Global news outlets raise big concerns for Hawaii visitors.
456 thoughts on “Hawaii Public Relations Nightmare as Media Frenzy Fuels Unrest”
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Home » Blog » Culture and Events » Hawaii Public Relations Nightmare as Media Frenzy Fuels Unrest
I will wait until the islands heal. And as soon as they are ready for visitors, and not a moment before, I will be there. Because there is nowhere else I would rather be than the islands, where I respect and love the people and the land
I will wait
I will be patient
I will embrace Aloha once again as soon as the islands are ready for me.
Part of the uncertainty is the airlines haven’t gotten their act together in the slightest. Some people did not have good experiences getting refunds/vouchers. There is really no other way to visit. We will rebook our trip when things settle but the current attitude of the air carriers need to improve ALOT cause the trust isn’t there. Every one
Is taking a hit but Hawaii more than most. Our tiny part is to buy local coffee to be sent to us at home. ❤️🌺to Betsy L. Best vacations are in Hawaii
What will it take for us to return? For us, the COV VID concern is the key, not Hawaii, per se. We live on the East Coast, and had to cancel a June visit this year. We’re hoping to reschedule for a year from now, but right now, the fear of spending 10 hours in enclosed jets is much worse than spending time in the islands. Hawaii has always been our happy place, and we want to continue to support residents there with our tourism dollars if the conditions allow. I don’t anticipate the recession will hurt our ability to travel, but there are no givens in this world. And ideally, conditions will allow distancing to have been relaxed, because the stress of wearing masks and worrying about this is not the reason we visit Hawaii. The biggest fear from here is fear of the unknown. And there’s just too much unknown to do anything but hope for the better…. Aloha and stay safe!
Hi John.
Thanks.
Aloha.
We were ticketed and booked to vacation in Kapalua, Maui starting 5/25, a wonderful Christmas gift from our two kids. An easy trip from the West Coast, one we have taken many times. Only three reservations needed -one for the flight, one for the condo through a real estate company and a car rental. We held out, hoping things would resolve, but Hawaii decided to quar antine, a decision that we respect. Obviously, the trip as planned was off, with nothing to do or places to go, we started to cancel the three reservations. Hawaiian Air won’t refund our money and instead is only offering us a rebook on a future trip. We ask ourselves, will this be over by then, will we still be healthy, will Hawaii still be travel worthy? The real estate company cancelled our accommodation but held out over $100 from our deposit to cover their expenses- we get absolutely nothing for that money. Only the rental company cancelled the car reservation without any trouble or expense.
I don’t feel that we were being treated fairly, and this does little to make me feel like I want to return. Hawaii is nice yet awfully expensive. We have traveled extensively over the years and know that there are plenty of other wonderful places to visit, places that value and respect their clientele. This time, we were have been ripped off, with no consideration that money is as tight here as it is in Hawaii- they are not alone in this downturn. This is not how you treat a guest you expect to return.
Aloha, sadly, may be gone for good.
we have a trip planned for march 2021 only if deemed safe. will let our condo owner tell us. of course we will be back. and yes sad for the islanders and the toll it is taking. hopefully things WILL get better.
Hawaii’s economic survival is currently based almost exclusively around the visitor and visitor related industries. Please Think Carefully About Every Action. The consequences of your behaviors today will reverberate for decades .
What it will take for me to return to Hawaii is knowing when I can re book my trip and be sure that things aren’t going to be cancelled again. The end of the month is near and they delay travel again till the end of June. Then will it be July…August…etc. I want to book but will they let me back in?
We have family there and some island investments, so we will come later in the year. My husband’s family is from Oahu, and our son lives there. It is like our second home, so it would take a lot to keep us away. On the other hand, members of our family work two jobs in the hospitality business to make ends meet because of the high cost of living there. I worry about them, if you don’t get business up and running again.
Unfortunately, what is happening to Hawaii and the tourist industry, has been coming for a long time. My wife and I lived in Hawaii for many years and her family has been there for more than 60 years. It wasn’t until around 2000 that we began to feel a real problem developing; and most of the comments we were hearing were coming from kama’aina, not the tourists. We hoped it was simply a phase, but it wasn’t. What little contact we had with the tourists always found they had tremendous praise for the islands; but not so much for the costs, the way they had been treated by more than just a few, and how they were made to feel guilty for just being there.
We had to go to the mainland for a few years due to business and when we came back home to the islands last year wow – what a difference. Hannibal Tavares, a good friend would be turning over in his grave could he have seen what has happened to his Maui!
The writer who pointed our that there is no Aloha anymore was right on target. What the politicians, the business industry and a vocal minority of people from Hawaii have allowed to happen is a disgrace. Needless to say, we didn’t stay in Hawaii; and I know many others who have very deep roots in the islands have left as well. Don’t blame the vi rus – it simply allowed the ‘scab’ to be ripped off for all to see. The now emerging ‘police state’ in Hawaii is nothing new, it was just hidden so well, nobody cared to notice. My wife and I, our family and so many of our friends absolutely love Hawaii more than anything – but don’t be fooled – this ‘problem’ that everyone is talking about is real. It won’t be fixed by the tourists; it can only be fixed by the people of Hawaii and let’s all hope that it’s not to late.
Hi Ben,
My family and I have a trip planned to Kauai for mid-November. We planned it with the full knowledge that we may have to cancel, and while we don’t want to do that, we will if that is what is in the best interests of everyone involved. I get angry when I see people breaking the rules, because to me, they’re just extending the length of time we need socially isolate. Thanks,
Eve
We completely understand Hawaii’s inability to accept visitors at this time and patiently await our next trip back to the beautiful islands. We visit every year with our last trip being February of this year, just before this hit. We would have no issue with precautions such as temperature and virus checks if necessary. Hopefully, we will be able to visit again next January/February and feel just as welcome as we ever have. We pray for a speedy recovery to the devastation this has caused to the economy and people of Hawaii!