Turo Hawaii: Transforming Hawaii Travel with Local Insights and a Look Back to the 2023 Maui Wildfire Relief Program

🚗 Catherine Mejia, Turo’s Senior Public Affairs Manager, and Leonani Puailihau, Turo’s Senior Community Relations Manager, join the show! We talk story about their pivotal roles in reshaping how travelers explore Hawaii with Turo. The conversation delves into the essence of Turo's peer-to-peer car sharing, its profound impact on local communities, especially following the Maui wildfires, and its deep-rooted commitment to fostering responsible tourism throughout the Hawaiian Islands.

What we discuss with Catherine Mejia and Leonani Puailihau:

• Introduction to Turo and its role in Hawaii
• The personal and impactful travel experiences Turo offers
• Catherine Mejia and Leonani Puailihau's insights on Turo
• How Turo supports Hawaiian communities and promotes responsible tourism
• Turo's response to the Maui wildfires and community support initiatives
• The benefits of choosing Turo for transportation needs in Hawaii
• Engaging in responsible tourism through Turo
• Turo's safety protocols and comprehensive insurance policies
• The importance of the aloha spirit in Hawaiian tourism and Turo's embodiment of it

The resources mentioned in this episode are:
Turo's Website
Turo on Facebook
Turo on Instagram
Turo on X
Turo on YouTube

👉 Full show notes and resources can be found here: hawaiisbesttravel.com/turo-hawaii-transforming-travel

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:00

Today's episode is brought to you by Turo, the world's largest car sharing marketplace, where you can book the perfect car from a vibrant community of trusted local hosts, coming up on Hawaii's Best.

Speaker 2: 0:14

In the wake of the fires, I personally knew and heard of so many people who were destroyed. They didn't have a reliable way to get to temporary housing or their jobs, or even to the pharmacy to get medication that they needed or food.

Speaker 3: 0:32

Aloha. Welcome to Hawaii's Best. Here you'll learn what to know before traveling, as we discover Hawaiian culture, local businesses and the experiences that make Hawaii one of the most incredible places in the world. And now your host, brian Murphy.

Speaker 1: 0:50

Aloha and welcome back to another episode of Hawaii's Best, where we deep dive into the heart of Hawaii, travel, culture and responsible tourism. I am your host, brian Murphy, and today we're exploring the unique aspect of traveling to Hawaii, but getting around the island with ease and a touch of local. Joining us on the show today are Catherine Mejia and Leonani Pua'i-Lihao from Turo, the world's largest car sharing marketplace. Catherine serves as Turo's Senior Public Affairs Manager and Leonani, a native Hawaiian, brings her insights as Turo's Senior Community Relations Manager Together. They're here to share how Turo connects travelers with a diverse array of vehicles offered by local hosts, ensuring your travel is not just about getting from point A to point B, but also about experiencing Hawaii authentically and responsibly.

Speaker 1: 1:47

In today's episode, we talk about topics like an overview of Turo what it is and how, changing the car rental landscape, the significant impact of Turo in Hawaii, especially following the Maui wildfires, and showcasing Turo's impact on the local community and relief efforts during that time and currently, what they are doing. And we also cover the concept of regenerative tourism and how Turo's model aligns with responsible tourism to Hawaii. We also touch on topics about safety, insurance and how Turo ensures a secure and smooth experience for both hosts and travelers. And also we talk about what to expect if you were to rent with Turo, and how you can maybe even become a host for Turo, and what that means and what that could look like. So, whether you're planning your next Hawaii vacation or just looking to learn more about an innovative travel solution, this conversation is packed with a bunch of insights about that. So to find out more about Turo and book your next rental, visit their website at tuurocom, that's T-U-R-Ocom, and follow them on social media as well.

Speaker 1: 2:51

So let's go ahead and we're going to talk story with Catherine and Leo from Turo. Catherine and Leo, thank you so much for coming on today and for your time. How are you both doing today?

Speaker 4: 3:10

Doing great. Brian, Thank you for having us on the show. This is so exciting.

Speaker 1: 3:15

Yeah, looking forward to it. I'd love to hear more about Turo and Catherine for listeners. I think a lot of people may have heard of Turo and just maybe not sure exactly what it is. But maybe you could just give us an idea of what Turo is and how it can help people book their next rental.

