I wanted to take a moment to talk about the heartbreaking situation in Maui, and the double-edged sword that is tourism.
In this post:
The destruction in Maui is devastating
As I think just about everyone knows by now, we’re seeing such tragic devastation in Maui from wildfires. The situation is simply beyond words. There’s really nothing I can say, other than that Hawaii remains in my thoughts, and my heart bleeds for those who are part of the community impacted by this. This really puts into perspective how grateful we should be to just wake up every morning with a roof over our head.
Not only have well over 100 people died from the fires in West Maui, but the financial and cultural toll on the community is immeasurable. Hawaii is such a special and unique place, and rebuilding what has been lost will be a massive task.
There are lots of great charities that are helping the victims of the Maui wildfires, and I can only encourage anyone who is in a position to help to do so (I certainly plan on doing so).
When should people travel to Maui again?
I’m seeing a lot of people taking strong stances one way or another about traveling to Maui. Some people say you should absolutely visit Maui ASAP, while others label it as reckless. In this post I wanted to address this topic in a (hopefully) balanced way.
To start, let me share the official guidance that the Hawaii Tourism Authority has published. As of August 17, 2023, the official advice is that West Maui remains off limits, though travelers are encouraged to visit other parts of Maui.
One thing is for sure — whether people “should” or “shouldn’t” visit Maui, people don’t seem to want to at the moment. Flights to Maui are unbelievably empty. The last time I saw flights this empty was in March 2020, in the immediate days after the start of the pandemic.
Just as an example, this morning’s Los Angeles to Maui flight on American Airlines is operated by an Airbus A321neo, with 20 first class seats and 176 economy class seats. There are 12 seats occupied in first class and eight seats occupied in economy class, so there a total of 20 seats occupied out of 196, meaning the flight is just over 10% full.
That’s just one example, but those kinds of load factors are the norm rather than the exception across airlines and routes, based on what I just pulled up.
With that out of the way, let’s talk about the pros and cons of visiting Maui. If there are any things I’m not considering, by all means chime in.
The upside of visiting Maui
The way I view it, the single biggest benefit of visiting Maui soon is supporting the economy. The wildfires were only in one part of Maui, and other parts of Maui are more or less open as usual. The people living and working in those parts of Maui have bills to pay, and are heavily reliant on tourism.
Helping keep the economy alive is a good thing. Furthermore, arguably flying to and from Maui is beneficial as well in terms of keeping as many supplies as possible flowing to the island. With flights as empty as they are, airlines may very well soon reduce their schedules to Maui, and these are also planes that carry essential cargo that assist with rescue efforts.
The downside to visiting Maui
As I see it, there are two downsides to visiting Maui in the near future.
I think the first major concern is worrying if you’re getting in the way. You have many thousands of people who have been displaced and lost their homes. Is staying in a vacation rental or hotel as a tourist potentially preventing a local being accommodated there? Is renting a car taking away transportation that a displaced local may need?
While I think it’s a valid concern, practically speaking there seems to be plenty of inventory in terms of vacation rentals, hotels, rental cars, etc. Now, that might be because not enough is being done for those who have been displaced, but as tourists that’s not something we have much control over.
The second major concern, frankly, is if you’d even want to visit Maui. Some people save up for a once in a lifetime trip to Maui, and might just not want to vacation as the island faces its biggest devastation in decades. It’s not just the physical destruction, but it’s also the emotional toll on the community, as residents are heartbroken. It’s almost like vacationing in New York City right after 9/11.
Bottom line
Maui is dealing with an unbelievable tragedy, as wildfires have burned much of West Maui. In addition to over 100 people losing their lives, entire communities have been destroyed.
This raises the question of when it’s advisable to vacation in Maui again. I don’t think there’s an easy answer here. On the one hand, tourism helps the economy on the rest of the island, and authorities are even encouraging this kind of travel. At the same time, vacationing in a place that has just dealt with such a tragedy has its downsides as well.
Where do you stand on traveling to Maui? Would you do so, and if so, when?
At this point, Maui is screaming for tourists. Roughly 80% of the Maui economy is dependent upon tourism in one way or another, and if tourist stay away the economic devastation will be horrendous. Yes, go to Maui and stay on the other side of the island; visit the tourist spots that are accessible and don't interfere with efforts in Lahaina; visit Up-country and Wailea and Hana. But, let the Lahaina side be for awhile....
