When the next hurricane hits Hawai'i, there will be 170,000 tourists in the Islands without the networks of family and friends on which most residents will rely.

The tourists won't have their own disaster kits with food, water, flashlights and medicine. They won't have rehearsed evacuation plans or picked a site where they should meet if they get separated from loved ones.

And they will have to vie for the attention of government officials who will be stretched thin trying to take care of Island residents.

So state plans to protect visitors in a disaster rely heavily on the ability of hotels to shelter them and airlines to evacuate them. The private sector will be called on to carry the load.

The first step in the event of a hurricane would be to try to get tourists out of the line of fire — to an island not in the path of the storm or back to their homes — and that would be the job of the airlines. Remaining visitors will be housed in hotel shelters — often a ballroom or other interior space — and fed with emergency stores of food set aside by the hotel. Once the storm passes, the state will ask airlines again to help get visitors off the affected island.

The size of the task is expanding each year with the growth in visitor arrivals. Last year, an average 171,481 visitors were in Hawai'i on any given day, with 83,718 on O'ahu, according to the state Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism. So far this year, the average is higher.

In case of a hurricane, state Civil Defense and transportation officials will work with airlines to fly out as many visitors as possible.

"One of the things that we'll always take a hard look at when we know that there's a potential hurricane and it's getting threatening is trying to move visitors perhaps to other islands, or at some point you may tell them it's best if they go home," said state Civil Defense public information officer Ray Lovell.

It's difficult to say how many visitors can be flown to safety before a hurricane hits, state officials say. It depends on how much warning they have and the availability of flights. The unpredictable nature of hurricanes also makes it a challenge to decide when and where to move visitors.

The capacity of airlines to get tourists out is limited. Last year, there were an average 18,673 daily air seats between Hawai'i and the Mainland, and 5,075 daily air seats to Japan, according to DBEDT. Interisland figures were not immediately available.

The state would be working with airlines on various options, including diverting planes to shuttle visitors off an island in the path of a storm.

"If the storm is severe enough and the state needed United's help, we are here to listen and help when it's possible," said United Airlines spokeswoman Robin Urbanski. She pointed out that United sent rescue flights to New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina to help people evacuate.

Aloha Airlines has set up a systems operating control center in Honolulu since Hurricane Iniki to handle any situations that arise, and "as we have in the past, Aloha stands ready to work with authorities in any civil emergency," said spokesman Stu Glauberman.

Visitors who remain would stay in hotels with in-house sheltering facilities, such as ballrooms or stairwells, during the storm. Properties that cannot withstand a hurricane or other disaster will make arrangements for their guests at other hotels.

It's not clear how many hotels can be used as shelters, or the total number of people who can be accommodated in these structures.

When state Civil Defense spokesman Lovell was asked about the state's disaster plan regarding tourists, he suggested talking to state tourism liaison Marsha Wienert.

Wienert said it's hard to say if there are enough shelters for tourists in the Islands.

"I don't know the answer to your question, and the reason I don't is hopefully a large part of them would choose to leave," Wienert said. "The big question is at what point do you make that decision, to say to guests, 'United Airlines has seats. We would suggest that you call United and confirm a seat immediately.' And that always is the big question."

The hotel industry says it is prepared.

Hawai'i Hotel and Lodging Association president Murray Towill said hotels with in-house shelters and the Hawai'i Convention Center should be enough to house visitors on O'ahu.

Warren Ferreira, Outrigger's corporate director of security and support services, said virtually every major hotel has plans to house guests on property during a disaster. Ferreira, who also sits on the board of directors for the Hawaii Visitor Industry Security Association, said Outrigger and other major properties participate in hurricane drills and also plan to have enough supplies to last at least 72 hours.

When it comes to shelters, "the visitor industry is certainly in better shape because of the type of structures that they have," said Hawai'i Tourism Authority president and CEO Rex Johnson. Hotels are generally better able to withstand a hurricane without a collapse. "They're probably in better shape than the residential areas."

Sheraton hotels in Waikiki are ready to evacuate guests to specific areas on property and have stockpiled enough supplies to last three to five days, said spokeswoman Tammy Maeda.

The government's role would largely be one of coordination and support if the hotels are overwhelmed.

If hotels that have been housing visitors suffer major structural damage, officials will evacuate guests to other areas, including the convention center and possibly the airport, Wienert said. Should a disaster shut down water and power in the area, the Red Cross would take care of people at the convention center, and hotels also will be supported as needed, Wienert said.

The Hawai'i Tourism Authority will set up a joint information center at the Hawai'i Convention Center to serve as a clearinghouse of information between government and the private sector.

Once the storm has passed, the state would be working with airlines to fly visitors out — either to another island to continue their vacations if there are hotel rooms available, or out of state — so resources can be concentrated on Island residents.

Wienert said the state is prepared, and that should be evident once a disaster hits.

"We always practice the preparedness part," she said. "We've put a lot of emphasis on that, and we should. We have to."

Lovell from the state Civil Defense agency said, "I can tell you that dealing with our visitors occupies a great deal of our time and our planning processes and procedures that we set up. It's not an afterthought. When there is a disaster, it doesn't make any difference if somebody is from Iowa or from Kahala. You just want to make sure that they are safe and can be cared for and get their life back to normal as quickly as possible."

While image may not be the top concern, how well the state cares for tourists during a disaster could have a lasting impact on how Hawai'i is viewed among potential visitors.

Well-coordinated efforts before and after a disaster are key in helping the state's No. 1 industry return to normal, and by extension, normalize the state's economy. If the tourism industry suffers sustained damage, it would be that much more difficult for the state as a whole to recover.

Reach Lynda Arakawa at larakawa@honoluluadvertiser.com.