Speaker 4: 3:33

Of course. So Turo is the world's largest peer-to-peer car sharing marketplace. We've been around for more than 10 years, but we've really expanded in that time. We are now in not just all 50 states of the US. We're in Canada, the UK, france, australia, even and we're in just thousands of cities Our hosts, which is what we call the car owners. They're ever-present in all of these markets and they're offering more than 1,500 different makes and models of vehicles across the platform.

Speaker 4: 4:06

So just picture, if you're looking for a classic car, a more economical car, even the latest and greatest EV, you'll probably find it on Turo.

Speaker 4: 4:16

And it's really a way for our guests to connect with our hosts directly and to have those exchanges in a safe and a really innovative way. Through this online app and platform, we are really striving to put the world's cars to better use. We've heard that more than 1.5 billion cars around the world they sit idle 95% of the time, so to be able to take that vehicle and make some money off of it, or borrow it from a neighbor to get to your appointments or vacations, is really a great way to utilize this platform. And we're really obsessed with our guests. You know we're making sure that they have a great experience every time as much as we can, and we hope they keep coming back and try Turo for the next time they want to try a new car or thinking about buying a car, but they're not sure they want to test it for a few more weeks, they can do that on Turo as well.

Speaker 1: 5:09

That's awesome, and today we're talking about Turo in Hawaii and, specifically, we're going to talk a little bit more about Maui. What's cool is, as I'm thinking about, maybe that family traveling to Hawaii, there's more options than just that Dodge Caravan for your transportation.

Speaker 4: 5:29

That's right yeah you can definitely check. I mean, I was even scrolling through the cyber truck the other day, I don't know if you've seen that there's just so many cool cars, even dream cars, that people get to just ride around for like a special weekend too.

Speaker 1: 5:44

Yeah.

Speaker 2: 5:44

Actually one of the most popular cars that's being booked here in Hawaii is the Jeep. Everyone wants to get a Jeep when they come to Hawaii.

Speaker 1: 5:54

When we first started, you know, talking and discussing about this podcast and the idea of it, a lot of the conversation went back to Maui and specifically Maui hosts, and wanted to spend some time today looking back at 2023. And what are we, six months from the Lahaina fires, and talking about? Because I know some people might not realize that a lot of people are still reconstructing, rebuilding. What does that mean and what does that look like? What's a new normal there? And figuring out what to do after the wildfire. So, leo, how impacted was the community on Maui and what role did they play during those really pivotal first few months of that relief effort?

Speaker 2: 6:40

This is a devastation.

Speaker 2: 6:41

Right Like this is a devastation like this is a devastation. This is, this is a horrendous, scary thing that not only lahaina felt, not only maui felt, but the whole state and, and really, like the whole nation, the whole world felt it. And so, in the wake of the fires, I personally knew and heard of so many people who were displaced, their, their cars were destroyed. They didn't have a reliable way to get to temporary housing or their jobs, or even to the pharmacy to get medication that they needed or food, and so in that way, brian Truro was able to play a significant role. We knew that if Truro could help, even in the smallest way, that we really wanted to do that. So we quickly rallied the team and, with the tremendous help of our car sharing community, together we were able to put more than $100,000 toward the Maui Wildfire Relief Program.

Speaker 1: 7:39

That's incredible. We were on a call together not too long ago, Leo, with Hawaii Visitors Bureau and got to hear even more about your passion there. But what inspired you and it sounds like you spearheaded this effort to get this effort going?

Speaker 2: 7:57

on behalf of Toro first of all, it was the right thing to do. It was the point of thing to do and, on a personal note, I'm I'm born and raised here in hawaii um, I'm native hawaiian. This is, this is more than just my home. It's my community, it's my family, my friends, my loved ones. Not only that, we have a significant and amazing tour host and guest community here in haw. When Kat says we're guest obsessed, it's not just a gimmick. We truly are. And in this case, our community in Maui had just gone through a horrific ordeal and needed us more than ever. I couldn't ignore the call for community support during this time, and you know, truel as a company is really all about empowering our community and ensuring access to mobility, and so stepping up was really a no brainer.

Speaker 1: 8:50

So this was pretty much Turo's kuleana to Hawaii.

Speaker 2: 8:54

Yeah, absolutely, and you know there were hosts on Maui who maybe were outside of Lahaina, who live in Kahului, who had vehicles, who had extra vehicles, and they were reaching out to us. How can we help, how can we make sure that our people are being taken care of?

