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”
Living in Hāna, the huge influx of tourists has become a problem for locals wanting to park at the post office, bank or store. Many of the visitors seem to think they can park anywhere and just wander around. We live in a small close knit community and this is causing problems. I hope this plan will help us cope.
I live in Southern California at the beach and it is sometimes difficult to find parking in front of my house! if I can’t find parking on the street I half to go park in the beach parking lot and pay. But guess what? I chose to live there and it is what it is. We don’t charge only those visiting for parking. Everyone pays for parking at the beach. Me included.
More out of control city government
I suggest that if Maui implements parking fees on other county residents of Hawaii, the other counties implement fees to Maui residents.
The public, tourist focused infrastructure is so meager in Hawaii. For the most part beach infrastructure is meh, public transit is meh, trail construction and maintenance is meh, airports are meh, and post-pandemic it’s all really expensive. The Maui bus system is designed to be locals-only-it prohibits luggage!
As a visitor I have no problem with the parking fees. I live in California and parking fees are everywhere, especially out beaches. I don’t like that Hawaiian visitors from another island would have to pay for parking – what’s good on one island should be good on another island – and Hawaii is only one state. But, I thing the parking fees should be reasonable, not a gouge.
My husband and I have visited Maui 8 times. We stay in a VRBO at Kamaoli Sands. Because of walking limitations, we are not able to walk to the beach, but love the sunsets. This would cost us an additional $400 for parking. That is less $ we would have to spend on food and shopping. This new fee will hurt every business on Maui. Maui is quickly sending the people who love it most to other destinations.
Isnt that how the state of Hawaii works? Anything to make visitors and tax payers pay more money to fill the states bloated coffers. Never to help the business owners and the working guy out. They are still playing games with covid when most states are way past all that stuff.
VRBOs suck, stay at hotel and you get a beach
I visit Maui every year and I understand the need for restricting beach parking for locals. I live in a coastal community in CA and I’d love it if we did the same thing here. So many visitors come here and trash our beaches and inundate us. People need to learn to leave a very small footprint when visiting beautiful areas.
Interesting I own timeshare units on Maui, I pay taxes does that make me a tourist or resident?
I also have a small timeshare on Maui, have had it for over 20 years, pay property taxes, etc.. but still get treated as a ‘tourist’ because I can’t afford the high cost of HI real estate. Hopefully, when Europe again opens more fully, that will take some of the tourist ‘pressure’ off HI and things will settle down.
Just something for the ‘lords of HI’ to consider: If they had not issued building permits, and Continue to issue them to big corporations like Westin, to build ever larger hotels/timeshares on the islands like Maui, there would be fewer places to stay on the islands, and fewer tourists. The demands for tax dollars apparently overrode their concern for the quality of life of the residents.
This! You get it… The money was too good to say no to. Sounds like someone needs to audit where fees, etc., actually go to, because it isn’t amenities or parking infrastructure.
I do visit Maui as a tourist.
24 hrs a day I spend money.
Their are massive amounts of fees and taxes built into a tourist’s every purchase.
If you expand your public parking to fit the tourist load it’s a win/win.
Having to many visitors is a luxury.
Steve M.
I don’t mind paying for parking IF Hawaii starts taking care of their homeless. These poor souls have to beg for food, and if they are injured, walk around bleeding through their clothes. Use this money to help your own!
BOH…. You forgot to mention Locals Only parking from 7:00am to 10:00am. Tourists will have to wait to Go to the beach.
The homeless are not allowed to beg
They’d get thrown in jail
Even if they’re starving.
Their Moto is..Don’t feed the homeless just like the signs that read… don’t feed the chickens.