![]() The truth is that there were indeed mixed messages regarding tourism in the aftermath of the fires and not just referencing immediate visits. our island does need tourism, and when people were saying 'don't come, don't come,' a lot of were like, 'No, we need you to come.' Our island survives off tourism." ![]() Just respect the area and where you are going. He works doing ocean activities at one of the major resorts in Wailea, and he was born and raised on the North Shore of Maui. "Please come still," Noa Kamalu said during our November 2023 visit. "I think the community is coming back together." He also said the fires have made the community stronger. He told me that the Wailea area is eager for people to return. Jeremy Kaialiilii, who helped deliver relief supplies to impacted families through his Epic Ministry church group, said he and other locals want people to come back, but just to be respectful. "The best way to support Maui's recovery is for travelers to continue with their Maui vacations - don't cancel those trips." "The Hawaiʻi Tourism Authority is supporting residents who work in the hospitality industry and business owners who rely on visitors by encouraging mindful visitation to the island," Ilihia Gionson, public affairs officer at the Hawai'i Tourism Authority, said. On the ground, I found Maui little changed outside of the devastated Lahaina region, with the major caveat that tourists should stay out of fire-burned areas.ĬLINT HENDERSON/THE POINTS GUY Visitors are welcome in Hawaii, including Maui While you can never put a price on the destruction the fire brought to people and lives, analysts estimate the fires caused a loss of between $4 and $6 billion to the state's economy. ![]() However, at this point, tourism workers, local residents and Hawaiian officials all told me they need tourists to return to stabilize the already-battered economy of Maui and the wider Hawaiian Islands. Emotionally, of course, the disaster has impacted the entire island. I've just returned from a trip to Oahu and Maui to see firsthand what it's like as the people of Hawaii recover from what state leaders call the worst natural disaster in its history.Īt least 97 people were killed, and nearly the entire historic port of Lahaina burned to the ground, but despite the horrific disaster on that part of the island, most of Maui is physically untouched. That's the message not just from those running tourism boards but from those who live there. Despite what you may have heard in the aftermath of the devastating Maui wildfires, Hawaii needs tourists to return.
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