Hawaiians have delivered a petition asking to delay tourism reopening following the summer wildfires.
14.09.2023 - 17:21 / skift.com / Josh Green / Ilihia Gionson / Jay Shabat / Dawit Habtemariam / Yves Marceau / Morgan Stanley / Long
Maui’s tourism recovery has been moving at a sluggish pace since the wildfires devastated the island’s western region in early August. One factor: Tourists have been slow to return out of sensitivity to locals.
In a September 8 press conference, Hawaii Governor Josh Green said West Maui would be open to tourists again on October 8, two months after the fire started. Only Lahaina – the area that took the most damage – will be closed off to the public.
“It’s going to be a slow coming back,” said Lisa Paulson, executive director of the Maui Hotel & Lodging Association. “It’s not going to be this massive flood of guests like after the pandemic.”
The island is still healing from the wildfire. Over 100 people have died and more than 60 people remain missing. Since August 16, over 7,500 displaced survivors have been relocated to 29 hotels and hundreds of Airbnbs in Maui.
Many hotels have been under contract with the Red Cross to house the displaced, said Paulson. The contracts will end on September 29.
Hotels like Grand Wailea and Four Seasons Resorts Maui remain largely empty. “For every 1,000 units that we don’t have a guest in, it’s a potential loss of $30 million for local businesses throughout the island,” said Paulson.
Some travel businesses say it’s too soon to come back. Shane Tackett, chief financial officer and executive vice president of Alaska Air Group, shared his view at Morgan Stanley’s Laguna Conference on September 12.
”There’s a subset of people who are going to not want to take this aspirational vacation to a place that’s still suffering,” said Tackett. “We’re going to go at the pace that residents of Maui want to go, and we’ll serve the demand once we see it start to come back.”
Airlines have continued to cut flights. Since early August, the number of scheduled flights into and out of Maui for the full year has fallen from 7,144 to 7,040, according to Cirium. “Airlines have clearly cut their schedules in response to the Maui fires, with peak season winter capacity below summer levels this year,” said Skift’s Airline Weekly Senior Analyst Jay Shabat.
“The scheduled air seats are down for now through the end of the year,” said Ilihia Gionson, public affairs officer of Hawaii Tourism Authority. “We know this will be a long recovery.”
Over 70% of every dollar in Maui County is directly or indirectly generated from tourism, according to the Maui Economic Development Tourism Board.
Tour operators have been cautious. G Adventures, which canceled its Maui trips in August, is considering October or even November to return, said vice president of product Yves Marceau. “It’s hard to say we’re going back when there’s just been this massive catastrophe, you have to kind of feel your way through
Hawaiians have delivered a petition asking to delay tourism reopening following the summer wildfires.
The mayor of the Hawaiian island of Maui detailed the phased reopening of West Maui set to begin this weekend following the devastating fires this summer.
The Hawaiian Islands in general, and Maui in particular, have been remarkably resilient over the last four years. First, Covid shut the islands down, and this quick action slowed the spread of illness to locals. When visitors were welcomed back, the proverbial floodgates opened, and talk of over-tourism began almost immediately. That delicate balance played out across all the islands over the next couple of years. Then, the town of Lahaina, Maui’s historical heart and soul, was destroyed by fire just last month, effectively shutting down tourism for several weeks. While the governor will officially welcome visitors back to all parts of the island (except Lahaina) on October 8th, the return will be understandably slow. Many travelers are reluctant to travel to Maui for fear of getting in the way of cleanup efforts and, more psychologically, visiting for pleasure while so many locals are suffering.
The lead story this morning on one of Oahu’s most trusted news sources, Civil Beat, is about the campaign Hawaii’s tourism executives are leading to convince residents that the return of visitors is imperative for Maui’s recovery.
We’ve known for some time now that West Maui would reopen to tourists on October 8th.
As TPG has previously reported, and you likely know all too well, the Maui wildfires caused significant damage to Lahaina, with more than 2,400 residences destroyed and far too many lives lost. Recovery efforts are still ongoing. And now, the community must deal with the reality of economic recovery while also rebuilding homes and businesses and managing the emotional toll.
From just outside the burn zone in Lahaina, Jes Claydon can see the ruins of the rental home where she lived for 13 years and raised three children. Little remains recognizable beyond the jars of sea glass that stood outside the front door.
It’s been ten days since Hawaii’s governor announced that West Maui would reopen to tourists on October 8th, but the debate seems to just be heating up now.
Hawaii Governor Josh Green has been a busy man.
Good morning from Skift. It’s Friday, September 15. Here’s what you need to know about the business of travel today.
As travellers look to support Maui’s recovery efforts this fall, Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea invites guests to come back, and in turn, give back to the island through thoughtfully curated offers and programming that celebrate and support community, culture, and conservation.
This as-told-to story is based on a conversation with Samantha Meany, a TikTok content creator, and lifelong Taylor Swift fan from Raleigh, North Carolina. It's been edited for length and clarity. Meany's trip took place in the first week of August, shortly before the wildfires broke out on Maui.