At this point, Maui is screaming for tourists. Roughly 80% of the Maui economy is dependent upon tourism in one way or another, and if tourist stay away the economic devastation will be horrendous. Yes, go to Maui and stay on the other side of the island; visit the tourist spots that are accessible and don't interfere with efforts in Lahaina; visit Up-country and Wailea and Hana. But, let the Lahaina side be for awhile.
Recently, there have been on-line pleas from restaurant owners that the will have to close soon if things don't change. These please come from food truck owners and even the owner of Coconuts which has several restaurants on the island. Charter and boat services will go under. The list goes on.
So yes, visit Maui but be respectful and don't interfere with Lahaina. The local economy is depending upon it.
Shouldn't travel to Hawaii, with or without the fire.
After Hurricane Katrina, the pundits wrote off New Orleans...Gloom & Doom!!!!
Six months later, the city hosted Mardi Gras with little difficulty. The biggest issue were hospitality employees who permanently left immediately after the storm. Some long lines at restaurants and some hotel rooms were not serviced each day, but most were back to normal within a year. In fact, some enterprising individuals were giving tours of devastated subdivisions near the levee breaches. Go...
After Hurricane Katrina, the pundits wrote off New Orleans...Gloom & Doom!!!!
Six months later, the city hosted Mardi Gras with little difficulty. The biggest issue were hospitality employees who permanently left immediately after the storm. Some long lines at restaurants and some hotel rooms were not serviced each day, but most were back to normal within a year. In fact, some enterprising individuals were giving tours of devastated subdivisions near the levee breaches. Go figure!!
Maui will recover, just give it time.
The French Quarter has a relatively high elevation of 1ft above sea level, so it was spared from the worst of the flooding. That's why there was a shortage of workers afterwards; the non-tourist areas in NOLA had worse flooding.
All of my friends who actually live in Maui are begging people to go there and spend money at hotels, restaurants, and other tourist spots (preferably locally owned) in every other part of the island besides Lahaina. People need to pay their bills. Everyone is angry at the government for saying otherwise and they are asking people to spread the word to please go there. Ben, please let me know if you want to speak with any of them. Your platform could really help.
I live on the other side of the island, and it is empty. There are hundreds of people like me (a gig worker) that aren't working and making a living because no one is here. There will be layoffs because if no one is visiting the restaurants and other shops the owners cannot afford to keep people employed.
Yes, it is an incredible tragedy on the west side and there are hundreds of volunteers...
I live on the other side of the island, and it is empty. There are hundreds of people like me (a gig worker) that aren't working and making a living because no one is here. There will be layoffs because if no one is visiting the restaurants and other shops the owners cannot afford to keep people employed.
Yes, it is an incredible tragedy on the west side and there are hundreds of volunteers and paid workers focused on supporting the people there. Financial and other support is pouring in which will help the affected people get on their feet.
On the other hand, there is no support for those affected on the other side of the island. If we are not working, there is no financial parachute. This is true at a time when we are finally recovering from Covid. And, without income, there is an emotional toll as well. Obviously, not as emotionally charged as those affected by the fire.
And, by the way, there are many activities available for visitors even though the west side is closed. Activities like snorkeling, hiking, the road to Hana, beaches, and swimming. And lots of rooms in the hotels in Wailea and Kihei as well as condos.
Simple. Do you want to be like Paris Hilton tik tokking her trip to maui, frolicking and having fun completely oblivious to people nearby looking for what is left of their former home. Why not also kick some kittens while you're at it.
Thanks for that nuanced take Lucky. I think the combo of perhaps delaying travel but keeping deposits with local businesses would have the benefit of not being in the way but keeping the tourism dollars with people who need it.
I also think this applies to other islands - Hawaii’s medical infrastructure is limited, and there is only one level one burn center in the whole state, in Honolulu. Tourists visiting islands other than Maui...
Thanks for that nuanced take Lucky. I think the combo of perhaps delaying travel but keeping deposits with local businesses would have the benefit of not being in the way but keeping the tourism dollars with people who need it.
