ohana.

The donation aided in the following initiatives:

• The Aloha Tree Alliance restores a hiking trail and surrounding area called Kuli’ou’ou. We help fund their reforestation projects, such as planting trees, to mitigate climate change and repair ecosystems damaged by human activity.
• In the past couple of years, we’ve contributed funding for turtle satellite trackers for Malama I Na Honu, an organization dedicated to protecting Hawaiian Green Sea Turtles.
• The Hawaii Association of Watershed Partnerships works to protect and restore Hawaii’s watersheds, ensuring the health of vital ecosystems that provide clean water and support native species. We’ve been able to help financially support the health of native forests, coastal areas, and coral reefs, as well as the diverse wildlife that relies on these habitats.
• Our donations to Conservation Dogs of Hawaii helped fund their partnership with the Kaua’i Invasive Species Committee, which detects and removes invasive species and leads operations to protect endangered species.
• Donations to the Hawaii Wildlife Center helped in supporting their care for a record-breaking 1,116 birds and bats native to the state in 2023, with 31 unique species represented.
• We’ve supported Protect Kaho‘olawe ‘Ohana so they’re able to provide supplies for a native plant nursery, sponsor student journeys to the island, nourish volunteers engaged in ecosystem restoration, fund new lanterns for gatherings, and purchase waterproof transport bags for supplies.

Be honest – what has been your biggest challenge since starting The Coconut Traveler?

Aside from Covid, I would have to say technology.

The travel industry is behind on tech and most software solutions are built for travel advisors, hotel companies, and tour operators, but the onsite sector doesn’t have a standout software platform – to my knowledge!

Tell us about one marketing approach that has worked really well for you.

We don’t market outside of a bit of social media and the occasional e-newsletter.

Our success is built on referrals from the global travel advisor industry and global tour operators.

We respond quickly, we create itineraries by listening closely to what our partners tell us about their clients, we pay commission quickly, and we’re constantly talking with different local experts and operators within our community to see how we can showcase what they do in itineraries.

Now, think back to 10 years ago, what is one piece of advice you’d give past you?

Don’t panic. Business, like life, is full of ups and downs.

Stress isn’t a good motivator.

Stay on the path, improve processes, and trust your intuition.

Fast forward again. What do you think has been the most important strategy, value or approach that has helped you get to where you are today?

By far, putting myself in the traveler’s shoes and understanding that these are days of their lives that they won’t get ever back.

Creating the most interesting, entertaining, or adventurous experiences that won’t overwhelm them but instead give them a sense of accomplishment with an opportunity to learn and love the destination.

I believe that if a guest can really love a destination, they’ll respect and protect it.

We know that travel is ever-evolving, but what trends or strategies do you believe will be key in driving positive change in the coming years?

The biggest trend from where I sit in Hawaii is the trend of destinations pushing back on overtourism.

I think this will have enormous positive benefits to communities and the environment, and equally, it’ll benefit the visitor.

If we can move towards fewer visitors, paying the actual cost vs the race to the bottom strategy of volume to reach revenue goals, things will become more balanced.

Quick Fire

• Favourite travel destination I’ve visited: Bhutan. It’s so much like Hawaii in that it’s a former Kingdom, has finite resources, is rich in culture and heritage, and photogenic at every turn. The only difference is that they are focused on sustainability with their Sustainable Development Fee.
• Travel destination still on my bucket list: At the moment, I don’t have one. I’m content having recently moved to a new island, Hawaii, and learning about the islands from a different perspective. All the islands are different from one another, but the variance between Oahu and Hawaii islands is massive. So, for now, my bucket list is empty.
• Destination that I wouldn’t return to: There’s nowhere I wouldn’t return; I find everywhere to be welcoming, interesting, and generous.
• Most treasured travel memory: I’d have to say one treasured travel memory was when I was in college. I’d traveled to Cyprus to spend the holiday with my father where he had a holiday home while he was working in Saudi Arabia. A college friend was working in Israel and we were communicating via letter writing about meeting up. In those days, we didn’t have cell phones, and I guess I missed his letter confirming that he would come to Cyprus and I was to meet him on a specific date at a specific time at the American Express office. While driving one rainy afternoon with my Dad, looking out at the city of Limassol, I spotted my college buddy walking alongside the road and yelled to stop the car. It was incredibly lucky that I wasn’t reaching down to tie my shoe or looking out the other window. We had a great time exploring Cyprus together both the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot sides of the island.

About The Author...

Tom McLoughlin

Founder

Tom is here to steer the ship in the right direction, to ensure what we offer is best in class, and to keep clients and the team happy! Naturally, he loves to travel, but Honduras is a favourite destination after having spent a year there teaching after finishing school.