How we earn Money
We’re Here for You, Not the Other Way Around
This article may include affiliate links at no extra cost to you. Mahalo for your support!
Founder of HawaiiGuide & certified travel expert with 20+ years of experience in Hawaii tourism.
How We Earn Our Keep
At the end of the day, we want your trip to Hawaii to feel as authentic and special as possible. We started HawaiiGuide.com as a simple hobby, driven by our own love of the Islands. Over time, as our little project grew, we found ways to support it and ourselves without straying from our original goal: to share honest, helpful advice and keep your best interests at the heart of everything we do.
Photos by Aly Dove
1. Display Advertising
-Graphic and Video ads
We partner with select advertising networks to show display ads throughout our site. These ads provide us with a steady stream of income that helps cover the costs of maintaining the website, like hosting, design, and travel research. This income does not affect the quality or sincerity of the information we share. It’s just one way we keep the lights on.
2. Affiliate Links
-At No Extra Cost to You
You’ll find that some of the links on our site are affiliate links. When you click these and make a purchase, we earn a small commission—without any additional cost to you. This arrangement lets us keep sharing in-depth tips and guides free of charge, while still giving you full control over your choices.
3. Paid Sponsorships
-Exclusively with Brands we Trust
Occasionally, we collaborate with brands that align with our standards and values. Before accepting any partnership, we vet them thoroughly to ensure that their products or services actually help travelers like you. We want you to know we’re selective. If we recommend it, it’s because we’ve tested it, trust it, and think it can add real value to your trip.
4. Selling Our Own Materials
-Visitor Guides and Maps
We repackage some of our best insights—like custom visitor guides, maps, and other resources—and sell them to readers who want extra help planning their adventures. When you buy these materials, you’re helping us continue to research, explore, and produce quality content you can rely on.
Our 2011 Wedding on Kauai
Our Promise to Remain Pono
In Hawaiian culture, the idea of being pono means doing what’s right, fair, and true. We take this seriously. We promise that any income we earn will never overshadow our commitment to honesty. Our opinions remain our own. If something doesn’t live up to our standards, we’ll tell you—regardless of who’s paying.
We’re Here for You, Not the Other Way Around
This website began as a passion project in 2002, fueled by curiosity and a desire to help fellow travelers. We’ve grown since then, but we haven’t lost sight of why we started. By being transparent about how we make money, we hope to show you that our integrity isn’t for sale. We’re here to help you discover the real Hawaii, so you can have the kind of authentic experience that stays with you long after you’ve left the Islands.
Mahalo for your support,
John & Tori Derrick
Affiliate Disclosure: We may earn commissions from some travel partners (like Amazon or Expedia) which helps us maintain this site. These links are at no extra cost to you and don't impact our honest & unbiased recommendations. Remove all the ads →