I also think this applies to other islands - Hawaii’s medical infrastructure is limited, and there is only one level one burn center in the whole state, in Honolulu. Tourists visiting islands other than Maui might not know that they are still getting in the way of needed resources by families who will be traveling to other islands for care.
After reading all the comments on this page I'm even more confused. We have a trip planned for Late November in south Maui.
They are still looking for bodies and are greatly under resourced at all levels. They locals are very angry throughout Maui and tourists are not respecting their wishes of staying away. Lucky even runing an article weighing the pro's and cons is disrespectful. I am greatfull people are respecting the locals ( non goverment) wishes and just find an article trying to justify ignoring locals wishes at this time offensive and lacking any human empathy.
Lumping all locals together as if they have a homogenous view on this issue seems a little ridiculous. You don't have to look farther than this comment section to see locals expressing different views. While I'm sure some locals want tourists to stay away, it seems others who rely on money from tourism have different views.
Duncan, I suggest getting your "facts" from multiple sources before writing such a vile and inaccurate comment again. Your the definition of a "Sheeple".
Visiting there in the next 60 days or so is probably a "hinderance" to Maui repairing. BUT, canceling bookings beyond that is probably ALSO hindering Maui's recovery. If employers see that booking are down: they will layoff locals, they will stop investing, period. Of ALL the Hawaiian Islands (the State of Hawaii), Maui actually has THE HIGHEST percentage of jobs connected to tourism (nearly 60%). So certain locals and politicians and people on TV can...
Visiting there in the next 60 days or so is probably a "hinderance" to Maui repairing. BUT, canceling bookings beyond that is probably ALSO hindering Maui's recovery. If employers see that booking are down: they will layoff locals, they will stop investing, period. Of ALL the Hawaiian Islands (the State of Hawaii), Maui actually has THE HIGHEST percentage of jobs connected to tourism (nearly 60%). So certain locals and politicians and people on TV can tell everyone to not come. But they'll see pretty quickly that they have relied too heavily on Tourists for so long that they need us. Literally. The island would be stuck in the past and have no "nature preserves" and roads and ports and new housing and shops and large hospitals and everything they have if it wasn't for tourism. The whole concept of an island telling people to stay away is ludicrous. Then Y'all up and move to the Mainland and stop depending on US to fund all of Your infrastructure amd food and gas and supplies. As in every post apocalyptic movie: things break down pretty quickly after the steady supplies stop coming in. Not just the obvious stuff. Parts for generators and solar panels, fertilizer, a market to export to and trade with. These islands are FAR from self sufficient in the modern era.
They've got their hands full. Now is not the time to vacation there, they're going to have enough "jobs" just rebuilding what they've loss.
If you want to help, make a donation and call it a day.
David, what nonsense. Just shows, that you have no idea about our island situation. Even the governor and Maui's major are encouraging folks to visit other parts of Maui. How can a cleaner of vacation rentals in South Maui have a 'job' 'just rebuilding ? Or a waiter in a restaurant ? Or a sales person of vacation activities? There is nothing they can do in Lahaina, but they are going to gave to pay their rent.
David, Your ignorant. There are MANY people in service jobs who are there for a reason: they can't work manual labor or outside. Gimme a break. So many foolish and un-nuanced comments on this topic.
The fires were in three general areas on Maui; West/Lahaina, upcountry/Kula, and headed down toward Kihei. Devastation wasn't limited to just Lahaina, much property was lost upcountry but not with the awful loss of life seen in Lahaina.
The fact that fires are still burning and aren't 100% controlled tells me to stay away. Tourists getting in the way of those working hard to limit devastation is just disgusting. Wait until things are under control...
The fires were in three general areas on Maui; West/Lahaina, upcountry/Kula, and headed down toward Kihei. Devastation wasn't limited to just Lahaina, much property was lost upcountry but not with the awful loss of life seen in Lahaina.
The fact that fires are still burning and aren't 100% controlled tells me to stay away. Tourists getting in the way of those working hard to limit devastation is just disgusting. Wait until things are under control and, even then, avoid West Maui as a sign of support and care for those who were lost
1) I've found tales of "hostility" to outsiders to be 100% hogwash when I have been to Hawaii, so I would take those statements with a grain of salt (I am black dude, though, so maybe it is different). I/we were welcomed with open arms. Others who feel they weren't welcome may just need to relax a bit
2) IMO it would be strange to visit while there is an active search and recovery...
