Good morning from Skift. It’s Friday, September 15. Here’s what you need to know about the business of travel today.
28.08.2023 - 14:39 / breakingtravelnews.com
Maui Ocean Center is open and ready to welcome back kamaʻāina and visitors seeking comfort following last week’s devastating wildfires. The park — which closed briefly last week as employees helped those displaced by the fires — is now open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
“Mahalo for everyone’s support, actions and donations to those who suffered so much here on Maui,” said Tapani Vuori, general manager of Maui Ocean Center. “Our community is now shifting from response mode to recovery mode. As we focus on the displaced, we are now also looking at the broader Maui community. An employed Maui is a resilient Maui. Many of our local businesses depend on the visitor community, and as that dwindles, the hardships on our island multiply. We need the resources to manage the long-term efforts it will take to restore our island community.”
At the onset of the tragedy, many messages sent in pain, need, and devastation have been, at times, mixed regarding the visitor economy. The island is now rallying around maintaining a vibrant Maui economy. As Hawai’i Gov. Josh Green stated, “… decisions we made can affect everyone across the islands. So what we’re saying now is travel should not be to West Maui. But the other parts of Maui are safe.” While Lāhainā remains out of bounds, properties in Napali, Kaanapali, and Kapalua just to North are helping with housing the displaced and also will, at some point, be able to hire back the residents of Maui.
“Maui welcomes respectful, thoughtful tourism,” Vuori added. “While we request that you respect Lāhainā and its residents by giving them the space and resources they require, we welcome you to visit the rest of our island. The island is large and diverse, with many places far from the devastation our community is addressing.”
For those who wish to support the island financially, Maui Ocean Center endorses Hawai’i Community Foundation’s Maui Strong Fund: https://www.hawaiicommunityfoundation.org/maui-strong. Guests may also round up their entrance and in-park purchases to help support efforts.
Additionally, Maui Ocean Center continues to collect donations of food and toiletries at the park’s front gate from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. through this Sunday, Aug. 20.
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For the past 25 years, Maui Ocean Center has aimed to foster wonder and respect for Hawai’i's marine life — and help protect it for future generations. Whether it’s walking through an underwater tunnel next to sharks and rays or coming eye-to-eye with a humpback whale in an immersive 3D film experience, Maui Ocean Center seeks to inspire as it brings you below the water’s surface. Recognized by the Hawaiʻi Ecotourism Association for its “commitment to sustainability,” Maui Ocean Center is listed among the “Top 10
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.
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.
West Maui will officially welcome visitors again next month following the devastating wildfires that swept the paradise destination in August.
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Hawaii Governor Josh Green announced last week that West Maui’s hotels and resorts would reopen to visitors as soon as October 8th.
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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.
Norwegian Cruise Line’s Pride of America will resume its weekly trips to Kahului, Maui starting on September 3, the cruise company announced on Wednesday. Norwegian Cruise suspended trips to the island in early August to avoid taking up local resources dedicated toward relief and combating the wildfires in West Maui.
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.