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.
This has been brewing for years. County continues to promise locals they will improve infrastructure but don’t. Now it’s bubbled over. We thought it’d be better to lockdown here rather than anchorage. What a mistake that was. We were mistreated, you know the word I want to use. The locals had their cake and ate it too. Tourists gone and paid to sit at home or on the beach. Now tourists are back give aways are disappearing and they’re just plain mad and it shows everywhere
There’s lots of beach parking misuse by locals who park there while working. We’ve see it all the time. We pay taxes condo fees drinks and eating out we support the economy but are tired of dealing with being mistreated.
Why not provide public transportation in the form of electric buses to relieve congestion and charge a daily fee?
Mo’ better, yah?
We visit Maui every year for 3 weeks. I have no problem paying an hourly rate for parking. In every major city on the mainland we pay for parking, why should it be any different for Maui? An even better answer is a better more reliable transit system. I would love not to have to rent a car to get around, but buses are unreliable and filthy. The residents if Maui deserve to enjoy their parks. Weekends and hana are very important to their culture. They have to put up with tourists all day, they should have to give up their free time too!! If you stop coming to Maui because of a parking fee, so be it, your loss.
Fee for this fee for that. Funny but maybe las vegas should charge special fees for all Hawaiians who visit. You know, make the tourists pay for everything
Don has a good point. Most people don’t know that Vegas is the vacation capital for many Hawaiians. If Nevada starts a retaliatory tax/fee based on what state you are from (basically what Hawaii is doing here), then the price to Hawaiian tourists in Vegas would go up astronomically!
Las Vegas is called the 9 th Hawaiian island for many years. They hang out mostly in the downtown areas where you can find local foods, etc. when I lived in the California desert, I would drive to Vegas whenever I missed my home in Hawaii.
$30/day feels outrageous, expecially if you go to more than one beach in a day and have to pay the $30 again. That is the same rate we will pay at our Kaanapli resort, and then I pay again to leave the resort? It adds up quickly and starts making other vacation destinations look more desireable. Since many people are on the island for 1-2 weeks why are they not discussing some sort of tourist weekly parking pass for both state and county beaches? They can even be separate fees. The last time we drove up Waimea Canyon I was blindsided by the over $30 it cost to park at the main overlook for a car with 4 people.
Don’t you understand? They are trying to reduce tourism.
We understand but dont care.
Pretty evident here by all the comments that Maui has been pulverized by the “SWA effect”…. it’s not the Maui of old, it got swamped by tourists and all the fees and changes are a result….
How long has SWA been flying to Maui? Since 2019 (and the other Islands for that matter)
And before that it was all paradise and roses with nary a problem? The Maui of old? 2018? I think not…
Patrick, I guess you didn’t see the other BOH article about how some tourists are bringing a dramatic change in attitudes of late with some really rude and entitled behavior that has been cropping up in the post Covid travel era….same time as SWA blessed us with their “SWA effect”
JohnW – I’ve seen the article and for the most part I agree with it but the “attitude people” didn’t just all of a sudden start showing up when SWA started flying to HI. “Those people” were around way before SWA came into the picture.
And it goes without saying that SWA is just one of several carries bring people to the Islands. Is it just SWA bringing those people in or is it all of the airlines?
Good point Patrick. Of course some of those flew on all the airlines that fly here. It’s not just SWA pax’s as could be inferred from my post. It’s their business model, flood a market with cheap fares, everybody matches and SWA tries to last longer than others and then raises fares as others cut back. SWA treated Hawaii like they did LAS or MCO. It has hurt Hawaii.
…but it was the new Covid revenge traveller that SWA capitalized on that really accelerated the change here. When they enter a market at money losing fares they create many false expectations for the Hawaii traveller and yes a sense of entitlement about Hawaii.
I want to know what those flase expectations are thst you keep mentioning
So do many of the outspoken residents and their attitude
Aloha spirit is effectively dead
There could be another issue with the SWA effect. They flooded the market while foreign tourism was shut down (they brag about being opportunistic and predatory). As Japan tourism starts up in the spring, where will they go? You think Maui is crowded now? The beauty of the Hawaii tourism industry has always been about about the diversity it brought and is core to Aloha. SWA cares about SWA, not Hawaii. Too bad the State can’t limited their greed.
