Maui has great resorts and an improved airport with the most flights (including widebody) to Hawaii other than Honolulu. But now it has clearly become too much of a good thing. So what happens next?
Leave a Comment
306 thoughts on “Maui Visitors and Residents Square Off Starting Here”
We are snowbirds and spend the winter in Maui. We own our place and pay our taxes but we can’t get a Hawaii driver’s license. There must be a provision for us to buy a yearly pass or this is completely unfair.
I have been thinking the same thing. Watch out for the rude comments back to you. We also pay GET for long term rental and PM and property taxes. I believe we should be able to use the beaches without all these fees. I guess we will walk or Uber.
Have y’all seen the parking on Maui? Even without tourists the facilities suck! Go to Laniopoko any time… all locals, no tourists, and no parking… I’d gather 90% of tourists stay on the well kept beach resorts fronting their hotels vs. The trashy beach parks with terrible facilities.
What you have is a demographic of people looking to blame anybody but themselves.
Kalama had youth football today… no parking anywhere.. damn tourists!!
The sooner politicians stop blaming others, the soon y’all will have good facilities.
How will this effect Handicap parking, taking into consideration public parking is free?
It seems to me that starting parking fees for beaches @ $30- is steep! At my age after visiting Maui and spending my vacation savings since 1975, I’m offended by the overuse of the phrase, “If you can afford a trip to Hawaii, (whatever the issue and cost are” shouldn’t be bad, costly, expensive, too much… I’m no wealthy, I just love the beauty, Aina, people, attitude and spirit of Hawaii and save money to go as “First Class” as possible!
This program is discrimatory and will not last. Someone will sue the county and it will be halted. Also, the money goes to “unspecified programs” local politicians lining there pockets. The residents should enjoy the tourism and its money why is there. The mother of all recessions is coming. The first thing people stop is vacations, remember during covid??? Short sighted policy. The real answer is to build infrastructure to handle the problem.
New Jersey’s beaches charge a beach fee (which can be purchased for weekly entrance) and parking. Visitors and residents pay the same. However, they have boardwalks with bathroom facilities, entertainment and food available. When you go to a Jersey beach, you’re there for the day. Do I want that for Hawaii? New Jersey has a carnival type of atmosphere, Hawaii is a totally different animal and I wouldn’t want it to change. However, outrageous parking fees in addition to daily with no weekly break beach fees is just too much. Hawaii is creating a most unfriendly family vacation environment. “Sorry kids, we can’t go to the beach today, we were there yesterday (can’t afford the father, mother and two kids beach fees and parking again).
This sounds like a great idea while creating another. Visitors have always found ways around our laws and restrictions such as proven while driving into Hana. No respect for property ownership while climbing fences to get to a “special place”. No regard for residents or whose property it is. The new charging will be an awesome way to improve and restrict illegal parking, but will it really? Entitled tourist who refuse to obey laws or personal property will park illegally and crowd roadways as they do already. How can we stop this if our own police won’t ticket them. It’s obvious when passing by some of our local small beaches, that there is no enforcement to parking by our law officers. Too busy? I guess.
No parking fees for anyone. If we need more spaces let’s add more parking. Government involvement in anything corrupts it. Let’s remain a friendly neighbor island.
I think that’s a wonderful idea. Either structures (sometimes ugly) or well engineered lots. I’m not an expert on your beach population being an Oahu person, but at its highest Waikiki beach is still good for a day. Are the beaches overcrowded with the current lots full? And I mean seriously overcrowded?
I am ok if public places charge for parking. I would prefer it’s charged hourly. I am a resident of California. I love Hawaii and I respect the local community. I hope they don’t forget how important the tourism industry is for their economy..
I agree, I don’t mind paying a smaller fee by the hour. I never stay more than 1-2 hrs and often just stopping for 30 minutes to check out the area or beach.
My problem is that our daughter and son-in-law live in Wailuku. She was hired as the controller for a large medical group there; when we visit we’re not typical tourists. We’ve been visiting Hawaii since she was a very young child, which is why she was so comfortable with and jumped at the opportunity to move to Hawaii when she was offered the position. We love Hawaii and would probably move there year-round, but we have another daughter and grandchildren here on the mainland who need us. When we visit, it’s for as long as we possibly can. It hurts a bit to have to fees like this considering we’ve been visiting since the early ‘90’s, consider ourselves ohana who are respectful of and love the islands and their people, and have family there.
As a kama’aina, born & raised, I sadly see my Ohana being priced out of staycations (used to have kama’aina hotel rates), restaurants (kama’aina discounts discontinued), and now our beaches. Yes!! Finally we can have an opportunity to enjoy our shoreline & beaches efroe the tourists scoop up all the parking. Enuf already. Put locals first, when can. Mahalo!
I’m an occasional tourist, I support giving those who live on the island free access. Some of my relatives are born and raised in Hawaii for many generations. That said I think tourist parking should be limited to perhaps 2-3 hr increments and with a cost that is not so high, longer times should see a higher price per hr. This should all be done with an app that would know if someone is trying to beat the system. Car license plate and credit cards can track.