Hawaii vacation demand is strong. Yet big concerns remain about rules, health, safety, and lost travel dollars.
144 thoughts on “Hawaii Travel Upended By Concerns And Cancellations Amid Latest COVID Surge”
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Home » Blog » Hawaii Travel Tips » Hawaii Travel Upended By Concerns And Cancellations Amid Latest COVID Surge
Our trip starts this weekend. We are fully vaccinated and practice safety at home, as well as we plan to follow all safety measures on vacation (which is a mostly outdoor trip and we are also in a rental home away from everyone else). Most of the infections are in the unvaccinated, so we don’t feel like we are adding to anything but the revenue of the island. We visited during the 6 weeks Kauai was open in the fall, and we were met with very grateful business owners and only one stressed out, grumpy host at Tahiti Nui. Enjoy your trip. Support the economy. Follow the rules and adjust your activities accordingly.
We have a 10 day trip to Kauai for mid October.
As of now we are still planning to go. We are vaccinated and have no problem following any rules set in place.
Hopefully the numbers will start to drop
Dear Alf, I used to watch the TV show ALF & loved it❤ I’m looking very forward to my trip in 2023. This will be the 3rd time I’ve postponed it & the 3rd time is the charm, lol! 🌺🍍🥥🌏🏖🏝🛩🌈🌊
We returned in mid-August from a 9 day trip to the Big Island and had a great time. We did a bunch of hiking, had take out or food trucks every day, and did almost everything that we had planned, wearing our masks whenever we were close to people. But it was not crowded at all. The planes were not full, especially our return flight to SJC. We didn’t see as many tourists as in prior trips to the Big Island. We were sad to see that several food places were either closed or had reduced hours. We listened to the local radio station every day and heard the increasingly concerning number of Covid cases that each island was experiencing. In our opinion, some businesses are doing great, but most are not. If I had a trip planned for next week, I’d go and take every precaution. We have great memories of our trip, the locals are very kind and hospitable, and I’m glad to give them my business.
Aloha Gary, I’m so happy that you had a wonderful time in Hawaii!! 😍🌎🏖🏝🌈🌊🎉🕶👙🛍🩴👒🛩🌞 I can’t wait for my turn in 2023!! Stay safe & God bless you….psalms 91:11 & 118:14
We’re in Kihei, Maui and weren’t able to rebook/cancel so took extra precautions, including pre-travel testing (yes, we are vaxxed as well), are staying close to “home” simply enjoying the beach, mostly cooking at “home” and truly relaxing. The island feels incredibly quiet – we usually come 2 – 3x a year. Our rental car dropped by 2/3 in the few days before travel so we rebooked the better rate, and there were a ton of cars available – I got to pick my own! That’s never happened before.
We love Hawaii and will continue to be good stewards and safe travelers as long as we can.
Aloha 🌺 Tea, Have fun & stay safe in Hawaii!! I can’t wait for my turn in 2023! 🍍🥥🛩🌈 God bless you….pslams 91:11 & 118:14
So, what is considered a covid passport? Would this track our every stop, shop. Beach? We are not going to do that. It’s ok to show my covid vaccine and even my booster, but no one’s business where I eat, etc. Reminds us of what is going on in non-democratic governments.
It doesn’t do any of the things you are concerned about. You just have to show it upon entering certain locations. In this case, mainly for eating in a restaurant, and in some cases even just for eating indoors. There may be some expansion to other events, etc. in the future, and all the details haven’t yet been announced. It also depends on where you are going. Maui and Honolulu have slightly different rules, etc. Hang tight, all should become clear soon.
On the plus side our rental car for Maui dropped from $900 to just $305 for 9 days!!
Dear Tim, wow that definitely is a drop in price for rental cars. Good news.
We are still going to Big Island Nov.2 for 5 weeks. We’ll take a test, we are not vax. We are not typical tourists, we stay away from crowds and restaurants. Fingers crossed.
Hi Leo,
🏝 Have a wonderful time on the Big Island in November! We sadly canceled our October trip returning there. Too many unknowns for us.
Stay well and enjoy your 5 weeks in Hawaii! So happy for you! 😎
Aloha 🌺
Planning to go in december 21 and march 22 but until now, the form to complete on line and files to download and waiting the QR from Hawaii may be receiving it during your last flight, is too stressful. Some of our emails are also put in the spam. Imagine of you cannot find this at the arrival. I am fully Canadian vaccinated
Dear Monique, March is a very cool month because my bday is March 22nd!! ❤📅
We love Hawaii, and try to go every year. But we won’t be going as long as vaccine/mandates are in place. I can’t believe almost 2 years later and this is where we are. Covid case does not equal covid death. I’ll be back when the fear mongering is gone.
Jen, Not sure you heard about this but hospitals in Hawaii are so overrun with untaxed COVID patients that they are having to set up tents. civilbeat.org/2021/09/hawaii-hospitals-near-worst-case-scenario-as-officials-try-to-rein-in-labor-day-gatherings/
So, I wouldn’t suggest that there isn’t reason to fear. Sure, if you’re vaccinated chances are pretty good YOU won’t end up in a hospital due to COVID. On the other hand, since the hospitals are so full, I hope you don’t need some kind of other emergency care, because there’s basically no room at the inn for you.
My trip to Oahu last week was flawless. The Safe Travels pre-clearance at the Sacramento airport by Southwest personnel took less than five minutes, and the wristband moved me rapidly through Honolulu airport to my lowest-ever $366 per week full-size rental car (thank you, AutoSlash.com). The flight attendant on the 737 flight to Honolulu said they only had five open seats (the return flight a week later had more open seats than that).
Dinner at Duke’s Waikiki was no more crowded than in the past, and my June online reservation had us seated within 10 minutes. More than 90 percent of the people *outdoors* in downtown Honolulu were wearing masks, which surprised me.
The servers in the smaller local restaurants were smiling and happy that we brought them business, whether in the Honolulu area or along the north shore in Hale’iwa. Street and highway traffic was heavier than my last visit in February 2021 but it was manageable.
I have plans to return to Oahu in December 2021, and three more times in 2022. I have natural immunity, have been vaccinated, and wear my mask in inside spaces whether it is required or not, so I figure my risk of reinfection is low. Family on Oahu and the natural island beauty keep me coming back, even if I have to do some work get through the quarantine exemption process – it’s worth it to me!
Paul….well said! I can’t wait for my trip in 2023 & I’m getting very excited!