Yes, You Should Go To Maui Now-And How To Help

12.09.2023 - 22:55 / forbes.com / Josh Green

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 8^th. But should visitors listen?

“Yes,”says chef Lee Anne Wong, who lost her restaurant Papa‘ainain the historic Pioneer Inn in the Lahaina fire and then working out of the University of Hawaiʻi Maui College kitchen joined other chefs from the island such as Sheldon Simeon, chef-owner of Tin Roof (moments from the airport in Kahului) and Tiffany’s to turn out thousands of meals for displaced residents and emergency personnel. She’s also actively involved in setting up an infrastructure to support the island’s businesses along with organizations that sprang into action immediately such as Common Ground Collective and the Oahu based nonprofit Chef Hui. “Maui needs visitors. South, Central, Upcountry are all open for business and these businesses need money to stay open. Everybody is in fear of losing their job now.”

The West Maui opening including the resort areas of Kapalua, Nāpili-Honokōwai, and Ka’anapali north of Lahaina will require a carefully thought out, nuanced solution given the physical and emotional recovery ongoing and the fact that displaced residents and emergency workers have been housed in the resorts there while efforts continue to find them permanent housing on an island where affordable housing was already a problem. The five square mile Lahaina impact zone under FEMA’s supervision and under guard by the military is still off limits and will remain so. The visitors who are welcomed will be the ones who are sensitive and respectful, who patronize local businesses and don’t use the destruction as a backdrop for selfies.

“This is an opportunity for more conscious tourism,” Wong explains. ”If you come to Maui, don’t be a jerk. We want conscious, empathetic visitors. When you come here on vacation, say hello to the people here, they’re not the hired help, they live here and work here and give you great memories. Tourists sometimes forget that. They’re human beings, connect, that’s why Hawaii is so special. Become part of our ohana. That’s how I came to Hawaii—I’m not from here.”

And as I discovered on a visit last week, the rest of the