Speaker 1: 9:13

So, Catherine, how did the 100K? I believe you said, Leo, how did that relief program work exactly then?

Speaker 4: 9:21

It was really amazing to see how it all came together, because we can't take any credit for this, because it was our host that really pushed for this. I mean, leo did an amazing job leading the charge with their team. There's so many people involved in putting this together internally as well, but it was our host that was really reaching out to say our neighbors are hurting, they need transportation, they need help. How can we help? How can Turo help? That really set this effort, you know, up to the sky, because we wanted, we wanted to get a hundred thousand dollars together. That was our goal and we ended up surpassing that. We reached about $110,000 at the end of the, at the end of everything, with all of the collaboration we received with the community, with some of our organizations that we partner with, and I can break that down for you.

Speaker 4: 10:09

A lot of numbers involved, but I really want to give everyone like proper credit for helping the way they did, because it was really phenomenal how it all came together. We had donations come in from our peer-to-peer car sharing community, so not just in Hawaii, but also in all of our markets, they reached out and they donated from their personal funds as well, and so they ended up donating just the car sharing community of Turo in general $15,000 just from them, and then Turo matched that with another 15,000. So that all went to the Hawaii Community Foundation, which is a great organization that was helping victims during this time. And then we have partners at the Hawaii Community Foundation, which is a great organization that was helping victims during this time. And then we have partners at the Open Road Foundation. For anyone who doesn't know what that is, the Open Road Foundation they're a policy group that advocates for peer-to-peer car sharing in all markets.

Speaker 4: 10:56

So they partnered with us as well. They donated $10,000 to the effort and that also went to the Hawaii Community Foundation. And then more than $30,000, which was donated by both Turo and our actual employees' personal funds, like their personal pocketbooks they donated to the transportation costs of actually what it would cost to book vehicles for the victims so they could get out of the destruction area, so they could get to their new location, so they could take their kids to school in another area, so they didn't have to worry about renting a car and spending money on that during this time. So $30,000 went to that and then another $30,000 was given to various efforts. That all were for the Maui Relief program and efforts, so that that was different sponsorships and promotions. Actually, leo, can you remind me what those were, cause there were some specific ones that you specifically worked on that were part of those sponsorships.

Speaker 2: 11:56

Yeah, sure, you know, there was a bunch of sponsorships and partnerships and we were really particular about who we, who we supported, because we wanted to make sure that the funds were actually going to Maui. And so we worked with the lieutenant lieutenant governor's office. We helped her put together a craft fair that helped Maui vendors. You know, there was a certain time where the small local businesses were really hurting. Local businesses were really hurting, and so LG thought it was a great idea to do a craft fair and bring our Maui vendors together and do like, do it on different islands, and so we were able to sponsor that event.

Speaker 2: 12:34

There were a few relief concerts that we also sponsored. There was even one on in Arizona that actually our Turo community there reached out and said, hey, is this something that we can come behind and support? And we absolutely did. And one of the heartfelt ones for me was the Ho'olulahaina Unity March and if you've seen it across social media or news channels, it was really a time where thousands came together and you've seen people from different islands coming together in Lahaina. This was in December and it was in Lahaina and it was just thousands of people coming together to rally behind and support our people in Lahaina, our residents who were affected by these fires.

Speaker 4: 13:23

So that was a huge, huge part of this is making sure that we were donating and providing funding in a way that was actually going to help victims.

Speaker 4: 13:33

You know, unfortunately we see a lot of circumstances when disaster hits, people take advantage of that and scammers come through and they try to say that this is for this or that to help and it's not going to actual victims.

Speaker 4: 13:45

So that was really important when we were like quickly putting this together because we wanted to get help out there as quickly as possible to make sure we did the proper research, with Leo's help, to make sure we were actually donating to organizations that were actually helping.

Speaker 4: 14:00

And then so, over the course of several weeks and months after the fires, the portion of the relief program where we were providing transportation $35,000 on transportation costs when they're already dealing with so much loss, even though what we, what our community did and what our partners were able to help us with, even though it was great, it was still a drop in the bucket compared to the amount of loss that happened. So, even though it was just a little bit, we were, we wanted to help as much as we could and you know I have to give so, so much credit to the local host community in Hawaii because they really came through like they were offering their vehicles to their neighbors, to victims, for either completely free or super discounted, which is money out of their pockets too, right, and so they were. They were coming out of the this like asking us if they could do that and I'm like, well, of course you can do that. Of course we want you to help your neighbor and that's what really sparked this effort.

