Mixed emotions on a return to West Maui

28.02.2024 - 16:33 / travelweekly.com / Josh Green / Ilihia Gionson

KAANAPALI, Hawaii -- It was more than I was expecting.

Five months since the Maui fires and three months after West Maui reopened to visitors, I wanted to see how traveling to the island had changed.

In some places, it was shocking. In others, it felt as it had before: packed restaurants and shops, beautiful scenery and lots of traffic.

My experience was as varied as the response I got from locals about the return of tourism to West Maui, where Lahaina is located. There are those who still feel it's too soon for people to vacation, with fire survivors still struggling to find housing; others are grateful for their return.

I travel often to Hawaii, both for family and for work. The last time I visited Maui was a few months before the fires.

Hearing the news broke my heart. I've since written about my initial concerns about the return of tourists -- as well as the need for tourism dollars on the island -- so I was nervous about coming back. But as I heard of more visitors returning to Maui, I planned a three-day trip with a friend, half in Kaanapali and half in Wailea.

The island is open to visitors everywhere except the fire-affected areas of Lahaina. In December, Maui arrivals were down 25% compared with December 2022, but at nearly 200,000 visitors, it was the highest total in five months. Gov. Josh Green said that the data showed "reason for optimism" about travel's recovery.

When I arrived in January, the airport was crowded and buzzing with more travelers than places to sit. I picked up a rental car, grabbed coffee at Maui Coffee Roasters in Kahului, shopped in downtown Wailuku and ate saimin at Sam Sato's. My intention was to shop and dine at local businesses as much as possible.

It's what tourism officials say to do.

"The Hawaii Tourism Authority continues to encourage mindful travelers to visit Maui to help support the community's recovery," said public affairs officer Ilihia Gionson.

He reiterated the authority's request that visitors come with "respect and compassion, support local businesses, engage in cultural experiences and care for the community and environment by participating in volunteer work with nonprofit organizations seeking visitor assistance."

It wasn't until after we picked up pies at Leoda's Kitchen and Pie Shop in Olowalu and went farther into West Maui that the mood shifted. We drove past a makeshift memorial of 100 white crosses on a hillside with large photos of the fire victims and a burned area that walls of black tarp could not hide from view.

I knew the Lahaina Bypass Road would take me around Lahaina town, and much of the burned areas would be obscured due to the distance. But what I wasn't