Well, look on the bright side. Maybe we'll get Sunset on the Beach again.

Last time tourism took a tumble, Waikiki welcomed locals with open arms. There were discounts, incentives, even free movies and cheap eats on Waikiki Beach.

And then after that, not so much.

Sunset on the Beach was Jeremy Harris' answer to the post-9/11 drop in tourism numbers. In the fall of 2001, people weren't in the mood for vacations, and certainly weren't up for flying all the way out to Hawai'i, so the city and Waikiki businesses brainstormed ways to get local people fill the gap.

It was cool at first. The free nighttime movies on the soft sand at Queen's Surf Beach were a huge hit. Local restaurants brought out their beach snack menus and entertainers provided rocking pre-show music. Radio stations sponsored the festivities. There were theme nights. Double features. All the movies chosen had some connection to Hawai'i and most had been filmed here, at least in part.

There were added features like classic "Hot Hawaiian Nights" episodes or Travel Channel specials. Some weekend nights, there was barely any space left on the sand for one more beach chair. And yes, some locals went all out and rented a hotel room for the night.

Those Waikiki nights had the feel of something special, a community connection, a joining of joyful hearts at a time when the country was still shaken.

And then the tourists came back. And Harris didn't run for governor. And the new mayor wasn't so hot on the old mayor's brainchild. And the whole deal didn't pass the "Do we need it? Can we afford it? Can we maintain it?" Mufi Hannemann smell test, so he fobbed it off to the Waikiki Improvement Association.

And then things sort of stalled like a bike in the sand.

That huge movie screen is now sitting in the sun and the rain and the salt spray, taking up a big chunk of sand space that could be accommodating butts on beach blankets and pesky pigeons. There were only two movie nights scheduled in June and there are none at all for July. You would think with the balmy nights, the kids out of school, the tourism numbers down ...

Maybe not with all the fancy restaurants operating beachside crepe bars and Amy Gilliom singing show tunes. Maybe just a steak truck and Carole Kai.

Ah, but it's coming. As soon as tourism starts to wobble, the industry finds the love for locals again. Kama'aina rates appear out of nowhere, businesses start emphasizing that they have plenty of convenient parking and value is touted more than exclusivity.

And maybe that 30-foot movie screen on the beach won't sit dark night after night.

Lee Cataluna's column runs Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays. Reach her at 535-8172 or lcataluna@honoluluadvertiser.com.