1) I've found tales of "hostility" to outsiders to be 100% hogwash when I have been to Hawaii, so I would take those statements with a grain of salt (I am black dude, though, so maybe it is different). I/we were welcomed with open arms. Others who feel they weren't welcome may just need to relax a bit
2) IMO it would be strange to visit while there is an active search and recovery effort to find survivors. It just doesn't feel like the right thing to do. When the effort moves towards reconstruction as opposed to search and rescue, it will feel better to visit Maui as a whole.
Why not do what people did after the special military operation / invasion in Ukraine, which is to book AirBnb and hotel rooms and not go there? For hotel rooms, pay for one night blocks.
If loads are 10%, is that an opportunity for awards or paid flights then buy a short flight to another island?
Seems like this is something the local government could address clearly. I mean, if you have accommodations on the other side of the island, how are you to know whether you'll be in the way there or not? Have the elected representatives of the people who reside on Maui made any statements one way or the other?
The actual death toll is going to be north of 1000 once all is settled. This is proportionally similar to 50,000 people dying in NYC - far greater than 9/11.
Visiting Maui to "help the economy" is totally insane. You're taking up resources to shelter and feed yourself over those who lost their homes and lives. Hawaii will be receiving tons of federal disaster relief in supplies and money- so the incremental benefit by paying...
The actual death toll is going to be north of 1000 once all is settled. This is proportionally similar to 50,000 people dying in NYC - far greater than 9/11.
Visiting Maui to "help the economy" is totally insane. You're taking up resources to shelter and feed yourself over those who lost their homes and lives. Hawaii will be receiving tons of federal disaster relief in supplies and money- so the incremental benefit by paying taxes on hotel rooms, etc is not at all comparable.
This entire event was clearly arson related and hopefully the criminals are found. The bungled response by local government should also be held criminally negligent.
“Hawaii will be receiving tons of federal disaster relief in supplies and money”
Unfortunately, most of Maui people not directly affected by fire won’t get a single cent from the government.
The other thing to consider is whether your dollars in Maui would be going to large foreign corporations (that own the resorts no rental cars) or local business owners or locals. The truth is a lot of tourist dollars leave Maui the second the credit card is run.
What is your basis for saying this was clearly arson related? How do you hold a local government criminally negligent? How do you stop or outrun a fire that is propelled by near hurricane winds and spreading at a mile a minute?
I would say - give it another 1-2 months. Once all FEMA search efforts are completed and all residents are settled in hotels or other places to live, then yes resume travel to other parts of Maui.
Many residents work in hotels and tourist sites. If the residents are to decide on their future - having an income is critical to making those plans. Unless all the affected residents are planning to leave Maui (which I assume most are not), then the economy has to resume.
It would be tone deaf to go now. Like Paris Hilton posting vacation pics from Maui while so many are still trying to just survive. Don't be a Paris Hilton.
Another major issue seems to be is that the native Hawaiians are extremely hostile now to any outsiders (e.g. check any social media discussion about this).
While I disagree with their reasons for the hostility, the fact remains that no one wants to vacation somewhere where they aren't welcome
There is no such thing as a “native Hawaiian,” though. Hawaii belongs to the United States.
What does this even mean? All states are part of the U.S.A., yes. But all states also have a (typically very small) indigenous population. In Hawaii, these are the ones that descended from Polynesians who settled there some a 1,000 years ago. They are distinctively different from the European colonizers/imperialists that came later. Hope this helps.
Yes, but most of the people who claim to be "native Hawaiian" are, in fact, not.
Ignorant comment. Indigenous. Like indigenous people on the mainland.
Ignorant comment. Indigenous. Like indigenous people on the mainland.
Meh, that's still pretty ignorant too, but not viewed as such because it appeals to a modern zeitgeist.
There's no "indigenous" people anywhere in the Americas. Or throughout the entirety of Polynesia and the overall Pacific. Nor in Australia, Asia, or Europe.