Speaker 1: 15:19

So kind of going off of that a little bit. Did Turo encourage car owners to do this, or was this something that just kind of grassroots, kind of naturally happened? Leah.

Speaker 2: 15:29

Oh, totally naturally, Brian, there was really. There's no hard sell required and you know, I think that's that's a beautiful thing, right? Is that the Aloha spirit really runs deep in this community. Local car owners recognize the need and Truro just simply provided the avenue. They were eager to join a program where they could lend a hand and offer rides to their neighbors, like how Kat said, at minimal or no cost. Sometimes it was free, and it's a kind of heartfelt connection that makes our island, ohana, proud.

Speaker 1: 16:03

I love that you mentioned a few things, kat, going back and just like finding the right organization to that and to partner alongside with. And there was a lot of confusion, unfortunately, in those very, really the couple of days after, like so many people, the Venmo's out there and, you know, paying for gas for this guy just trying to, you know, get people out of there. You know, stuff like that I think went really helped, but something that was. I mean, I didn't think about this but until we, you know, until we started dialoguing more about it. But just like the necessity of people to get to doctor's appointments, the necessity of people to get their prescription and and and stuff like that, you just don't think about the boots on the ground or the the wheels on the road, you know actually getting it done.

Speaker 1: 17:02

Is is pretty cool and encouraging to hear.

Speaker 4: 17:05

Yeah, leo, do you want to talk more about that Cause you were having these conversations on what you were hearing from some of the people who are reaching out asking for the assistance, the transportation.

Speaker 2: 17:14

There's one story that I keep going back to and this was like immediately after the fires and that in the aftermath of the fires, there was a tour host who had just his car and a phone charger and he was letting people charge their phones so that they could call their loved ones to make sure that their loved ones knew that they were okay. Because you know, going back to that time like it was truly devastating. I personally had Ohana that we were looking for, that we were making sure was okay and because of the whole situation, we couldn't get a hold of them. So for this Turo host to offer that, it was tremendous for the people that were affected, as well as loved ones that who were trying to reach out to them.

Speaker 4: 18:01

Another one that came through. One of the requests Brian was she was trying to get out of her home and then she saw a grandma leo, do you remember the detail? She saw grandma and the granddaughter and they needed help because they couldn't physically get out of their home. Yep, she jumped in right and yeah, you know the full story. So, yeah, no, she.

Speaker 2: 18:26

She jumped in and she lost everything. At this point, she lost everything. She jumped in like these are the real heroes that we're seeing emerge from all of the stories. This woman lost her car, her home, everything she had, but she was out there helping others and making sure that they came out of it okay. And she was someone that we got to help through this program and it was just it was the kind of testimonies and stories that we heard coming out and we were like we knew. I mean, we knew from the beginning that we had to do something, but it was just confirmation that we were doing the right thing.

Speaker 1: 19:03

Now being so many months removed? How is specifically the host on Maui? How is that community doing?

Speaker 2: 19:12

Still recovering. I feel like even Hawaii in general we're still recovering from this. I just had my family from Maui come and they're sharing stories of recovery. That's still happening. People are now they're being taken out of hotels and so they have to figure out where they're sharing stories of of recovery. That's still happening. People are now they're being taken out of hotels and so they have to figure out where they're going to go and who they're going to live with, and so it's definitely still recovery mode. Even our we're we're in a legislative session right now and a lot of the bills and a lot of the funding is definitely going to Maui Gotcha. There's again stories after stories of just devastation.

Speaker 1: 19:57

Catherine, now do you see Turo continuing efforts like the Maui Relief Fund and other places as well, or how does that work? What's the goal there?

Speaker 4: 20:07

You know, my hope, brian, and my prayer, is that we would never need to do that. You know that there's never anything like this that happens again in Maui, in Hawaii, in any of the markets that our hosts are in. But you know, my hope is that we would. It remains to be seen. You know I'm not looking forward to anything like that, but I do know that our hosts are in so many places, in so many markets and we really value what they value about communities. So if they see the need, you know we're going to hear them out and they're also going to be the ones to provide that help when they can.

