United has produced its very own movie, and it's called "Love in Plane Sight."
The Aftermath Of The Maui Wildfires Is A Cautionary Tale For Tourism Dependent Economies
28.10.2023 - 17:59 / forbes.com
Since the rise of passenger vessels long ago and commercial airlines more recently, destinations around the world searching for economic salvation have turned to tourism.
That trend continues here today as tourism boards big and small work tirelessly and competitively to put themselves on the map and link their brands and economies to the pocketbooks of visitors.
Most destinations operate under the guidance of an old saying: If you build it, they will come. And so the land is cleared, up go the hotels, and in come the rental car companies. New businesses, like restaurants and tour operators, are created to cater to the incoming traveler.
And it works. Tourism dollars have single-handedly enriched many a place, Hawaii included. Whether that wealth spreads to everyone and how much stays within the destination is another discussion entirely. But, generally speaking, when it comes to a destination’s economic reporting, tourism works, no question.
But if the Maui wildfires have taught us anything, it’s that we need to revise the old adage a bit here in 2023.
Instead of, “If you build it, they will come,” it should probably be: “If you build it, they must come.” Or else.
Hawaii’s governor and Maui’s mayor have basically been saying just that for the past month. They acknowledge that the timing is tough - an entire historic town was destroyed and more than 100 people lost their lives - but quickly pivot the messaging to the economy and the need for tourism to reboot.
“I know we are still grieving, and it feels too soon,” the Mayor said in a recent video. “But the reality is there are those in our community who are ready to get back to work. Bills need to be paid.”
Despite calls from local residents and lower-level politicians to hold off on reopening West Maui to tourism for myriad, understandable reasons, those in charge have made it clear that the show must go on.
The Mayor even recently pushed up a timeline to allow hotels to open sooner than originally planned. People have to get back to work, hotels need to operate, airlines need to fill seats, the economy needs to recover. The list of reasons goes on and on, and depending on where you stand, they can all sound very justifiable or very tone deaf.
The debate reveals the unfortunate difference between tourism and other types of dependent economies. Coal miners come to mine coal; students come to study; tourists come to have fun. The first two can happen respectfully while a local population mourns - the latter is more complicated.
In a tourism-tied economy, the locals aren’t the customers. So, it doesn’t necessarily matter what’s happening locally. Things must move on so the outsiders can come have fun, even if those who live there are not ready, even if
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