The most recent directives continue to leaves Maui visitors unclear. That’s resulted in an 80% drop in arrivals.
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241 thoughts on “Updated: Baffling Maui Travel Advice Just Released By State of Hawaii”
The most recent directives continue to leaves Maui visitors unclear. That’s resulted in an 80% drop in arrivals.
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My sister+ brother in law live on Maui + they said it was bad with lots of smoke and disruption … postpone going there for awhile
You only criticize HTA and like so many others, you have no solutions.
How is it that HTA is or has been repugnant?
Do the travel restrictions include Napili and Kapalua areas?
My heart goes out to all of Hawaii and the people that have become lost in this horrible fire. Maui is our second home, and have been there 20 times. Our hearts are with all. My thoughts are scrambled and the words cannot begin to describe our sorrow for all
Best organisations to donate
Is Hawaii state acepting donations for Maui
residents?
I will be in Waikiki 2 weeks at my timeshare in Royal Kuhio
Kathleen
Red Cross Hawaii is on the ground
I was able to cancel my maui vacation with full refund from condo owner but my friends staying at same place were told they would not refund. Different condo owner. They plan to go so they don’t loose thousands. Any advice for them to get refund?
Susan when was your travel dates and your friend? Yes I was told cancellation policy is as is which I dont get full-refund. We are not going till October. I can still cancel to a point but only get 50% back.
August 20th. The owner of the other condo told them they can petition.
Same here, we are susposed to go 20-25 September – condo owner stated that this happened 15-20 miles from the condo – so no refund….Airlines (Hawaiian Airlines) said we can get a full refund or change to a later date – but not if we are losing thousands for the condo…..
It would be nice if airlines worked with Maui. If you had air flights and try to cancel or change especially American Airlines they don’t refund and they charge to change flights to another island they say airports r open they don’t care if you have no room due to the evacuation area. Everyone should work together. More notices saying what’s closed. We had reservations at the nanea villas and they have no services and the main hub says you get penalized for cancellation so close to reservations. Biggest problem is airlines not transferring flight money to new flight. Don’t need flight credit just use for new flight…..
We were flying United and had gotten a great rate from San Antonio, at $250 each. We were leaving the 17th, but we called and they changed it to the 13th. That flight was cancelled, and we called and rescheduled. No extra charge. We were amazed.
what about travel to the Wailea area?
It’s advised to postpone travel plans to Maui at this time. All resources are being focused on the residents of this island, during this catastrophic time!
“It is advised” – who is advising this? You? The government certainly isn’t advising people postpone travel plans to the Kihei/Wailea-Makena area.
The governor needs to state that travel to West Maui between now and the end of September will be limited to residents and workers. Tourists will not be allowed in due to the disaster. Six weeks is kind of a minimum…
I have traveled to Maui (Kaanapali) since 1982. I think of Maui as my Ohana. I am having to cancel my upcoming trip …scheduled for one week from today. 😪
My heart goes out to all of the residents. So much has been lost and destroyed. As a Houli, I can only say… never let go of who you are! You are strong! I hope to return to you, God willing, when you are past this horrible devastation to your beloved island. Aloha! 🌺🙏❤️✝️🌺
Fyi it’s Haole, not houli.
Hello, I pay $2,400 a year for a deeded condo for taxes and maintenance on kanapali beach, does this mean no entry? Thank you!
Hi John.
Yes that means no entry. You can check further if you’re on Maui. The police department has indicated you can ask questions of on-site staff at the Keopulani and Napili Park locations. However, do not call 911 or other police department non-emergency numbers to inquire.
Aloha.
We feel very sad for the people of Maui we hope the island recovers quickly.
It might help the tourism aspect and the recovery if tourism can come in
October or November and just stay away from the cleanup site and not interfere.
Workers need to work for their families well being unless Govt assist will help them.
It’s tough all around for everyone who knows Maui and how special a place it is for many.
We cancelled our vacation to give room for those displaced. This is going to be a long process and you need to double the estimated time for recovery. Just getting through the task of recovering those lost and missing and then the equipment to fly in for cleanup…logistical nightmare. Visitors who do go there need to stay away from the site and let the volunteers and crews do their thing out of respect.