Speaker 4: 20:45

We've seen that now and they're people just like you and me. It's not like a faceless rental car company. It's a person that lives in your neighborhood, it's your neighbor who has an extra car and does this side hustle or something. So they're going to be hurting when their community is hurting and they're going to come to us when they see the need for help and we're going to be ready to listen. So where there is a need for transportation, I know our Turo community and our hosts will be there and ready to help whenever we can, and I'm just again, really, really grateful for that community, for those local hosts who really sacrificed out of their own personal pockets and lives to help their neighbors and to help us help their neighbors as well.

Speaker 1: 21:28

You know it's one thing to just, you know, write a check, but to hear the creativeness and how transportation was a way in helping people. I think I know I didn't think about that, but so I'm hopeful that people who are listening are also going to make that connection, like, oh, that was pretty cool and that was creative. So hearing a creative way and having to help during a time of tragic is cool.

Speaker 2: 21:50

When we look at what we're good at, what our expertise is, it is mode of transportation, and so that was our creative way and our initiative to make sure that people knew that.

Speaker 1: 22:07

If you've ever dreamed of exploring Hawaii at your own pace in a car that feels like yours, or maybe you have a vehicle that you would like to host and share, well, Turo is your go-to. So imagine cruising down Hana in a convertible or navigating the landscapes of the big island with a 4x4, all while experiencing Hawaii authentically and responsibly. With Turo, you can rent the perfect car for your Hawaii vacation from local hosts or become a host yourself, turning your idle car into an earning opportunity while connecting with travelers from around the world. So whether you're looking to explore the islands in style or earn extra cash as a local, Turo makes it all possible. Dive into the Turo experience and see Hawaii through a new lens. Visit Turo today at Turocom. All right, Catherine, so switching gears a bit. We talk a lot about, you know, regenerative tourism, how to travel to Hawaii with Aloha here on Hawaii's Best, and I'm curious where does Turo stand with that? But maybe, before you dive into that question, if you can just give us how you would define traveling to Hawaii with Aloha?

Speaker 4: 23:20

Traveling Hawaii with Aloha. To me and I would love Leo to chime in here too it's really about bringing something to Hawaii that improves the lives of the people and the environment there. It's not about taking away and making things worse or just harder for the local community and the local environment and the local ecological and even economical environment there. It's about improving these things and these lives and not taking away from it. I know there's probably a more elegant way to say that, but it's really about appreciating the cultural heritage as well and having respect for that place that you're visiting and really appreciating it and not taking away from it in any way.

Speaker 2: 24:10

You know, when we think of regenerative tourism and as a local, as a native Hawaiian, it's not easy, right, tourism is not an easy topic in Hawaii. But if you're coming here with the intent to give back in some way, to give back in some way, I know there's different programs out there where you can actually volunteer at Alo'i, which is like a tarot patch, and you can volunteer there. There's other places to volunteer, and so for me, that's what regenerative tourism looks like. It also looks like supporting local and making sure that, as much as possible, that you are supporting local small businesses. It's not easy to live here in Hawaii. It's the it's one of the highest cost of living states in the nation, right, and so these are things that I think that, as tourists, it's important to think of.

Speaker 1: 25:09

So the second part of that question, having that definition I think is important going into so what is TuroScan?

Speaker 2: 25:15

on the topic People knew that.

Speaker 4: 25:16

Yeah, and we could support. Regenerative tourism is so important to us at Turo. We've talked about it quite a bit over the years at Turo and it's something that we believe that our platform offers on a day-to-day basis in our marketplace. It's an opportunity for local community, for local residents, to become hosts and earn money from those underutilized vehicles that they may have and provide both tourists and locals and their neighbors with access to transportation, thus adding to their lives as well, and so we see it as a win-win situation. Here's the local community earning some money from their vehicle and from tourism, and then here's the on the flip side, the guest who's able to buy local, rent local, because they're able to make sure that those monies are going back into the community that they're visiting or traveling in. We're always trying to find new ways to contribute to that conversation of regenerative tourism. Turo was actually a sponsor a couple of years ago of the Hawaii Business Magazine's Expo on regenerative tourism, so we were a sponsor of that. We were able to have really insightful conversations about what that means to the community and how we can help, and we even.

Speaker 4: 26:35

There was a study done in a couple of years ago.

