Island on the brink of financial collapse with fewer than 20 vacation arrivals daily.
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272 thoughts on “Half of Kauai Businesses May Fail | Visitors Are Not Returning”
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Island on the brink of financial collapse with fewer than 20 vacation arrivals daily.
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Seems to me there is a solution in the not-so-distant future as the availability of rapid testing increases and more people (including island residents) are vaccinated I miss visiting terribly and I’m glad everyone has been kept safe on island up till now but the alarm bells should be sounding clear up to the state level and beyond to resolve this economic crisis. The resort bubble is neither affordable or practical for most of us.
I won’t go to Kauai either! I’ve been there previously. We’ll go to Kona instead where I can enjoy ourselves.
Follow the rules or don`t go to Kauai. The health of the locals is most important. I spend a month and a half on Kauai a year and I will be waiting till it`s safe for me and everybody on Kauai. Respect.
We are in Orlando now. We were to go to St. Thomas. “Voted Off” St. Thomas with their required testing. Just on the outside chance, one did get a positive test…all the stress and disappointment of having to cancel Timeshare stay…big POINT Hit and flight Changes…another hit…and then to go to such a special and tropical paradise…Even here in Orlando..the luster of vacay is so diminished. Surely not worth it in St. Thomas!
And then, to plan a HUGE trip to Kauai and all the restrictions. That is money better saved for another BETTER day. But my heart goes out to MY fave place in the world, with all they are losing and possible all of us losing, if many places have to close.
BAD TIMES….BAD
(BTW…I get it, if our tests came back positive and we can not travel…it is better than traveling with the BUG…but it surely is not worth the chance having to change all the plans.)
Feel bad for them and it’s affecting everyone, but even after quarantine it doesn’t sound like a vacation. You would still need to social distance and avoid eating inside or bars. Must be miserable wearing a mask in the water/beach.
Not to mention that they are arresting tourists that break a rule (understandable but still scary).
Best the islands can do is start building vaccine factories and put folks to work 24×7 in those until the pandemic is over. Maybe convert the hotels into factories.
Dear Joe,
We are on Kauai. Have been since Nov 5. No one is wearing a mask on the beach, at least not on the two mile stretch from HCR to the Haena beach park. There is no need. It is mostly empty. No one is wearing a mask out in the ocean. That would be foolish. We eat inside restaurants and bars most days of the week. We perform the same mask theater as is performed in most mainland places, i.e., we wear them when entering until seated, and when leaving, otherwise they are not worn while enjoying our meals/drinks. Some people wear them when walking around outside in the small Hanalei town, but it’s easy to stay “social distanced,” because it’s not crowded. One of the bar-restaurants in Kilauea that became famous for not allowing tourists when the island briefly re-opened back in October, has everyone packed inside, elbow to elbow at the bar, including old people and people who clearly are not in great health. In other words, typical bar flies. The only people being arrested are the ones who get caught breaking quarantine. They make a show of them in order for the Garden News readers to feel better about themselves; reminds me of the old “John’s List” that papers would publish of dudes getting caught with hookers. Maybe if you quarantine at the Tip Top, you can make both lists. But, I’ve not seen hide nor hare of KPB hassling anyone for anything up on north shore.
We scheduled twice to go to Kauai. We were scheduled last March and that was cancelled. Then this December, then January. The rules kept changing and our hotel shut down and airline cancelled our flight and the new flight schedule was terrible. Couldn’t find a testing center approved by Hawaii in our state or find one to guarantee results in 72 hours Just went to another destination.
As former residents and at least yearly visitors to Hawaii, we had a trip to Kauai booked for late February and had no choice but to cancel. I’d followed the myriad of changes in quarantine policy over the past several months hoping that Kauai would follow the more workable rules the other islands had adopted but finally….and regretfully… had to pull the plug. We had a vacation rental booked and staying in a resort bubble for 3 days was totally unworkable. Coming from Colorado where the daily numbers of new cases and positivity rates are low steadily dropping further (and with a high likelihood we’ll be vaccinated by February) I was so hopeful we’d be able to make the trip. This is a very difficult call for an exceptional place trying to balance the economic devastation with limitations in the ability to handle any adverse impact to the health care system. Still, there is no question we’ll be back to visit and at least in a small way, help rebuild that economy.
I had a planned visit for November 2020, but due to the lock down I moved plans to May. But with the restrictions, I believe that I will totally cancel my trip. I have visited Kauai seven times and have always had a great experience, but a visit at this time is not worth it. I feel for the local businesses and employees.