We have spent about 4 weeks/year in Maui in 1-2 trips yearly, spending easily $15-20K/visit including air, accommodations, restaurants/food, car rental and art purchases. Sometimes bring friends with similar tabs. We like snorkeling in the early AM before doing other stuff over the day. Adding 28 days of $30 parking is $840-nowhere else we have ever vacationed has charged anything like that for beach access. Additionally, the whole tone of this stream is a lot of “us vs them” in a way beyond what we have heard in Maui previously. We are skipping HI and booked a much less expensive but high end Mexico vacation this fall and will next consider going back to the Carribean. We will miss Hawaii a lot but its likely time to look elsewhere.
We just returned from Maui —-first trip back in 3 years and have already booked elsewhere for next years “sun vacation”. The prospect of paying high beach parking fees was the last straw. The bumper sticker we saw said it all—“Welcome to Hawaii, now go home.” You got your wish—we’ll spend our money elsewhere.
I used to see that same bumper sticker in CA MANY years ago. Pretty popular at a lot of tourist destinations.
Nowadays that same bumper sticker should read “Welcome To California- Now Go Homeless!”
The bumper sticker was pretty telling of that persons thoughts . I love Hawaii and have visited more times than I can count. In my opinion Maui is totally overrated and my least favorite island. I haven’t been back to that island in over two decades and have no desire to ever go back. It was overcrowded even back then. I can only imagine the crowds and traffic and trying to find a parking place. I ‘m sure you can find a much nicer destination for your vaca. that does not include “Go Home” signs and$30 parking fees.
I think the $30.00 price tag is a bit much. I agree that residents of Maui should not be burden with any beach parking fees. But as a frequent visitor to Maui I would not want to spend $30.00 a day for beach parking, it is a little too much, almost like punishing the tourists.
Hit the mail on the head. Make tourists go somewhere else. Short-sighted, unimaginative plan.
At a minimum, it will just force visitors to flock to any beach that charges less than $30 and businesses that make money near those beaches will see a reduction in their traffic and inflow of tourist dollars.
If there is no space to expand parking, make it fair to everyone and just implement hourly parking for everyone at a reasonable rate. Two tiers (free and paid) for the same “service” seems like it would invite the courts to intervene.
When all these parking fees for towns and beaches come in to effect we will in the future be looking elsewhere for our holiday destinations.So far we have flown to Hawaii 25 times Garfield R.
So Maui doesn’t want visitors by implementing an unrealistic parking rate. Hourly provides turnover. What do businesses in Lahaina that depend on tourists, i.e. whale watches, restaurants do? Who wants to add $30 to a restaurant tab or a walk around the town shops finding that great souveneir? Not I, nor my party. This week will be our last visit to Maui. I would assume small shop owners are besides themselves.
Many of us island hop having business or family on neighbor islands so it would be nice if parking fees were waived for residents of the State regardless of the county one lives in.
The UK is an island with many more visitors than Maui. Popular tourist spots have a Park and Ride system.
Why not do improve your transit system with the money raised from parking? It’s great that Maui has coastal boardwalks in some areas so we can walk to places instead of driving.
I live in Washington, about a twenty minute drive from downtown Seattle and their famous Pike’s Place Market but I haven’t been there in well over five years because the last time I went, the parking was way too expensive. Additionally, I pay the same price to park at popular trailheads in our area that our out of state visitors do and I’m okay with that, even though it means that in summer months I have to arrive at the trailhead at 6:00 a.m. or earlier in order to snag a parking spot. I’m okay with all of that because the population of the Earth is going to continue to grow and add pressures to people who live in popular destinations, but I disagree with pricing anybody out of visiting my area or anywhere else they’d like to visit.
Maui seems like a tacky generic west coast suburb these days. Charge what you want, but I don’t think it’s fair in the US to discriminate the fare based on state of residence.
And a real holistic system would charge all and use the revenue to support shuttles and alternatives to the paid parking. Not make this another mystery tax.
$30 a day is ridiculous, during the pandemic Maui was talking about how to manage future tourism. Obviously, as usual Greed wins. We love Maui and have been coming here for more than 30 years, we are not rich by any means.