There are other islands to visit or just plan on a road trip in the States. Maui will recover ….and we look forward to coming again once everything settles down. Maui is a magical place. God Bless all of the people there helping with the cleanup..and of course all of the families affected.
Has anyone filed a trip cancellation claim with their travel insurance and heard back from them? I had a honeymoon planned September 2-8 staying at a condo in Kaanapali. We want to do the right thing and postpone our trip, however all of our vacation money is tied up in this non-refundable reservation.
I purchased travel insurance, but since our condo seems to still be available, I’m not sure insurance will cover the claim. I reached out to our host on VRBO just this last weekend to see if they will cancel our reservation and am awaiting their response.
I understand my vacation is the least important item on the agenda right now and will remain patient. I was just wondering if anyone has had any luck with travel insurance.
Thanks,
Jamie
I will be interested to hear what happens. I called because we are staying in Kaanapali in October and insurance wouldn’t give an answer. All they said was I have to cancel annd open a claim and it can take 30 days, guessing longer now.
AirBnB said they only refunding till end of August other then that it is their normal cancel policy.
Congratulations on your marriage. Hopefully you woll get good news.
News media is going to have to soecify what parts of West Mauia not to visit because Kaanapali is in West Maui but that resort was not effected by fires which is why they are not giving full refund if I decide to cancel.
Thanks Cyndi. I hope to hear good news as well. I will keep you posted!
My husband called and was able to get through to our VRBO host, Vacation-Maui, and they were more than happy to issue a full refund. I won’t have to go through insurance after all. It saddens me to hear that other hosts are not doing the same.
Hi Jamie.
We’re happy to hear the long-time vacation rental manager you booked through was able to address your situation satisfactorily.
Aloha.
When are elections for governor scheduled.
I was there just the week before the fires that’s a second heaven I hurt so bad for the beautiful people on the islands we met Hawaiian people and I fell in Love with them ,if I get another chance I will go back Hawaii is such a peaceful state the love shows threw I pray every night for them and when they rebuild I Pray it will stay as it was .
Aloha…our hearts are heavy with such great loss, however, those who survived need cash on island to survive and recover. Hopefully, there will be a balance found as soon as possible to achieve tourist dollars (employment), local housing along with workers to rebuild. Mega developers need to be kept well away by the local people. Kauai managed doing that for years and it has served the locals very well. It is up to the Lahaina people to decide their future not any who takes the opportunity to offer support with rebuild strings attached that may not be in the locals longer out best interest. I hope too that after the relief funds available to locals are distributed (however long that may take in terms of months/years), that gov’ts and relief agencies will also be there with mega donations for rebuild dollars. That historical area of Maui’s paradise doesn’t need to be ‘paved’ over as a rich playground. Local people need jobs (tourists) to be able stay on island or there will be a secondary man made economic disaster coming to those who survived &/or live on island that were not affected directly by the fire/s. This tragedy is way too close to the pandemic and its economic recovery….simply heartbreaking on so so so many fronts.
Hello. I just came across this website. Thank you for posting this information! We are supposed to travel 9/10-9/15 to Maui and would be staying at a resort in Wailea. We want to be respectful and do the right thing. It’s been so heartbreaking watching what’s happened to beautiful Maui. There’s a lot of mixed messages going around about traveling, and I don’t want to sound insensitive with my question. We want to know if we should proceed traveling to the south part of the island? Thank you!
Hi Helen.
As we commented earlier today, it’s a personal decision and you’ll read a wide range of emotional opinions. There is nothing preventing you from visiting South Maui.
Aloha.
Thanks for the update and comments from locals. I’ve visited Maui and Lahaina several times and it is heartbreaking. I have my return booked for October to Kihei & like many others have stated there isn’t a lot of direction of best action to make. Thanks for the Mayor & Gov address. I’ll watch that as I still wait and see what to do…if I do visit at minimum a visit to Costco to buy supplies to donate will be priority.
