Maui Visitors and Residents Square Off Starting Here

Maui Visitors and Residents Square Off Starting Here

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”

  1. Is there no convenient public transportation? I haven’t been to Maui since the 90’s but I’ve been thinking about going to visit my brother and SIL.

  2. I am a resident of Maui, and avoid Paia Town all together these days, due to not being able to park easily. I avoid a large amount of beaches as well, due to the same reason. I am a big fan of charging for visitor parking, and believe this is one solution to the impact visitors have to our island.

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  3. So if they had a fee for say one beach and pay $30.00 for the day and get up and move in say 2 hours is this fee move with you. Seems a very unfair way to collect some need cash to help look after the place Greed is getting in the way here I think. Metered time if anything would be fair Not a day rate as people move around!!

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  4. Just went to Maui this summer. My prior trips were 20yrs ago. It was tough to find free parking but we managed to by getting up early. One of the lovely things about Mauiis the number of lovely beaches to explore. However a$30/day parking fee ( on top of all the other costs to travel there) makes me sad. It is so lovely that the state makes all beaches accessible to all (unlike private and restricted beaches in other states). But adding $30/day makes me think twice about another Maui trip. Glad I got to show my kids the island at least the one time.
    I do sympathize with residents who can’t access the beauty in their backyard. I suspect if I lived there I would absolutely avoid tourist filled beaches where I had to battle for parking

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  5. I live on the big island and continuously see locals trash the beaches and parking lots. I’ve never seen a tourist throw garbage out of their car like a local. Aloha ʻĀina is dead.

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    1. Hawaii is the first island I went to that I didn’t feel the Aloha. People were speeding and acting like people on the mainland. Sad to see things change.

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    2. I have lived on the Big Island for several years now and have experienced the same thing. So sad to see many locals trashing their beautiful island home. On the other hand, the local friends we have made live quiet, simple lives, keep their yards and homes up and have been so welcoming to us haoles.

  6. Sad days in Maui.. why not put in a parking lot and bus that takes people to the beaches? Gouging the tourists is not the answer.. I’m sure the vacationers bru and city could come up with a better plan since hotel rates and car rental rates are at an all time high..

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  7. i agree that the beaches are busy during tourist seasons…i have lived here 20 years and have been coming since 1969..be careful you are not pandering to the locals that abuse the beaches and parks.the pot smoking families that occupy the parks on weekends, the fishermen that park all over the beaches with large vehicles…most locals do not spend that much time on the beaches..locals live here and have other things such as jobs and families and school functions and life in general to fight over parking spaces…just cut down on flights..

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  8. This planet is several million years old. Maui does Not belong to one people more than others! Tourism is the Only industry this isolated state has. If you can’t afford to live here you need to migrate to a location you can afford a quality life. Happens all over the world. Kill tourism and you starve, support tourism and the prices escalate! Either way the toothpaste is out of the tube. It will Never be affordable again. That canoe has sailed!!

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    1. Hawai’i is trying to change their reliance on tourism due to its detrimental effect on the lives of people who live here. If visitors cannot afford to contribute to maintaining and sustaining the resources that they utilize here, they are welcome to visit other beautiful places in this world.

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      1. As a tourist I’m OK with paying tourist fees that help support the island. What I’m not crazy about i sparking fees that are just outrageous. These seem to be vindictive. You want to reduce tourism. Buy out the hotels, and time share owners, tear them down, open up natural areas, and reduce tourism and oh yeah tax revenue too! The tourists didn’t create these issues teh local politicians who made plenty of $$$ letting the reports build. Hawaii. Residents speak of Aloha spirit, well this ain’t that. I understand there are tourists that don’t respect the land, that is everywhere. We always try to respect the land and cultural, We try to learn more and see more of the island and its beauty. The parking fees are punitive.

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  9. Hello,
    Hourly paid parking does encourage more of a turnover allowing for more open spots. I would not be opposed to locals having free parking for their own beaches. $30? Nah. Wouldn’t come.
    Thank you for your insightful information.

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  10. The towns with retail shops and restaurants are there because of the employees, many of whom work for a minimum wage. Their free access to parking must be protected to ensure the survival, vitality, and continuation of those iconic Maui destinations.