I live on oahu and a haole i am…locals told me if it would get rid of the gaoles they woukd be gkad to go hungry !!!
I love the island of kauai. I literally have spent months there walking and hiking the island. My wife and I were suppose to go January 8th thru the 23rd but the bubble motel thing wasn’t worth it and that wouldn’t have been smart to spend the entire vacation in a hotel under quarantine and we wouldn’t have been able to go anywhere or see anything. are two friends wouldn’t get the wedding they wanted so we will wait till the time is right. When the island is open. Whatever u decide we support. But please take into consideration that we come not only for the views but the people and events,restaurants,businesses
Thanks for the information. I found it interesting and disturbing.
In November 2020, I, Lisa, holidayed in Maui, instead of the much loved island Kauai. We could have gone to Kauai instead, and actually considered spending some time on both islands, but the restrictions were too much to overcome within the short 10 day period for which we were vacationing. It was just easier to get one negative Covid test before our departure to Maui, than to have to get another one while vacationing (if we wanted to travel to Kauai) or to spend our entire vacation stuck in a hotel in lockdown on Kauai. Most people want to explore the island (at least somewhat) while on holiday.
If one has to travel between islands, I believe that one loses a day of vacation time, not to mention entering two additional airports (which I currently consider to be “danger zones”). One also has to consider the time wasted: packing and unpacking suitcases, dealing with car rental returns and checkouts (usually laborious, and something one only wants to do once on vacation), as well as hoping that one’s flight matches well with check-out and check-in accommodation times.
In addition, my past experience in Kauai made me aware of its lack of delivery services (both restaurant and grocery) that I believe would be necessary during a quarantine lockdown period. Delivery services have probably increased during the Covid pandemic, but without knowledge of their availability, I believe (at least for me) that it’s too much unknown “trouble” traveling to Kauai. Perhaps this wouldn’t be an issue with room service in a hotel, but we follow a Keto diet, and our preferred diet isn’t often covered well with hotel dining.
Instead, much like many other people we met in Maui, we flew directly from the Pacific Northwest to Kahului airport, and the reverse for our return. I’ve messed around with inter-island travel in the past, and it has its limitations and annoyances.
Thanks! Was literally working on a plan to visit in March, but what jf off chance someone in my family of 4 tests positive in quick test? Then im stuck and whole vaca us jammed….rather just not come than risk getting caught out. We don’t visit Kauai to swim in resort pool.
We came to Kauai despite of all the hoops to jump through only because we love this island and we have friends here. The resort bubble is ok if you stay at the expensive ones but it is way too much. We paid the same amount for 4 days resort bubble as my 2 weeks at an air bnb in Princeville. The info on what to do before coming is way too confusing and you cannot find them in one place.
Aloha BOH
Back on subject.
Where travel inquiries about other Hawaiian islands especially Maui have picked up there is little or no activity about Kauai. The few inquiries about travel to Kauai are met with a response by a local poster stating you are not welcome here.
Message received tourist are not welcome on Kauai.
You can make argument otherwise, but your posted travel numbers and chart speak to how Kauai is perceived as an unfriendly place.
It appears along with it’s aging retired population Kauai elite are taking advantage of the pandemic to turn back the clock and remake the island into a far less attractive tourist destination for budget travelers.
In my opinion days of the $100.00 a night condo are over…….
Hi Richard.
Thanks for all of your input. From our perspective, the numbers appear primarily the result of fast-changing, very difficult, and too expensive options currently available for Kauai.
Aloha.
Thank your Mayor next time you go to vote!
We had 5 weeks scheduled in Feb/March & cancelled. The rules were always changing & we couldn’t keep up. It was cheaper, easier & less confusing to go to Hilton Head. With the locals not wanting tourists, we may never come back.
Totally agree, buzz kill. Rather just go to another island.
Kauai residents are their own worst enemy. It is called stuck on stupid. In fact, it is so bad that in one week alone 4 local males committed sucide yet they continue to destroy their own. They are reaping the bitter melons from the poisonous seeds that they sowed.
We are planning to go to Maui in Sep and then to Kauai as that is our island of choice. This way we avoid the quarantine restrictions and can enjoy ourselves. Our heart aches for the destruction of the economy of the island and we pray it recovers. We understand the concerns as a large outbreak could totally destroy the population of the island and we certainly don’t want anything to happen to the wonderful people of Kauai. Do what you need to do and maybe we will all have access to the vaccine by fall and this won’t be as much of an issue and the island can get back on it’s feet economically.
