HONOLULU (KHON2) -- Millions of people flock to Hawaii every year for a dream vacation -- but for those targeted by criminals, a sweet getaway, can quickly turn sour.
"It is a nightmare," said Jessica Lani Rich, president of the Visitor Aloha Society of Hawaii (VASH).
She has been helping visitors in crisis for over two decades.
"It hurts them, not just their a vacation, but it hurts them mentally, physically and also their attitude about Hawaii," she said.
When visitors, especially those from other countries, are victims of violent crimes warnings like the one on the Consulate General of Japan website are sometimes issued to let travelers know about crime in certain areas.
The Honolulu Police Department confirmed the incident happened on Thursday, June 20 at 1:30 a.m. and said they opened a first-degree robbery case.
According to the Consulate General of Japan in Honolulu website, the victims were on the Waikiki pier, when a suspect, who was allegedly armed approached them. During daylight hours, the area is bustling with people enjoying the beach, but at night, it's a much different story.
Lani Rich said it can be dangerous at night in Hawaii, like any other city.
"I hope that our tourists look at this as an isolated incident," Lani Rich added. "As I Mentioned, Hawaii is a very safe place to travel. However, traveling to Hawaii you also have to use common sense as well."
VASH has responded to fewer than 30 violent crimes a year.
According to VASH reports, they are called most often for cases of theft and car break-ins.
HPD said the safety of visitors and residents is their priority and they patrol areas like Waikiki in many different ways to prevent crime.
In a statement the Hawaii Tourism Authority Board Chair Mufi Hannemann said:
"Honolulu was recently named as the safest city in the world to visit, thanks to the aloha of our community and the dedication of our law enforcement and public safety officials. Even with that, regrettably, isolated incidents happen. Our aloha goes out to the visitors who were affected."
"We cannot change what happened to a visitor, but what we can do, and this is where the Visitor Aloha Society of Hawaii steps in, is we can show up," Lani Rich said. "We can let them know that the aloha spirit is alive and well and that people care. And I can tell you this, it makes all the difference in the world."