1960s

 By the late 1960’s, a growing demand for neighbor island tourism provided the impetus for larger, more luxurious hotel developments in West Hawaii. These included the Kona Village and Resort; Mauna Kea Beach Resort, which opened in 1965; Hotel King Kamehameha, built on the historically significant site of Kamakahonu Bay and Ahuena Heiau (the last residence of Kamehameha the Great); and Kona Hilton, now known as the Royal Kona Resort, which welcomed its first guests in 1968. 

Alongside the resort explosion, restaurants, vacation activities, construction, and retail industries thrived.  Sport fishing began to draw enthusiasts, and by 1967, there were at least 35 charter boats trolling the deep waters off the Kona Coast.  The world-renowned Kona Billfish Tournament brought contestants from Australia, Europe, South Africa, and New Zealand.