Here is important travel news that everyone should know — the intoxicatingly beautiful island of Maui in Hawaii – our 50th state – is open and making a concerted effort to welcome compassionate travelers to the island right now. This comes in the wake of the devastating August wildfires that recently destroyed the town of Lahaina and surrounding areas. I consider this news as important, because so much discussion that we’ve heard of Maui on the mainland has been to a large extent misinformed and under the wrong impression: Many people believe that the entire island of Maui was affected by the wildfires, and as a result, there arose a misconception that the entire island was closed. Many people believe that they cannot visit Maui at all, and as a result, many could cancel long-planned trips to the island.
Hawaii Travel Update: Mayor Makes Plea To Residents, Visitors In New Video as West Maui Reopens To Tourism
09.10.2023 - 17:09 / forbes.com / Josh Green / Richard Bissen
Yesterday on October 8th, exactly two months after a wildfire destroyed the town of Lahaina, visitors were officially welcomed back to parts of Maui’s west coast.
The key word in that last sentence is “parts.” Originally, the entirety of Maui’s west coast was set to open yesterday, per plans set forth by Hawaii’s Governor Josh Green in early September (except for Lahaina, which will be closed indefinitely).
Then, in late September, Maui’s Mayor Richard Bissen stepped in and announced that the west coast would undergo a phased reopening in order to give displaced residents living in hotels more time to find long-term lodging, among other reasons.
Yesterday, Phase 1 of Mayor Bissen’s plan took effect, allowing hotels in Kapalua to reopen. You can read the full details of which hotels are open, and when others in Kaanapali will open, here.
To go along with the reopening, two new videos were released by the Hawaii Visitors and Convention Bureau. Both videos are aimed at establishing some ground rules for people visiting the area, as well as addressing some on-going concerns from residents.
Mayor Bissen released a short, 90-second video that makes a plea to residents about why West Maui needs to begin reopening in the face of a petition calling for its delay.
“I know we are still grieving, and it feels too soon, but the reality is there are those in our community who are ready to get back to work. Bills need to be paid, keiki (kids) have needs, and our kapuna face continued medical care,” the Mayor begins.
Bissen said that he and his staff are working directly with the visitor industry to “ensure tourists are educated before they come.”
The video comes at a time when many residents feel it is too soon to have visitors return to West Maui due to various on-going struggles. You can read the debate on both sides here.
The part about educating visitors was expanded upon in a second video that featured several members of the Maui community speaking directly to tourists about what they should expect and how they should behave when visiting West Maui.
It asks visitors to recognize the pain and suffering that is still present on Maui, including displaced residents staying in hotels, children being bused to different schools, and the suffering of the people in general.
Of note is that, while many West Maui hotels are reopening, the community members advise visitors to explore other parts of the island, including a rainforest adventure in Hana, farmer’s markets in Upcountry Maui, and dining in Wailea.
They specifically ask people to stay away from Lahaina and avoid taking/posting insensitive photos. Other local news outlets offered similar advice.
At its end, the video directs people to the Maui New Strong website
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