“We understand the concerns as a large outbreak could totally destroy the population of the island and we certainly don’t want anything to happen to the wonderful people of Kauai”
Nearly 200 people have tested positive for the virus since testing became a thing on island. Hard to say how many others had it, but never got tested. Only one (“1”) person had his life cut short by it – an 84 year old gentlemen with stage 4 lung cancer. No, a large outbreak would not destroy the population of Kauai. Not saying a large outbreak would be a good thing, but the hyperbole doesn’t help.
But thanks for calling us “wonderful people.” Hint: Some are, some aren’t, just like everywhere else.
But then
Hi David.
Thanks for that (218th comment). You are always a good read and we appreciate your input.
Aloha.
Sadly, this week I canceled a 10 day trip with my wife and 4 adult children at Koloa Landing at Poipu in Kauai for mid February 2021. We also had 6 round trip airline tickets from Ohio, 3 rental cars reserved and had many other activities we were going to do ie: golf, deep sea fishing, helicopter tours and dinner out every night. We really love Kauai but it is really just too difficult currently with the 10 day quarantine, “resort bubble” and the extra aggravation and additional expenses for 6 people to comply with the island’s current rules and regulations.
I had planned this trip and made reservations our in the Spring of 2020, as a family trip to celebrate my 70th birthday. I hope Kauai businesses survive, because we love the island and the people, but given the current policies it is easier to just go somewhere else.
Thanks
Hi Marc.
Thanks for letting us know. We appreciate the feedback.
Aloha.
For more than half a century, good economists, politicians who have not “sold out”, and progressive business people have been advocating for diversity in Hawaii’s economy. Professionals have argued that having your “eggs” in one basket-tourism-is a death sentence. 911 should have been a “wake up” call, but our politicians went back to business as usual, once that was just a memory.
Tourism has been our states cash cow, and it was just too easy. No creativity involved.
There was a time in history when our Native Hawaiian population was over 1 million AND we were self sustaining. However, old boy government tactics have no room for learning from the Natives, or the past. They want big, tourist dollars and they want it now!
This is what greed does.
It’s going to take a lot of effort, but there are good people, local practitioners and professionals out there that can help reshape Hawaii’s economic future, however, the reigns have to be pulled from the hands of the blind, power drunk, money hungry people in charge. Just two cents from a kupuna. Me ke aloha pumehana. Hawaii needs healing, and I’m not referring to covid-19.
Side note maybe, but I appreciate irony….I can’t be the only one who noticed that in order to leave this comment, I have to type my email. Immediately below my now typed email, I am given the option of checking a box, which would “Sign me up for Hawaii vacation deals!”
*face palm*
For the benefit of our communities Hawai’i should have a brief 3 day quarantine followed by a second test across the board. Keep it consistent but guided by the smaller islands. Travelers could know what to expect and locals would be more welcoming.
Im lucky enough to be able to quarantine in my family home. If I was just a regular visitor or a tourist, I wouldn’t come. Resort bubbles sound great but I wouldn’t be down for paying the resort bubble price to be stuck in one place for 3 days. Those hotel fees should be less.
Hawaii as a whole has done a great job at keeping the numbers low but you killed the state in doing so. Testing and masks are great however even people that have followed the rules completely are still getting it. Hawaii is trying to avoid the inevitable.
Time to stop the 10 day quarantine! Maui and O’ahu businesses are doing well. Look on at the other islands for answers. Anyone could see that the businesses were going to go under! Was on Kaua’i during Thanksgiving, and business was strong!
YET another example of government overreach. When will people understand that “the government” doesn’t know any better, and that in fact they care very little about us regular folks? The smaller the government, the better.
This is not a surprise. We love Kauai but they have made it so difficult that the vacation is no longer vacation but just stressful. We had planned to there with our 3 kids for our 45th anniversary earlier this month and had to cancel.
I would actually love to be there with so few visitors, the last 2 trips there were soooo many people it was ridiculous. I will hope that this is merely a reset. The businesses will fail but hopefully, in the future the island will recover and be better than before the pandemic.
We have delayed our trip and are now planning for December of 2022. We do’t want to harm the population by bringing covid to the island and respect their desire to protect their people but will wait to visit until this is under control. I want to spend my vacation dollars on vacation, not multiple tests and quarantine
Travel to Hawaii falling off so badly is not surprising. With all the unknowns and stress involved, it’s just to much for most people to want to deal with. Plus many people are not traveling at this time anyway. My thinking is, when the single shot vaccine comes on board that should cut the vaccination time down by 50%. That should be a very big help. Also, the state of Hawaii moving the target every week has not been helpful.