Another example of the loss of the Aloha spirit over money. So, so sad
To the dying Aloha spirit
Tom & Beth K
I own property and a car on Maui. However, being a Canadian citizen, I am only allowed to spend up to 6 months per year on island. As a part time resident my property taxes are roughly 3x higher than a full time resident, and I pay the same yearly fee for my vehicle license. Yet I do not qualify for free parking, this does not make sense to me. It is one thing to change $30 a day to someone on island for 1-2 weeks, and other for someone who is on island for 5-6 months a year. There should at least be a deeply discounted month/annual parking pass option for property owners.
All about me me me
I don’t have a problem with residents getting preference. For so many friends from here in the Northwest, when I mention Hawaii, they only think of Maui. As the Big Island is my favorite I’m ok with that. The Big Island does charge for parking at the favorite beaches, but not $30.
Obviously in violation of the Privileges and Immunities clause of the US Constitution
Not at all. Residents in most every state have such rules
Please say more about that.
Mahalo.
On our last trip ( aug-sept 2022 ) , parking was typical for all the hotspots , we don’t have a problem with paid parking like in Lahaina The problem we had was with all the ” closed ” signs & boarded up windows / doors of shops , staffing of eateries , poor food , the bums on every corner and just the overall run down feel / vibe of Lahaina and Paia.
For those of us who spend months on Maui,I recommend a monthly pass option. We have been spending a lot of time yearly for 20 years. $30 per day is ridiculous for timeshare owners who spend a lot while on the island already, including on real estate taxes. We are not casual tourists!
No tourists during the pandemic. Huge loss of money but locals were able to enjoy the islands the way they would like them to be. We get it.How about no more tourists allowed,then when the locals no longer have jobs and can’t pay for housing,they can move to all those free parking spots.
You were able to enjoy them during the pandemic because, and solely because of all the free money given out. If you didn’t get thst you wouldn’t have enjoyed it. At least admit that.
California has parking meters directly in front of our larger beautiful beaches that don’t discriminate between tourists and locals . Locals have to pay too! If you choose not to park here, there is plenty of free(on the street parking) for you.
After having recently spent 10 days with a rental car in Maui, I came to see how expensive it is to live there. The service industry people that support tourism drive a long way to get to their jobs, especially in luxury resorts such as those found in South Maui. Because beach conditions change over the course of the day, I would urge an hourly rate such as already in place at one of the marinas there. The residents deserve a perk like this.
Obviously you are a resident
the comment “what is another $30 to park”, we were in Maui last year and of the 14 days we went to the beach 10 times. That’s and extra $300. Plus the parking to visit Lahaina and other times we took boat excursions. That adds up to $400 or more per visit.
There has to be a better long term solution.
One thing I have not seen here is the ‘in and out privilege’ aspect of the $30/day beach parking. I go to the beach in the morning, leave around 1130, come back around 3:00 to 5:00 in the afternoon. Try to stay out of the mid-day sun. So, by doing this, do I get stuck with Two $30 charges? This could be a real bite for someone staying two weeks every year. Would cost more to park than it would to fly there! And, as many have noted, with the cost of food, a car and dining out, etc., the lure of the Islands begins to fade. But, have no fear local people; you will have the idyllic island lifestyle world (that most of you have never actually experienced) back again, just fewer jobs, less income, and wondering how to pay the rent/mortgag
That’s extrmely high cost for parking flat fee. Why not limit numbers of visitors on Maui if there’s not inrastructue, or would that be a source of income loss and concern for the greedy who want more and more money from visitors?
Limit the number of visitors? And how would you propose to do that? I would think, at a minimum, Hawaiian Airlines would have something to say about that.
Quit allowing more vacation rentals. If you build it they will come!
On Maui, vacation rentals can no longer be built, and the number of vacation rentals have been capped, so at least in Maui you don’t have to worry about “allowing more vacation rentals”. Doesn’t apply to hotels, though, they are exempt. They can build with abandon, as per latest legislation.
So maybe you can substitute “hotels” for “vacation rentals” in your protests.
