Governor Lingle's veto of the civil unions bill yesterday triggered an avalanche of phone calls to her office on Wednesday.
Words of praise and criticism poured in from around the nation.
Wednesday morning the governor's office was inundated with calls regarding the veto of House Bill 444.
The governor's receptionist says some of the callers used a word the state's tourism industry doesn't want to hear.
"There's a good portion of them that were planning on vacationing here but because of the veto they will cancel their vacations and spread the word to their friends to boycott Hawaii," says Kaui Alapa, who is Governor Lingle's receptionist.
Gay tourism accounts for more than 60 billion in economic impact nationwide and a movement has already begun to steer away Hawaii's share.
From Facebook to twitter to the news and commentary stream, it kicked into gear not long after the governor vetoed civil unions -- fighting back by hitting Hawaii's number one industry , tourism.
"Especially out on the west coast of talk of boycotting Hawaii," says Alan Spector with Equality Hawaii.
That's new territory for Hawaii and something already on the radar of the travel establishment, especially as high profile niche trips build momentum in Hawaii. The hawaii tourism authority told KHON2
"At this time, we are monitoring and assessing the situation to determine any appropriate response."
"We would abide by a boycott for awhile. Yes, oh yes. Greg and I were here in january, I've been here 7 or 8 times since I was a young kid," says Washington visitor Dan Burpee.
Hula's Bar and Lei Stand celebrates its 36th year on thursday and the owner says he's never seen this kind of reaction over his decades in business.
"At least 50 percent of my business is from the mainland. Hulas bar and lei stand could not survive on just a local clientèle," says Jack Law of Hula's Bar and Lei Stand.
"Our visitor economy is so interrelated that what hurts everybody."
Gay visitors say they sympathize and for that reason any boycott might be short lived.
"I wouldn't look to support that boycott for a long period of time because the people suffer, but the governor needs to realize that it's not just her, it's the people," says Washington visitor Greg Wolf.
Others say they'd ignore a call to bypass Hawaii.
"I will not abide by the boycott. I think hawaii is a beautiful area and it's a very welcoming city. I think by boycotting it just helps create that frustration and it just punishes the local LGBT community even more than anything else," says California visitor Steve Campo.
Experts have a mixed view -- opposing sides each had economists weigh in. the civil union supporters camp said Hawaii's tourism economy stood to grow had same sex couples been able to come here for civil union ceremonies. civil union opponents said there would be no economic benefit.