I’ve been here in Kihei before the fires started, and I’m still here. The local people here are really worried about knee-jerk news sources telling visitors to stay home. Life goes on here on the south side. I see no reason why travelers should avoid the other areas of Maui that are and will remain open for business. The common response here is : “What about us? We need to make a living too! How can we survive if again the tourist trade is interrupted by an unforeseen event that in this case doesn’t even affect us?” I say come to the south side. Kihei is fine. Wailea is fine. It’s up to you to make your own decision. It almost seems the battle is between the kanaka and the younger generation. Yes, we do grieve along with those who lost so much, and wish them the best with our donations of cash and goods, but let the rest of us live on.
I agree, Im heading to Kihei next month and will support
the local businesses. Will see if there are any volunteer opportunities
as well.
Mixed messaging for sure. It is unfortunate a selfish few went around barricades into Lahaina to get their social media posts. This has now created more work for the police dept. to man a semi-permanent check point. I wonder how long they will cut off west maui ? With power getting quickly restored, there are a lot of small businesses north of Lahaina that will want to get up and running again, and probably cannot get by with just west maui residents.
Thanks so much for the info you provide, its invaluable. While the devastation & loss for the poeple of Hawaii are much more importantt my fiance & I have a honeymoon planned for September 11-15 in Kaanapali, HA at the Westin Hotel and haven’t been able to get through to cancel. Our thought was be to switch to another island but to keep the existing flight into Maui and to fly to Honolulu from there. We’re not sure if this a good idea or not. Anyhow, thanks so much for your site and our prayers for the people of Hawaii are ongoing.
Hi Anna.
Thanks. That will work to first fly to Maui and then travel interisland to wherever you decide to stay.
Aloha.
We are trying to reschedule our September trip but as of right now Hawaiian Airlines is not willing to change the flight. Our only option is to travel or lose all the money we already paid. Do you have any suggestions for how to change flights and location without losing what has been paid. Thanks for any insight you can give.
Hi Laurie.
There’s no recourse we are aware of beyond what the airlines are offering or inquiring with the credit card company.
Aloha.
Confused can we travel to other parts of maui (not the west) or not
People should just cancel there vacation… the people who live and work on Maui just lost everything… the airlines are honoring your plane tickets .just take the credit and go somewhere else for your vacation…. or put it on hold… all resorts and hotels should open for the residents who lost there homes . And the government should foot the bill . After all we tax payers are paying to house a bunch of illegal migrants… but yet we don’t have the money to house our people who have lost everything do to disaster…..
Bless all of you on Maui…..
Mahalo…Julie
The problem is that airlines and VRBOs are not allowing people to cancel. They will only give a credit which for some people will not work. We would like to cancel but feel we are tough spot financially with no back up from local tourism officials, who say the rest of the island is ok.
Perhaps the State could look into leasing a couple of cruise ships and install a floating pier to provide temporary housing to west Maui?
The last thing people should even think about is their vacation! When people have just lost their families friends, homes, pets and everything its just awful if anyone complains that they can’t go there shame on them. God help the people and animals of Maui I pray everyday 🙏
That is easy to say when the majority of the people and small businesses rely on tourism. We are the ones donating our time money and resources locally to help the effort. But if you take away our income then we cannot sustain that effort or ourselves. The balance is no travel to west maui for now and let the resorts there house the displaced. Let the rest of the island sustain the economy. The reality is that getting money from the state or FEMA takes months to years.
If you look at 1:30:00 of the press conference held by Hawaii’s governor and Maui’s Mayor, they both say that West Shore is closed and that “the rest of Maui is open,” and that visitors aren’t impairing recovery efforts on the West Shore. They said that the rest of Maui needs visitors so that they have jobs and futures. To view the entire video, search for the press conference on YouTube, I think it was from 8/12/23.
Please read the Sunday posting from Maui Fresh Streatery on Facebook. The owner, Kyle, is a community leader and member of Maui’s Emergency Response Team. He is boots on the ground now, as a leader in food preparation for first responders and shelters. In short, he says, “Central and South Maui are open. We need tourists there to maintain the economy and prevent the loss of more jobs and layoffs.”
A number of through flights from other islands go through Maui to the mainland, have the been affected?
Hi Johannes.
Flights are operating with a normal number of delays and cancellations.
Aloha.
A group of 5 of us women have reservations to stay at a condo at Kona, Hawaii this Friday 8/25. Are we going to be able to fly to Hawaii then or do we need to make other plans ?
Hi Marianne.