Aloha Guys
Hi Roy.
Thanks for being a part of the conversation for so long.
Aloha.
I think one of the most difficult things for us is what’s happening with the Hawaiian restaurants. Hawaiian restaurants aren’t just good they are some of the best in the world. One of our favorite restaurants is the Kalaheo Steakhouse. The food is special and so are the drinks and it is very popular with the locals. It has permanently closed after many years. That restaurant has its roots with a local polynesian guy who moved onto Maui’s upcountry and started another restaurant. On the way from Poipu to Kalaheo there was a Hawaiian couple who sold fresh fish from their home. That’s gone also. On the Big Island the Blue Dragon restaurant which served locally produced food and drink. They also had a stage where they had local musicians and entertainment. It’s now gone. On Maui Sarento’s has also disappeared. All of this is very hurtful as the islands are losing what has made them special. I noticed that the mayor of the Big Island who put the second covid test in place did not get enough votes in the primary to run again. I had an interesting incident happen with the people who I rented the condo through. They rent high end homes and condos as well as more traditional properties. I had to call and tell them that I had to use their address on the safe travels site as I did not know the address of the condo we were staying at that time. She told me if the state wants to have a secondary contact they should figure it out themselves and not rely on the rental company or the visitors to do their work. She was a polynesian woman and was very annoyed with what the state was doing. I don’t think most Hawaiians are annoyed by what the state is attempting with trying to keep them safe. It’s just moved into a state of ridiculousness with visitors and locals alike. I lived on Oahu for a few years many years ago and we have a good many friends who live in the islands. I surely hope the state of Hawaii is able keep what’s special about it.
Stay safe Guys
My girlfriend and I arrived on Maui, not Kauai, on March 11th this year, right as the pandemic was hitting its stride. We had paid for our vacation a year before and were really excited. Unfortunately, as the vacation went on many of the natives on the island were downright threatening to us when we would attempt to visit some of the beaches. They would stand at the entrance to the beaches guarding them with big signs that said tourists go home. We went home and we will never return. Be careful what you ask for.
There’s thousands of locals on Kauai who are too scared to voice their opinion about mayor Derek Kawakami’s horrible decisions. He’s acting like a selfish child only thinking about saving lives for a virus with a 99% survival rate and the cost is thousands of hard working middle class people out of work. We all lost our jobs, lost great benefits and retirement plans and life insurance, we are not sympathized with by the community, we are tired but not strong enough to fight against the machine that is the political control of our island. It is completely a lie that we are going to be ok. How are we ok? We alive but broke and hundreds have moved off island in search of greener grass. No one asks how is the unemployed are doing. No one here gives a hoot about us, they just say “get another job”. So we sit here becoming poorer by the day all while our mayor is livi by with a full paycheck and not worried about paying his bills. How long can we go on like this? The rich are moving here and buying up house and land not even glimpsing at the place! It is insanity what Kauai has to deal with. Majority of businesses closed down and you won’t hear about it.
Thank you for your sincere post,I know this is the situation for many people on Kauai.The retired,the employed, speak idyllically of the return to “ back in the day”,the turtles,dolphins,lack of traffic. They are too selfish to understand past their utopian bubble the impact that the isolationist policies are having on many many Kauai residents.
We spent the two weeks before Christmas in Maui & enjoyed in second! Kauai is a bit too much of a challenge; but, the power to be on Kauai created the mess!
We have visited Kauai and Maui nearly every year since 1999 as two-week timeshare owners at the Kauai Beach Club. We had plans to come again this February, but canceled our time on Kauai because we had only planned a nine-day stay. As a side note, we also canceled our 3+ weeks in Palm Desert, CA, because of the virus situation in that state. We are so grateful to be visiting Maui for nearly a month.
We have visited Kaua’i once or twice a year for the last 8 or 9 years being time share owners in Princeville (home resort Bali Hai) and have come to live the island and the Aloha spirit of the Hawaiian culture. With all the issues brought on by Mayor Kawakami’s on again off again ridiculousness, we have switched gears and no visit the USVI twice a year; no untenable restrictions and only a 4 hour nonstop flight opposed to the 14 hour journey to the islands. I hope to return to Kaua’i, but for now USVI and the Big Island ( we own there too) are the go to spots. Mahalo nui loa BOH for your service!
