About Hawaii-Guide.com
Learn about our Purpose, Mission, Goals and Team
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Founder & certified Hawaii travel expert with 20+ years of experience in Hawaii tourism.
Hawaii-Guide.com / HawaiiGuide.com was developed by John & Tori Derrick, two certified Hawaii destination experts, to provide Hawaii visitors with everything they’ll need to create the perfect Hawaii trip. This website is dedicated to being the one-stop resource for all things Hawaii.
Since 2002, our Hawaii website has virtually assisted tens of millions of visitors in the process of planning and booking the Hawaiian vacation of their dreams.
Tori and John Derrick
We strongly believe in promoting responsible travel and sustainable/regenerative tourism. We encourage our website visitors to be pono travelers and malama Hawaii!
Today, HawaiiGuide is humbled to be one of the leading independent Hawaii travel resources on the web. Each year, we currently help millions of travelers plan their trip(s) to the Hawaiian Islands.
Our team is committed to assisting visitors with what we refer to as ‘the four essential steps’: to Plan, to Book, to Pack, and ultimately – to Go!
Top right image and corresponding photo by Aly Dove
John & Tori Derrick - Editors
Our Story
GuideofUS was founded in the summer of 2000 by John C. Derrick - in the pursuit of providing free travel information to visitors online.
In 2002, Hawaii-Guide.com was created as part of that broader vision. Today, through the continued development of our website, ebooks, email campaigns, and media packages, our dedicated Hawaii team of experts assists millions of Hawaii travelers annually.
Our team recognizes that we are each truly blessed to be here, to exist in a pono way, and to serve both the visitors of this website and the Hawaiian community we represent. Our sincerest mahalo for your support!
Learn more about the makau (fishhook) and why we chose that symbol for our branding and website. You can also check out how we earn money at HawaiiGuide.
Hawaii Destination Specialists & Experts
Our team members are Certified Hawaii Destination Specialists & Experts with the Hawaii Tourism Authority.
Hawaii Destination Expert & Specialist Badges
John C. Derrick
John C. Derrick
Editor-in-Chief / Founder
For the last 20+ years, John has been an avid fan of Hawaii; his passion for all things Hawaii began after his first trip in 2002, at age 21. A seasoned traveler, having visited each of the previous 49 U.S. states by the age of 19, the islands of Hawaii made a significant impact on John after his first visit.
Today, he continues to enjoy studying many aspects of Hawai'i, ranging from the cultural and historical to the flora and fauna of the islands. Of course, this website is also a testament to his genuine love of Hawaii.
Having traveled within the U.S. extensively from a young age, John truly believes, 'Hawaii no ka oi' or 'Hawaii is the best.'
Before taking on HawaiiGuide full-time in 2014, John previously worked as a front-end web developer and VP of Operations for a local web firm, where he gained extensive experience with content marketing, SEO, web development & design, and business strategy. John continues to work on the editing and further development of this site, in addition to managing our web development and financial teams. John is interested in landscape photography, gardening, traveling, technology, web development, birds (parrots), and hiking.
Headshot photo by Aly Dove
Our Mission
Hawaii-Guide.com's mission is to provide Hawaii visitors with pertinent travel information about viable and sustainable attractions, thereby promoting conscientious services and contributing value to the local community so that the islands of Hawaii Nei will endure as a place to authentically experience for generations to come.
Our Objectives
To Provide information we feel necessary to empower Hawaii visitors with the best possible experiences.
To Promote local business and destinations within Hawaii.
To Preserve the ideals and customs of Hawaii so that future generations can equally experience the beauty of the islands.
John & Tori Derrick - Photo by: Aly Dove
Our Visitor & Traveler Related Services
Since 2002, Hawaii-Guide.com has been providing future travelers unprecedented ease in organizing, planning, and booking their ideal Hawaiian vacation: from activity reservations to luxury accommodations, dining to horseback riding, leis to luaus, and anything you can think of about the Hawaiian Islands.
Today, Hawaii-Guide.com publishes some of the most widely utilized Hawaii travel content in the world through our exclusive guides: Hawaii-Guide.com: Kauai, Hawaii-Guide.com: Oahu, Hawaii-Guide.com: Maui, and Hawaii-Guide.com Big Island. Our proprietary 'Guidereview' ranking algorithm also aids visitors in selecting the top tours, attractions, and lodging.
Our Hawaii destination experts want to introduce visitors to the very best activities, and accommodations, all of the incredible things to see and do, and ultimately make visiting the state of Hawaii the journey of a lifetime.
Our Business Related Services
Since 2007, Hawaii-Guide.com has had the pleasure of working with a large and diverse assortment of local businesses and vendors throughout the Hawaiian Islands, as well as a variety of accommodation and activity providers.
Hawaii-Guide.com helps promote and advertise local businesses by assisting with content syndication, destination marketing efforts, display advertising, cost per event campaigns, tourism-related research, our exclusive 'Guidelink Marketing' system, and highly targeted lead generation. A key objective of our marketing/advertising process is to accurately refer and guide potential visitors to the most optimal choice of activities, tours, and accommodations.
We are focused on generating real & measurable value for our advertisers, and we believe our extensive list of Hawaii business partners, some of whom have worked with us for almost two decades, provide ample evidence we're achieving our client's marketing and advertising goals.
Hawaii Memberships
Hawai‘i Visitors & Convention Bureau
Hawai‘i Lodging & Tourism Association
Hawai‘i Pacific Parks
Hawai‘i Nature Center
Our Support for the Hawaii Community
As a perpetual part of our mission, a portion of our earnings is regularly provided through sponsorships to local Hawai‘i charities aiding in cultural, natural, and environmental causes within the Hawaiian Islands. Most recently, we've given back to: 'The Hawai‘i Community Foundation (HCF),' 'The Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement (CNHA),' 'The Hawai‘i Nature Conservancy,' the 'Hawai'i Wildlife Fund,' and 'Waterkeepers Hawaiian Islands.'
Want to help give back to Hawai‘i? Here is a list of Hawaii causes we recommend supporting. See here for donations to those impacted by the 2023 Maui wildfires.
Our Support for Sustainable Tourism
We are also a proud member of the Sustainable Tourism Association of Hawaii.
John & Tori Derrick
Feedback & Comments
As always, we genuinely welcome your feedback, comments, and suggestions. Email us at [email protected]
Support & Donations
Donations by our readers help support the addition of new great Hawaii travel content. You can donate anytime by visiting our Donations page. Mahalo for your support!
Photo by: Aly Dove
First Trip in 2002
Our 2011 Wedding on Kauai
Present Day
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