😂🤣🌴
When we first purchased our timeshare in Maui (33 years ago) we were told there would be no more beachfront building 😅 and no building would be taller than a palm tree.
Obviously, that was not true. Money is the only driver and aloha is dying a slow death on Maui😢.
Have you seen the new Hilton timeshare on Kihei road, it’s huge and on a wonderful piece of property. Poorly planned (all they want is money). Note the excessive flooding on S. Kihei rd.
So, moral of the story, do not believe there will be no more building. The rich and greedy will build until there is nothing left of or aloha😥 we are so sad.
Tom and Beth
Don’t take us wrong, we love Maui and the people, but money rules everything
I’ve been going to a time share north of Kaanapali Beach resorts for over 25 years myself. It has few amenities, no beach, and it’s (mostly) quiet. I’ve watched the buildup on the open space in the area, like the massive Westin project next to one of my (used to be ) favorite beaches. Now you can’t find a spot on the sand. The $30 beach fee will cause those free beach access parking spots to disappear, and the hotels will just keep raking in those fat tourist dollars. One thing that really frosts me is, the hotels have a lower property tax rate than we timeshare holders! What’s wrong with this picture? Guess who has the political sway??? I don’t wonder.
Encourage All visitors to use resort sponsored buses/shuttles for their day at the beach. Encourage all visitors to utilize resort beaches.
Regarding the statement that “If one can afford to go to Hawaii,they can afford $30 a day to park.” This is not factual. The truth is, many people save for years to be able to go to Hawaii. Some push back needed home improvements, updating cars, doing without other things, just to get to Hawaii for a week or two. Not every visitor is wealthy. They may be putting their favorite guilty pleasure first, a Hawaiian vacation being that pleasure. I am one of those people. I speak of experience,that Hawaii has taken residence in my soul as it has for many Islanders and mainlanders. To read articles that do not portray the actual facts of most of your visitors, makes me sad. Please try to see both sides of this story.Thank you. We are not all rich.
Hi Ellen.
Thanks for your first comment. We did not say that; it was not an article. It was a comment from someone else.
Aloha.
Exactly where my wife and I are at. We give up a lot to be able to go to Hawaii. I think we have been priced out of the market. It’s too bad we love the place we’ve met lots of really nice people but will have to look elsewhere to get away from Canadian winter.
Try Bucerias Mexico–it’s a lot less expensive and the food is fantastic. A lot of Canadians spend the winter here.
Think about those of us who live here and have had our quality of life greatly impacted by tourism. Parking is the not the real issue here, it is the impact of tourism. If tourism levels were reduced by 50%, which is back to what it was 15 years ago, locals would not be complaining to the county council and parking would be free. They won’t do that because the hotels and restaurants would then complain, so they try bandaids like parking fees.
The Maui aloha is gone . Many years feeling aloha , it is now leave your money but not your foot print . Discrimination really is not ok . We spend 20-30k every time we go to Maui . No more . Please do without tourist money and find gainful employment in another way . This is our last trip , enjoy the space .
Government is the problem. How about a moratorium on construction in vacation rental zones. Fees, taxes, delays in airport improvements, etc. are attacking the problem from the wrong end. If you build it they will come!
Maui recently had a moratorium on short-term unit development, exactly as you suggest. The moratorium was passed, but could be lifted if a solution was agreed upon to help reduce overtourism. The county council’s solution was to cap short-term rentals at their current number, but make an exception for hotels. The net is that hotels are exempt from the caps, and they are free to obtain permits and build as needed.
Money talks, and the low-hanging fruit with no power and/or large lobby representation (I.e. the short-term rentals) are the losers.
Currently, the State of Hawaii has introduced bills to allow for the phasing out of short-term rentals (SB219 and HB84). If passed, short-term rentals throughout the state will be affected.
Many non-ultra-rich people who have been able to enjoy Maui by taking advantage of more reasonable short-term rental costs will no longer be able to visit Hawaii if the bills I described pass. I don’t know if you’ve checked lately, but hotel rates per night are upwards of $700-1000 a night.
