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?
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306 thoughts on “Maui Visitors and Residents Square Off Starting Here”
It’s been said before but SWA flooding the market is a contributing factor. Not the only one, but they didn’t do Hawaii any favors coming here “SWA Style”
These problems existed WAY before SWA started flying to HI.
So many thoughts running through my mind.
-Tourism continues to grow making the joys of Hawaii more difficult to enjoy. This coming from a tourist who has come to the island every year for over 10yrs and sees the congestion getting worse!
– Bad tourists have wrecked it for the good ones.
– If tourism is destroying the island then why does a locals yard look like a dump with burnt cars and garbage everywhere, if a local cares about the island, start with their own backyard.
– I’m happy to pay for my fare share but I need to know what I’m paying for? How is the island improved by overcharging me for everything?
– kill tourism and kills the local economy!
– 8billon people on the planet stresses every Paradise.
Good collection of random thoughts concerning this topic. Just returned from my final visit to the Islands. Like you, have been processing many thoughts on visitors, congestion, the hostility some feel towards anyone not living there. I too have seen the congestion that tourism brings. While I was thrilled Idid not see visitor hostility on Kauai, I know of someone raised on Oahu, lived there her adult life with hubs and was met with serious hostility when visiting another island because he is Haole & therefore looked like a tourist in rental car. HI has a ways to go to find ways to support locals living there. When that problem is solved, tourism will not be their main industry and visitor controls can be put in place to the max
Please explain the logic here: this seems like a not so nice way to bite the hand that feeds you. We’ve been to many Hawaii beaches over the last 25 years and always keep it clean; but have seen some really messy ones-mostly on the weekends after some huge group has spent all day partying. Most likely not tourists. And many overflowing refuse bins–perhaps you should provide more and better options for disposal to keep the areas cleaner.
We live in California, maybe we’ll take a page from your book and start charging our own ‘green’ fees for non residents……
Thanks.
Anyway to screw the people that the locals rely on for their livelihood
Aloha,
I started visiting the aloha islands in the 1990s.
Every year sometimes 4 times a year. COVID ruined everything. I haven’t been there in 2 years. I even lived on Oahu for couple of years. My Hawaiian friends and family miss me as much as I miss them. I am like my Hawaiian Annie would say “I got aloha in my heart. Are you sure you’re not Hawaiian?” lol I have been in love with the islands since I set foot.
But even prior to COVID I commented to my friends as to why visitors don’t respect the islands and ruin everything when they’re here!
It’s been difficult to be away but circumstances dictate. But I plan to be there again before end of this year but not looking forward to mainland environment on my islands. Aloha Ahui Hou
I agree with Mary. We’ve been visiting Maui since the early 90’s, and I was looking at some earlier pictures of some snorkeling places we used to go to compared to now, and yes, they are terribly overrun now by tourists. There are snorkeling boats everywhere, and many more people. It could be the Baby Boomers retiring, but unfortunately the population stays at the same level after the big rise in Baby Boomers, i.e. Millenials, Gen X, etc.
How very thankful am I that my years of traveling to HI (particularly Kauai) are over. So love the Islands that to see them overrun with tourists is heartbreaking. Aloha to all. p.s. to you BOH guys thanks for the N/L to keep me in touch.
Hi Mary.
We’re sorry you won’t be returning. Our best to you!
Aloha.
It isn’t “overrun with tourists” – that perception is overblown. It’s still beautiful and peaceful in many places.
Where do we apply for resident parking fee waivers?
If all users are charged the same fee regardless of residency it is a feasible plan since parking management reduces congestion and demand. Island residents shouldn’t be entitled to special treatment as they are able to visit an attraction anytime, for many visitors it is a once in a lifetime experience.
Completely agree, Mike! I happen to be a homeowner who spends half of the year in Hawaii, pay property taxes and still have to pay parking fees as I am a resident of another state. It’s ridiculous. Local residents should not have parking privileges. That is discrimination in my opinion. A better system would be to charge a more reasonable fee to everyone.
They just seem to want tourists to pay everything for them now
It sounds like locals disliking of tourists has hit the boiling point. As a visitor from Lake Tahoe for over 6 dozen visits, our next week flight to Kauai will be the our last.We can relate by the 10’s of thousands of cars and people causing havoc in Lake Tahoe basin.There’s a true mess here too with mostly Californian’s from the Bay area.