Hi Brian.
Thanks. We hope you can return to Kauai again soon.
Aloha.
We cancelled last years October visit to Kauai Waiohai and I am even concerned for this October. We also cancelled our Palm Desert, CA……masks have to be worn at the pool when in chair….bad tan lines!
For 13 years, my wife and I have happily vacationed for 3 weeks on Kaua`i staying at a lovely rental house in Anahola. We are booked to return for another 3 weeks on March 9. We considered Kaua`i’s special “resort bubble” option, but found it too complicated, too restrictive and way too expensive. It would cost us an extra $800 to stay at a hotel that we really don’t want to visit, $160 for 2 arm bracelets and $400 for 2 post travel testing. This is just not something we want or are willing to do. If Kaua’i does not change its travel restrictions within the next few days to be in sync with the rest of Hawai`i, we will cancel our trip and vacation elsewhere. This just does not make sense.
We got the message and have canceled our trip to Kaua`i.
That’s what u voted for so it’s kind of hard to feel sorry for Hawaii.
I own a timeshare in Princeville. We had to cancel two times last year. We’re credited with that week to use this year. Now I have to pay for 2021 and have no desire to keep moving the date. I feel very bad for the locals. We have loved Kauai for years and are sick that it is being bankrupted. But we can no longer pay for what we are not allowed to use. TW
As time share owners with our home resort in Princeville, this on again off again resort bubble second test from another island nonsense will keep us away, especially when the Big Island and Maui have the Test and visit program. As a result of this, we are doing our annual trips to the USVI St. Thomas. The flight time is 4 hours as opposed to 15 hours to the Hawaiian Islands. Hopefully they get back into the Safe Travel program.
It’s time for the mayor to go.
The locals just don’t want us. They make it very clear on the islands FB sites. So why go to a place you are told “now is not the time to come’.
Keeping people safe sounds like a good plan, so keep it up. Also, just wondering why no Native Hawaii’ns are commenting on this thread?
Though I may not be a Kauai resident, I’m a native woman raised in the homesteads of Waimanalo and Nanakuli on Oahu.
While there is some danger associated with this virus, the path chosen by Kauai County is horribly damaging not only to local businesses and the local community, but to the entire lifestyle (generally) associated with life in the islands.
Through my life I’ve lived by the mantra of “Live Aloha.” This core statement is more than just a marketing slogan, it’s about how we, as a people, choose to adhere to the cultural values that make life in our islands unique. It’s about how you live your life, but it also dictates how you should welcome others as if they were always a member of our community. Let me ask you, is the way that visitors are currently being treated even close to upholding “Live Aloha?”
Visitors are generally required to pay hundreds extra for Covid testing before they’re even allowed to head to Kauai. At the airport they’re “greeted” by National Guard troops in combat fatigues, treated with suspicion, denied car rental, saddled with expensive taxi rides to overpriced “resort bubble” properties, then charged hundreds more to be tagged with transponders like convicted criminals. Is this how we treat treasured guests? Is this the Aloha Spirit that we should be sharing with others, or is this a grossly misguided and prohibitively expensive experiment in convincing people that it’s possible to hide from viruses in 2021?
This is NOT who we are as Hawaiians, and when we allow these travesties to occur for the sake of “safety,” we’re not just discarding an integral part of our heritage, but also causing permanent, long term damage to the aura of Hawaiian hospitality that keeps people returning to these islands.
The Coronavirus is real, but rather than destroy businesses and livelihoods, there are other ways to address these challenges. Subsidize testing, quick test on arrival, and assist at-risk residents to keep them safe.
That is so beautifully written and it exactly how my husband and I feel,not only for visitors but for returning residents. He felt like a criminal after visiting his family in Waianae Oahu;it was a terrifying experience
Thank you Angie, for your thoughtful and insightful comments. As you said, Live Aloha is SO much more and it never has been just a marketing slogan for me. I have visited all the main islands but it is the unique aloha spirit of Kauai that has been bringing me back each year for nearly 20 years. I have been so disheartened to read the comments for this posting and earlier ones so yours stood out. I was reminded of the warmth and the healing I’ve needed during some of my visits. Your practical suggestions for testing and assistance give me hope, along with many other comments I’ve read here, that I may return later this year to island I love and appreciate so much.
Thank you for this information. We love Kuau but it is obvious thoses in charge do not want main landers on tbe island no matter how healthy we are. We will return when welcome if there is snything to return to. I hope there is