If you care about this, there are council meetings on Monday, Feb. 13 and Tuesday, Feb 14 where you can testify. Here are the links:
HB-84: capitol.hawaii.gov/session/measure_indiv.aspx?billnumber=84&billtype=HB&year=2023
SB-219: capitol.hawaii.gov/session/measure_indiv.aspx?billtype=SB&billnumber=219&year=2023
If tourist numbers dropped 50%, how many hotels, restaurants and shops would close and how many Maui residents would either be unemployed or have drastically lower income? Would the farms and ranches survive the loss of restaurant and grocery store income? What about the income of fisherman supplying those restaurants? How many civic employees like cops and garbagemen would you need with less visitors? I don’t think many Maui families would not lose substantial income. The largest part of the economy appears based on tourism. Less tourists,less work and money. More beach time if you have no money but is that really the desired trade?
Yes, that is the desired trade, and many in Hawaii are very clear about that.
Fortunately we can visit when qe want and you cant keep us out.
What Scott says is true to a point. It’s a ‘love-hate relationship’ the tourists and the locals have had for some time. Getting genie back in the bottle (the tourists) has its consequences. I you get rid of the tourists, you foster unemployment, but improve lifestyle. Populations are growing, both amongst the island residents (native and haole) and the rest of the world. You can’t change that, things are never going to be the same as they were 30-40 years ago. I know that as a visitor, starting in 1975. Locals are never going to get that ‘lounging on the beach with your ukelele and your sweet wahine by your side’ postcard lifestyle back. It’s sad, but a fact of life. I’m sorry for you, and for myself I miss ‘the old days’.
you could also say, “If you can afford to live on Maui, you can afford to pay for parking”. Only an entitled local would argue with that
Yes, and since the whole point of these fees is to reduce tourism, it is an empty argument. People won’t be able to, nor will they desire, to come to Hawaii if the fees make it unreasonable to come. And this is exactly the purpose of the fees.P
Thanks for the updates! I think this is hilarious. What will happen when they are overcrowded with residents who don’t pay. Maui is off my visit plans for the foreseeable future. Love the islands… the politics, not so much. Generally they offend while smiling at everyone.
After parking for free next to the Kona Farmers market and in the lot next to Uncle Billys Kona Bay Hotel for years i find both lots have been aquired by the company “Parkinq” and require $10 an hour parking. This can only result in more conjestion in the area as locals and employees and spend more time driving around looking for a place to park. This can have a negative effect on employees who are likey only making minium wage, and the efffect of less dollars being spent at local business like the farmers markets and small shops on Alii Dr. since locals will have less to spend due to legal ramifications subjected on locals from parking violations for parking without paying, to traffic grid lock and rising tempers.
Enjoy your new parking fees brought to you by your government
I agree with hourly parking. I think people would send less time and free up parking spaces. I also think parking isn’t the problem so much as tourist only economy. The island is only so big. What’s the capacity for the infrastructure? Limit fights, limit cars etc. build bike paths? Maui is so beautiful and every person I met there are so beautiful as well.
This is short sighted plan. Tourists will not happily fork over $30 US or$41 Canadian to sit on a beach and find the wind comes up an hour later and they have to leave. It won’t take long for them to decide to drop mom and the kids off at the beach and drive into the residential areas and park on the street and walk back. And people have a short memory. When the pandemic first hit, yes the beaches were empty and the water pristine, but many locals were out of work and had to leave the island. Tourism needs to be managed in a sustainable, comprehensive manner, not by playing whack-a mole as problems arise.
I have long wondered how long it would take until parking fees were implemented and why the environmental impact from the increased traffic hasn’t been an issue up to now. I feel shuttles and excursion buses available to all- not just the high end hotels-with alternating drop off and pick up times can be a definite assistance in this matter. Suggested flat fee is too high in my opinion.
Going to Maui today for the first time! Despite everything I have read in this site, we expect to have a wonderful time!
You will! Keep in mind the angry finger pointers opinions define them and their perspective on Maui, not Maui. If you go with the attitude you have you will have a great time, if you go trying to find fault you’ll find that. The choice is yours, sounds like you’ve made the right choice. Have fun!
When my wife and I visited Maui last week for our first experience on this island (we still consider Kauai our favorite!), we stayed around our resort in Kaanapali, which allowed us to park for free, and take numerous trips into Lahaina on the resort shuttle! No problem at all!