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  11. We should not be catering to a bunch of entitled mainlanders. They have no problem spending thousands of dollars on flights and hotels and other things. $30 is pocket change for them. The overcrowding is out of control. Residents first. Thanks

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    1. OK I am one of those tourist that came to Hawaii, saved for 3 years so I could bring my daughter and a friend that had breast cancer at the time, The friend is no longer with us. But to be able to take them to a place they wanted so much to see and feel the aloha spirit was incredible. We treated the people and the land with respect. To lump all tourist in the same pot is not fair, it would be the same if we lumped all Islander in the same pot. This is not a problem that can be fixed overnight. but there needs to be community, discussion and where there is give and take from both sides. I am not a wealthy person, parking for your rental car at the hotel plus beach parking would cost more than the car rental itself. Just take time to think t

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  12. Here’s a novel idea. Use the parking funds Solely to pay to expand the parking in these congested areas so more parking is eventually available to all

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  13. Start a lottery for all non residents that want to come to the islands.
    Establish a quota per day that allows for an enjoyable experience for all!
    Walt Disney implemented this idea at Disneyland and would only allow a certain number of people in the park at one time
    I have lived in Hawaii for 45 years and it’s time we recognize the need for a new approach that addresses the root of the problem
    Parking meters mainland style in the islands meh !

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  14. Although I understand beach parking (I live in a beach area in Calif), I do not think it’s fair to charge only visitors and not residents. Like Disneyland, maybe give residents a discount but to not charge them at all isn’t right. I am an huge traveler and love coming to Maui, but there’s plenty of places in the world to visit and this could turn off travelers that come to Maui and spend a lot of money. To say If someone can afford to come to Maui they should be able to pay for parking is ridiculous. If people go to the beach more than one day it can become quite an extra expense and a lot of people can barely afford to take their family on a vacation to Hawaii as it is. For me it’s the principle and not just the money. Not cool with this.

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  15. I think this is wonderful. Saturday mornings. Trying to go to the beach is ridiculous.. we have had days where we try two to threw beaches before we can find one with parking. 90% of the vehicles are tourists. Living here on island we should have access and without paying..

  16. The plan to charge one group of people, but not others is not well thought out. This is a version of protective a tariff, which has been proven to be bad for everyone.

    Let’s charge Maui residence an extra $200 to fly to Las Vegas. If they can afford to vacation in Las Vegas, they can afford the extra fee.

    See where this can lead?

    Further, if Maui’s economy has become reliant on tourism, that is the fault of Maui’s business leaders, not the tourists.

    Did anyone ever consider diversifying the economy? Oh, I’m sorry. That might require some intelligent thinking. Thank you

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  17. This long overdue, paid parking for a maximum of 2 hours is the way to go. Do not do 30 days all day parking as that will resolve nothing.

  18. “make everyone happy” LOL. Just trying to enforce the parking rules will be a difficult affair. Looks to me, that the overall cost of coming to Hawaii is going to control the total number of visitors to the islands.
    Aloha

  19. The official Maui Island Plan of 2010 said that tourism should not exceed 30% of the resident population. Currently it is at 45%. Reduce it back to the agreed upon limit and they can have free parking again. If the industry does not regulate itself, we will charge for parking and other things to limit the impact of tourism on us residents. If you don’t like it, then don’t come here.

  20. Please note that as a California surfer that loves all of Hawaii and especially Maui, I don’t love paid parking anywhere.
    However, it makes greater sense to help serve Maui County residents at the expense of visitors. Hopefully the funds acquired will actually be spent on Maui County projects that residents find appropriate.

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  21. $30. Parking fee is extremely excessive, the mention that if u can afford to travel to Hawaii you can afford $30. is a bad statement.
    Everything in Hawaii is expensive, adding more costs to tourists is nit encouraging them to return.
    $10. is a more reasonable amount

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  22. 47 years on Maui. I left 18 months ago. I was blessed to
    Live Maui when it was truly an amazing place to live. Not so
    Much now. It’s just to crowded and these types of solutions may kill the goose that laid the golden egg.

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  23. This is certainly an issue that needs to be addressed. As a visitor, I would be willing to pay for parking, but not sure a $30 for full day is the best way. Are there some places where an off-site lot/shuttle could be used? An app that showed availability would be great. Thanks for the info in this article, and good lu k to the planners.

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  24. Limit the number of visitors/tourist so it’s like it was 20 years ago!! That would be a better quality of life for everyone. But that won’t happen because of the way people think today. Disney used to limit the number of people at there parks so it wasn’t to crowded.

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  25. Have been coming to Maui for the last 45 years and yes it gets more and more crowded. What’s another $30 in the big skeam of things. If I live there on a permanent basis that’s what I would want.