Why? Because no hominid is "indigenous" to anywhere, other than East Africa.
Not a popular statement, but a fact.
Your kidding me right Amelia? There are many many native Hawaiians have you ever heard of Niihau Island ? hmm you might read. My wife who's half our Hawaiian also can help educate you. I say go to the islands and tell someone there are no native Hawaiians
This whole tread is bringing out some of the worse in people or uneducated in Hawaiian history
Sure there are native Hawaiians. Just like I’m a native New Yorker. Born there.
100% agreed. For a destination that relies heavily on tourism, we were also quite surprised by the hostility and animosity by the locals both times we've been to the island.
Because of this, we've decided to skip the 8 hour flight and jetlag traveling to Hawaii and have instead been vacationing on the beaches of Aruba, where we have had ZERO issues with the locals.
I concur. Native Hawaiians are asking us not to visit in many ways. I understand they have been saying this since before the fire.
We had hoped to visit Maui ourselves in the near future, but it does not feel like the right time. Not sure if there ever will be one, for us.
May consider Madeira/Azores.
Please don't.
Madeira and Azores are lovely without Americans.
Noa not sure how much you know about islanders maybe a lot but there is real hostility currently floating around first from all the "media gawkers" cerebrates like Oprah running around with tv cameras ( who publicly stated she would make a 'significant" contribution" as of this date has not been seen, let alone the "nightly news " anchors all over there to be seen putting everyone all their pain on the nightly news. We...
Noa not sure how much you know about islanders maybe a lot but there is real hostility currently floating around first from all the "media gawkers" cerebrates like Oprah running around with tv cameras ( who publicly stated she would make a 'significant" contribution" as of this date has not been seen, let alone the "nightly news " anchors all over there to be seen putting everyone all their pain on the nightly news. We have a president who has yet to visit ( not a political statement). As one islander said if Oprah wants to contribute then donate to huge parcel of land she just purchased on Maui! They have a point.
Feel free to respond and prove me wrong Noa
About 70% of every dollar generated in Maui can be attributed to tourism. Perhaps Hawaii in general had a chance to pivot away their economy from tourism during the pandemic? It doesn’t look like it to me. I can imagine as a smaller business owner, during pandemic, one was getting subsidies from federal government to sustain one’s business. Given this tragedy is localized to west side of Maui, it’s very unlikely federal government will subsidize...
About 70% of every dollar generated in Maui can be attributed to tourism. Perhaps Hawaii in general had a chance to pivot away their economy from tourism during the pandemic? It doesn’t look like it to me. I can imagine as a smaller business owner, during pandemic, one was getting subsidies from federal government to sustain one’s business. Given this tragedy is localized to west side of Maui, it’s very unlikely federal government will subsidize small businesses on the East side of the Maui. A small business may be able to sustain a 60-70% down turn for a month, but not multiple months without government support. To me, a month is a good amount of time to stay away from Maui. The island doesn’t need wild fire tragedy and large swath of people out of jobs. Personally, I would not feel comfortable vacationing in Maui tbh for at least a year. If I have plans to go to Hawaii, I would go to Oahu or big island instead.
In the first place hotels should be accommodating all the displaced residents.
I would feel uncomfortable visiting, although understandably it’s a loss of revenue for a region dependent on tourism.
The reconstruction of Hiroshima took place very rapidly, however I can see it’s going to take a long time rebuilding Lahaina.
We had been planning to visit in September…nothing concrete yet but my husband thought we should wait. we have been to Maui many times and our preference is south Maui. But then I started reading the news about travel being down and I started to think about all those businesses that rely on tourism and now with no one going how will they survive? It’s a catch 22… in the end we switched the trip...
We had been planning to visit in September…nothing concrete yet but my husband thought we should wait. we have been to Maui many times and our preference is south Maui. But then I started reading the news about travel being down and I started to think about all those businesses that rely on tourism and now with no one going how will they survive? It’s a catch 22… in the end we switched the trip to Oregon but now I wish we would have stuck with our plans and spent some time and money in south Maui
You could donate money to the businesses you would have otherwise patronized
We stayed in Lahaina a week before the fires. I've been in contact with several vendors and have directly donated to them rather than through some other means. It's a great way to give immediate help.