Speaker 4: 26:37

It was a Hawaii-based economics researcher I believe his name was Justin Hong, and he did a study about regenerative tourism and how it relates to Turo and peer-to-peer car sharing and that environment, and so a big takeaway from that study.

Speaker 4: 26:54

I won't give you all the details because it was pretty long, but one of the big takeaways for me on that study was that he found that more than half of residents of Hawaii who did turn to Turo for hosting their vehicle they experienced a positive cash flow benefit from that that ended up shifting their home from low income or poverty level to then a livable wage. And that's so important, especially nowadays when we talk about regenerative tourism. Yes, it's about the environment especially, but it's also about the cost of living there and how people are getting pushed out of their homes who have been there for generations and generations and they can't afford to live there anymore because of the cost of living. So this was really important to me to know that what we provide at Turo as this platform is empowering the local community to be able to maintain their home and to stay in this environment. This is all they've known. This is where their family is, so it keeps them in their home and also gives them a way to to be above that poverty level as well.

Speaker 1: 28:04

Do hosts find themselves becoming like local tour guides as well?

Speaker 4: 28:08

Do hosts find themselves becoming like local tour guides. You know, yes, oh my gosh, yes, all the time I love it, I've had hosts who leave me like a one-sheeter in the car with like the best places to go eat the best places to go to the beach, like which beaches to avoid which beaches would be great.

Speaker 4: 28:24

We have a lot of hosts that kind of label themselves as pseudo travel guides, in addition to the car which we just think is so great. I even know of a few, in Hawaii specifically Leo knows them personally who leave little snacks for families if they know they're going to bring kids, because they asked for a car seat or something, so they'll leave like candies for the family, like lehimoi gummies.

Speaker 1: 28:48

Nice. Yes, that is cool, you know. That's one of the things definitely you've talked about before on the podcast is, you know you travel to Hawaii in a strike up conversation with locals and this is like one of the very first connections that someone could have to Hawaii, specifically through someone who lives there, calls it home. Hearing those places to go is important but even more importantly, like, hey, you're not going to want to, you know, make sure you don't go there or to that spot, you know. So that is some good insider tips, leo. Turo is, it's available obviously in Hawaii and has been for a little while. But from what you've seen, what is the local community using Turo for in Hawaii? So not the tourist, not the traveler, not the visitor, right.

Speaker 2: 29:37

You know, brian, I got to say that Hawaii and locals here are too often on the losing end of tourism. But I feel that tour really flips the script. It actually channels tourism dollars back into the local economy, giving really everyone here a chance to reap the economical benefits of tourism. When you think about it, what a host is saying when they share their car on Turo is okay enough. No more sending the wealth of my homeland to massive rental car companies in St Louis or wherever else they are in the world. Local Turo hosts are keeping that wealth here in Hawaii where it belongs. And you know, ryan, you mentioned regenerative tourism and a good visual of that is Turo. Local residents are using Turo for transportation while island hopping, for example, as a way to support local. I can think of a specific guest on Kauai who uses Turo every time she travels to Oahu for her medical appointments. There are also some traveling nurses that use specific Turo hosts for all their transportation needs.

Speaker 4: 30:47

And that's something we see time and time again because of the island hopping factor. You know, especially during COVID we saw this happen so much Like people were having such a hard time buying cars, getting access to a car or even renting a car from like the traditional rental car counter and they flocked to Turo during that time to get one from someone who lives a couple of streets down from them or lives in the island where they're traveling to. So it was something we saw really prominent in Hawaii and then other markets as well. But it's one of those things where you know, or even just cars that they don't normally get to drive and like they have a special anniversary coming up and they want to take the wife out and like a nice cool car that they, you know, let's say they drive a minivan, usually for the kids, and they want to have something a little sleek for that dinner. We see that happen between local to local as well a lot week for that dinner.

Speaker 1: 31:42

We see that happen between local to local as well, a lot. So one of the you know I have the app pulled up and I've used the app before and you know I can't wait to travel to Hawaii and you know, book a 4Runner. I mean there's no better cruise around. Do the? You know Oahu circle drive in a 4Runner? So I can't wait to do that. But I'm thinking about just the safety involved and I'm sure you know hosts are amazing, but you know you're meeting someone for the very first time. You're in their car. Just would love to hear about safety in running through Toro.

