Locals beg tourists to stay away from Maui as they start to rebuild after devastating wildfires

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.

As the plane descends to Maui’s airport in Kahului, it’s readily apparent how sharply tourism has dropped off following the massive fires a month ago: hundreds of unrented rental cars parked in a field near the runway. In the aftermath of the blaze that leveled the historic town of Lahaina and caused so much personal suffering and loss, it was understandable for Hawaii’s Governor Josh Green to advise visitors not to come to Maui. Now facing the financial devastation of an island that depends on tourism, the government changed its position and is urging visitors to come, including to the resort areas of West Maui north of Lahaina which are reopening October 8th. But should visitors listen?

West Maui will officially welcome visitors again next month following the devastating wildfires that swept the paradise destination in August.

Hawaii will reopen most of West Maui to tourists starting on October 8, Governor Josh Green announced on Friday. Only Lahaina will be remained closed to the public. Tourists will be able to visit Kā‘anapali, Nāpili, Honokōwai, and Kapalua.

Hawaii Governor Josh Green announced last week that West Maui’s hotels and resorts would reopen to visitors as soon as October 8th.

Governor Josh Green, M.D., today declared in a statewide address that the West Maui communities of Kā‘anapali, Nāpili, Honokōwai, and Kapalua will fully reopen on Sunday, October 8, two months after the August 8 wildfires that destroyed Lahaina.

After the Hawaiʻi Tourism Authority initially asked all tourists to leave the island of Maui, Governor Josh Green invited visitors back to the island just two weeks later, citing the need for economic recovery.

Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler said tourists should keep visiting Maui, during the band's first The Farewell Tour concert in Philadelphia on Saturday. 

The mass exodus of tourists is being felt all over Maui, Hawaii — even at one of the island's most popular restaurants.

Catastrophic wildfires on Maui and the Big Island of Hawaii destroyed homes and forced tens of thousands of residents and tourists to evacuate last month. As of August 29, The New York Times reported 115 confirmed fatalities. 

Visiting London is all about hitting the big sites: Tower Bridge, the British Museum, St. Paul’s Cathedral, and, of course, Big Ben. To make every second of your time in the English capital count, book a hotel near one of those must-see places — you’ll feel fully immersed in the city, and you’ll get an eyeful of beauty every time you look out the window or step out the door. Staying in a hotel near Big Ben in London is probably the best strategy because you’re not only next door to the most famous clock tower in the world, but also to so many other must-sees: Westminster Abbey, the London Eye, Trafalgar Square, 10 Downing Street, and, the icing on the cake: Buckingham Palace. Of course, the problem with this idea is that the closer you are to the big attractions, the more expensive the accommodations, but we’ve managed to find six luxury hotels near Big Ben for a variety of budgets.

Thousands of Maui residents have filed for unemployment after wildfires devastated part of the island and tourism plummeted, leading many local business owners to urge visitors to come back.