  26. Why not just charge an entry fee to the island at the airport for everyone. That way people that use the beach without card are not getting it subsidized by those with cars. Tourist feed the island with income why charge only those with cars. Not a fair solution. I can see added income but get it from everyone using the beach areas not just some. Typically you can think damage is caused by most that do not drive. Maybe so maybe not.

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  27. Not everyone who travels to Maui is rich. This added to the cost of the rental car and gas makes a beach day unaffordable for us. Is there good bus service to these beaches?

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  28. So I’ve paid 3000.00 dollars for our plane tickets. 4000.00 dollars on our hotel. 800.00 dollars on our car. Over 2000.00 dollars on tours. So now we were going to drive to see the Beautiful beaches that every one of your ads brags about and it will cost me 30.00 at each one! You want to charge me to walk hand in hand with my wife on the beach. To go into your town to eat or go shopping and spend money I will now have to pay to do that. What happens when visitors stop coming? Why should I leave my hotel area and come into town to eat at one of your shops and now I can stay right at my hotel and eat. The only people that suffer are the tourist in the small business owners. Do you know the old saying be careful what you wish for.

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  29. My husband and I visited Maui in 2017. I chose it actually because it was over $2⁰0 less to fly to that island. I’m not sure why or if that is still the case. Anyway. It was hard to find parking anywhere we went at that time. I would love to come back and visit again as it was too short of a trip by a few days but yes all these visitors fees do make me question it. I had never heard of resort fees before i visited Hawaii as well. It does feel like they are turning away visitors. I’m not sure the right answer here but I do appreciate all your reports so I can keep on top of things and return some day.

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  30. Well I guess we should have seen this coming. The condos and hotels and rental cars are already morbidly overpriced and now $30 for going to the beach. Hawaii will soon be another playground for the super rich. Instead of that, can’t Hawaii just limit numbers of arriving guests? Stop building new resorts and this way limit the human biomass? A lot of local residents’ wages are paid by tourists and then these visitors are being punished? It seems to me that this will just insite fights and resentment at these beaches which will carry into the rest of the environment. Do you really think “us” vs. “them” rules will work out happily?

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  31. Adds a substantial cost to a visit to Maui. Discriminatory tourist trap rip off. Maui is too expensive now. Regrettable, because I love to visit; but as a pensioner on a fixed income I may never see the island again.

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  32. The unintended consequences will infuriate locals.

    However I expect Uber-like businesses and expanded free resort shuttles will thrive.

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  33. It is true that parking fees will be absorbed by visitors whom bring lots of money to the state. However, it also adds one more unpleasant experience and will turn away some to find other vacation options. Which is part of the goal. To me Maui has become over visited with crowded restaurants and pricey entrees. I say put the brakes on tourism make it Maui again.

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    1. To say $30.00 parking is nothing to people who are visiting is not fair
      I would never ask anyone to come and visit our beautiful state and pay an outrageous parking fee to see our Mountains, Waterfalls, Evergreens, and Beautiful Pacific Coastline ❤️
      It sounds like you only want rich people who would never go to any of the Kamoale beaches to stay where they belong and the rest of the world can never visit because they will never be able to afford to go.
      I understand fully on the parking situation but is not fair to pick and choose who can and who can’t afford to go the beaches.
      Thanks for kicking the little guys out. Good luck with the rich guys who are actually taking your land without a care.

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    2. Couldn’t agree more. Time to thin the herd a little on our island. Truthfully I just laugh though. For 2 years people have been threatening to never come back. They still do. And even the handful that may actually go elsewhere there are sadly many more lined up to take their place.

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      1. That thumbs up was a mistake. Totally get that issues need to be addressed re:parking. I spent what is a huge chunk of money for me, in 2009 to purchase timeshare weeks at a lovely Kaanapali resort, & have paid huge taxes/fees each year as well. I adore Maui & wanted to be able to visit each year. Sadly, I have not been back since 2019 due to the incredible increase of prices on everything. What about those of us that have invested to be able to own a tiny slice our beloved Maui? I can no longer afford to come and stay 3-4 weeks each year. In fact, I can no longer afford even a short trip. Makes me very sad to see the super rich buying up huge portion of Hawaii, & making it entirely unreachable for middle class.

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  34. Why not provide an allotment of designated spaces for residents and issue residents a “resident beach parking pass.” Then make the others paces in the lot for visitors who can purchAse an hourly or weekly passes? Seems to provide spaces for the visitors while not pushing out the residents!

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