Speaker 4: 32:19

Yeah, of course we have an onboarding process for all of our hosts, so when someone wants to host on the platform, there are some steps they need to take before they're able to make that vehicle go live, to make sure that they have all the safety measures. We make sure that all of our cars are not subject to a recall and there's certain maintenance that they have to maintain to host on the platform, and so we have an entire team dedicated to making sure that our hosts are onboarded properly and know all of the safety protocols. And then, in addition to that, we also have a trust and safety department with an entire dedicated team of really awesome individuals. Some of them are former law enforcement and investigators who work to make sure that if, in the rare instance where something could happen in terms of like, if the car isn't returned on time and there's a fear maybe it's missing or anything related to that, we have a team dedicated to investigating those claims and making sure that we take care of the situation whenever something arises. But it is a really rare situation when that happens. But it's one of those situations where you don't even have to see your host too, if you don't want to.

Speaker 4: 33:34

We have contactless remote check-in as well. Many of our hosts and our guests choose to do that If they just want to go and pick up the car and not have to talk to anybody. A lot of our vehicles, especially the newer vehicles like the Teslas and stuff they have remote unlock features through the app, and so what you can do is set it up with your host to say, like, I'd like to pick up this vehicle at this time at this location, but I don't want to really see anybody, and so they can set up the remote unlock. So once you get to the vehicle, you verify that it's you and that you do the check-in process through the app, and then, once the Turo and the host verify that it is you, we, the host, can then unlock the vehicle remotely and you can get in and start your trip. You know, take your photos and everything and make sure that you have everything you need and the key would be with the car.

Speaker 4: 34:22

So there is. You know, there's ways to get around having to see people in person If you don't want to deal with strangers. I personally am a very friendly and outgoing person, so I love meeting my hosts and talking to them, and we see that a lot in Hawaii too. Like they just love meeting each other in person and we think that's really special. But if you are more of an introvert and you don't want to deal, you can definitely do the remote unlock feature as well.

Speaker 1: 34:46

Awesome, good to know so kind of a follow up. You know safety. I know that's a huge question for people and I'm sure another big question for a lot of people is well, how does insurance work? You know it's easy, you know a typical quote. You know car rental company. You know you've been. A lot of people have been through that process and insurance. But how does it specifically work with Turo?

Speaker 4: 35:09

Yeah. So with Turo it's really really easy. Everyone's covered in the in the protection plans in terms of the guests, like if you are a guest and you book a car. It's very similar to the rental car companies that you probably might've experienced, where you pick a level of protection that you're comfortable with. So there's a minimum, a medium in the high level, and depending on which one you pick, you know the price does go up on that.

Speaker 4: 35:33

And then on the host side, if you're a host, you also are able to pick from a protection package as well. So, depending on how much earnings you want to take home, you could, if you'd rather take home more earnings and not deal so much with the protection package, you could, you know, have that exchange, and there's different levels to that as well. So it's really your comfort level. But then, in addition to choosing your own, they're also every single trip is backed by third-party liability insurance if there is an accident, and so you're covered on that front in every trip, no matter what. So it's pretty simple. You can do it all through the app. Some people even later change their protection package during the trip if they change their mind. So it's your comfort level.

Speaker 1: 36:19

Gotcha, okay. Okay, leia, yes, born and raised Hawaii. Nay, yeah, love to hear. We talked a little bit about local businesses. I want to put you on the spot and would love to hear maybe some of your favorite local businesses.

Speaker 2: 36:40

Could be brick and mortar or maybe something that people can find online and support. One of my favorites is actually Moani Moani Waikiki at International Marketplace. They not only have a cool vibe, but they are actually also Native Hawaiian owned. They're a Native Hawaiian family owned business and that's what I love about them and their restaurant. They have great music, great drinks. My favorite food there they have this shrimp. I can't remember the exact name of it, but their shrimp is fire. It is a main thing.

Speaker 1: 37:15

Forget about it. You know, as we're talking and I can't help but think about people on the continental US too who are maybe wanting to do a side hustle or some side income, and maybe this piqued their interest a little bit you know, yeah, maybe you're thinking about booking a trip to Hawaii, but also you're thinking about, well, how can I maybe afford that trip to Hawaii and this could be a way to do that. What would you tell that person who's interested in maybe becoming a Toro host?