There’s no problem there. Enjoy the Big Island.
Aloha.
Thank you so much for this website and your information! This is my go-to as I contemplate adjustments to my trip Sept 19. I had a hotel res in Kaanapali. For now, I’ve moved it to Kahului and shortened the trip to one night, as I’m coming to visit a dear friend in Wailuku. I’m torn between moving the rest of the trip to south Maui, or off-island. I want to support those needing work, but also want to be respectful.
Hi Linda.
Thanks. You should be fine in those areas so it is a personal choice. There are wide-ranging opinions, as is obvious.
Aloha.
Aloha.
I have plans to spend 11 days at my timeshare Nanea from 6-17 September. Does not sound like that will be possible even thou everything west of Lahina is available and in need of tourist activity.
Please keep me posted if I will be able to come to Maui??
Hi Steve.
We’ll be updating the information as soon as we can. It isn’t clear how long areas beyond Lahaina will be closed, and the focus remains on the crisis of just 6 days ago.
Aloha.
Maui’s #1 source of revenue is vacation travelers. Imagine needing money very badly and cutting off your number one source of it. It’s definitely a good idea to have no travelers in West Maui, but having the rest of it open, will help them recover along with the federal aid they are going to get.
The other side of the coin is that Maui will need tourism dollars so visitors should be permitted to travel and enjoy north, east and south Maui. The message needs to be clear.
I would think it’s pretty much common sense as to what travel to the affected and surrounding areas should be. If you don’t live there and are not necessary support staff stay away. How hard is that? As for how long? When and as the infrastructure returns to normal, the state of Hawaii can make further announcements.
I live on Maui and work in the customer service industry in a management position, Southern Maui.
To all those asking, if there are available rooms to book in Kihei and Wailea, or you already have reservations, please come.
With a lack of business, I will not be able to justify fully staffing as usual. It’s a business and operating for a loss means closing down, causing further job loss. With fewer shifts to go around, the hourly workers will suffer causing a major domino effect into the inability to pay bills and their daily needs.
When visiting, be respectful. Although it is your vacation and money, realize the workers have experienced tragic loss. It’s an island, we all know each other, the nightmare we are living through while trying to put on a smile and go to work, with the pictures, videos, loss of friends and families, etc is really taking a toll. But we are all doing what we need to do to get by.
Hi Seth.
Thanks for sharing that.
Aloha.
I’m guessing that banning travel to the entirety of Maui would be detrimental to many residents of Maui who rely on revenues from non residents and who have not been impacted by West Maui wildfires.
What are the plans for travel on the other areas of Maui? What about food, transportation, and water for the other side of the Island where the fire didn’t touch?
Will the Governor or Mayor of Maui offer a Travel Advisory soon for Tourists who have plans to visit Maui?
Hi Mary.
There are no indications that travel to other parts of Maui should be avoided in terms of the last 24 hours’ announcements. Beyond that, when this gets a further beyond the current crisis mode, we should expect more announcements which we will share. \
Aloha.
Thanks to BOH for keeping us in the loop. Just like you did for us during the pandemic. I agree that all efforts should be focused in the short term of recovery and support. No one should go to West Maui (Kaanapili, Napili) etc in the short term. But what’s the short term? 45 days? Maui will be devastated if West Maui is closed to visitors much beyond that. We have reservations for Napili for Thanksgiving and aren’t cancelling yet. But will watch everything especially BOH. David
Hi David.
Nobody really has a handle on the scope of the situation or what it will take, and how long. It’s just been five days, and exhaustion, overwhelm, and grief are words we’d use to characterize this. Within some reasonable period of time (hopefully the next few weeks), far more will be known. Thanks for understanding and for your nice words!
Aloha.
Thanks BOH once again for putting us in the picture, so to speak. My heart breaks for all. But as people have said, what of the people and hotels in Kaanapali, Napili, etc. All those small businesses, restaurants, hotels will need tourist dollars to survive. It is ridiculous to think people will not come. I think we just need to take a breath and wait for some info that is not knee jerk. Thanks for keeping us informed.
Mahalo for your insight. Much appreciated articles, especially on keeping up with Maui. I believe you are correct that many people are counting on shutting down the hawaii tourism board. I hope that gets attention.