Speaker 4: 37:45

I would tell them to go for it. You know, I I've heard a lot of people who kind of tell a similar story and I was this way too before I started hosting like that kind of nervousness, like you don't know what to expect, you're not really sure if this is for you and it really honestly depends on your, your, your availability. So I tell people you get out of it what you put into it. So if you're putting in a lot of effort, a lot of time, you're going to get more out of it and you're going to have, you're going to see more earnings coming from that. But if you are only able to, let's say, host like during the summers, let's say you don't need your car during the summers and you can host it during that time, that's fine too.

Speaker 4: 38:27

If it's something that just suits your schedule, just manage those expectations for yourself, depending on how much time and resources and effort you're going to put into it. But the good thing about Turo is that we do have a whole team that can help guide you in those decisions and who have experience with hosts of every level, from you know one to two car first time hosting to power hosts, you know with with more cars. So if you want to call us or set up an onboarding meeting and ask some questions about that, you can do that and we we can let you know. Like, okay, based on your availability, based on the type of car you have, based on the market that you're in, this is, you know, probably the avenue you want to go in. So, if you have questions, definitely reach out, check it out. But it is something that I encourage people to try. If they are, do have that entrepreneurial kind of spirit and it's really, you know it's.

Speaker 4: 39:27

it's not as hard to get into as some other things in terms of entrepreneurial ventures, like it is starting a new business per se, but it's not like opening a new restaurant, you know. I feel like that's. That's an entirely different animal. That's going to take 24 hours of your day and investment. This is kind of like I would say, like dipping your toes in the water of entrepreneurship and you can kind of work yourself up to something bigger and more impactful and get yourself more earnings the more you put into it.

Speaker 1: 39:50

Cool. Yeah, I got a car to sit in. Sometimes Might be cool, and we have an international airport like that's only like two miles from us.

Speaker 3: 39:59

Well, there you go. You should definitely do it. It's only like two miles from us, yeah.

Speaker 1: 40:02

Well, there you go. You should definitely do it, Lea and Kat. This has been awesome. Any last thoughts? Anything for anyone listening that wants to learn more about Turo, maybe, Leo, let's go ahead and start with you.

Speaker 2: 40:13

Sure, you know I feel like we talked about so many things in this podcast. I'm so grateful. Thank you so much, brian, for this opportunity, but I think for me, simply put, hawaii residents are resilient, and I think that's what I want the world to know, if you don't know already. Hawaii we're resilient and we bounce back, and so I'm so proud to be able to call this place my home, my community, and to see local Tura hosts spreading the Aloha spirit in all circumstances.

Speaker 4: 40:45

Yeah, I have to echo everything Leo just said and just I want to thank you, brian, again for having us on the show. This has been so much fun. We love talking about our host community Almost sold too much. We just love them so much. But I just I continue to say I'm just really grateful for the people on this platform who went out of their way to help people, especially during our efforts with the Maui Relief Program. I can't thank the community enough for everything they did to support that and for anyone listening. If you're wondering how to become of this awesome community, download the Turo app today. Check it out, try it for yourself. I don't think you'll be disappointed.

Speaker 1: 41:23

Awesome. Thank you so much for your time and coming on Hawaii's Best today.

Speaker 4: 41:27

Thank you, brian. Thanks Brian Mahalo.

Speaker 1: 41:30

Mahalo. All right, that wraps up another episode of Hawaii's Best. Thank you so much for tuning in again, and a huge mahalo to Catherine and Leonani for joining us today and sharing their insights on Turo, the role it plays in Hawaiian travel and its impact in the response to the Maui wildfires. Here's a few key takeaways I hope that you're walking away with I know I did and one of those is the power of community in times of need. I think a lot of us saw that during the response to the Maui fires, and platforms like Turo are instrumental in mobilizing resources and support.

Speaker 1: 42:04

Number two responsible tourism. That can't be said enough. It isn't just about where you go, it's about how you get there and the choices youa spirit are evident at the heart of Turo's service, ensuring both travelers and locals benefit from this innovative car sharing model. For more information on everything we discussed, including links to Turo resources related to today's topic, make sure you visit the show notes page at hawaiisbesttravelcom, slash episode 119. And there you'll find all the details you need to explore Hawaii responsibly and make the most out of your next trip to Hawaii. Well, thanks again for tuning in and until next time, be well Aloha.

Speaker 3: 42:55

Mahalo for listening to this episode of Hawaii's Best. To stay up to date on future episodes, please subscribe and visit us at hawaiisbesttravelcom.