How the latest “managed approach” to reopening in phases will impact West Maui visitors.
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67 thoughts on “Most West Maui Areas Won’t Reopen October 8”
How the latest “managed approach” to reopening in phases will impact West Maui visitors.
I saw on the news today 14,000 people signed a petition to block the opening, But seems the governor is having nothing to do with that.
Well, apparently some people are listening to the Governor and others are listening to the Mayor of Maui. We had reservations for next week. They were canceled by the owner of the condo yesterday. Other units in that complex are also canceling reservations, based on the phased approach from the Mayor. Others are still taking reservations, based on the October 8 opening date from the Governor.
It’s unfortunate because a family who was counting on the $700 from my Turo rental are no longer getting it, and the restaurants are no longer getting my money. The anti-tourist group is going to get their wish, and then have to move off-island within a year because of lack of work.
You sound like you think the governor should be listening to the 14,000.
The people who are against visitors returning right now fall into 2 camps:
1) The displaced, who are getting income from multiple sources (FEMA, Unemployment, Maui Strong, Oprah’s fund, etc.) and don’t have to work for a few months. They have no incentive to have tourists return, nor to get back to work themselves.
2) Those in sympathy with the displaced, who don’t have a stake in tourists returning.
These groups are appreciating no tourists and plenty of money coming in. The governor doesn’t need to discourage visitors, because the media is getting the word out that these 14,000 don’t want them. Visitors will stay away on their own.
Aloha Patti ! We are so happy for your great news to return to West Maui in late December.
Like you and your family, we love and adore Maui and especially West Maui. It is our happy place also.
Our Ohana on Oahu love Maui and have been able to go with us to Westin Kaanapali twice when we had enough extra options to book 2 villas. They like all of Hawaii are heartbroken.
We are so much like you, we go twice a year to see the Ohana and then twice also to Maui. If ??? our budget is ok, then 3 trips a year.
We have been visiting Maui since 1976 and never in our wildest dreams thought we could afford the Westin Kaanapali that we purchased in early 2004.
Enjoy and safe travels going home to Maui
Best wishes
This à hardship for everyone that has been without income since 8.8. Those of us that are not housed may lose are rental because we are not being housed. We need a better solution then to rmlet people go without income for 3 months.
The Maui & Hawaii government agencies have mishandled the entire fire debacle making Maui seem like a 3rd world country without any concern for the Maui residents. It has been one misdirected message after another. The lack of planning, no water in fire hydrants, police closing streets not allowing people to exit the fire, no emergency sirens and not turning off the electricity when notified of the high winds is nothing but a very sad state of affairs under poor leadership & direction. We love Maui and hate to see the people treated this way.
Whats the availability of affordable housing, free medical care, education without taxes, to the Maui residents and their veterans who are living on the street. Hawaiis Governor and his elected officials and appointees have beautiful homes, great salaries that are adjusted each year for the inflationary necessities Their children are enrolled the best schools and are guaranteed employment on graduation. Im sorry to say, Maui and its residents will not overcome this disaster for years under this leadership.
HOA fee’s in that area are thousands per month, Government offering help to owners?
I am very confused. My family and I have been visiting West Maui at least once a year for the past 25 years. It feels like our second home. We love it there. We are scheduled to visit on 12/29 and I just do not understand if we will be welcomed or shunned. I dont want to upset anyone, but we would be able to volunteer and add some dollars to the economy. What is the right thing to do?
Aloha Patti !
We totally understand.
Just returned home from Honolulu to see Ohana and canceled West Maui and kept our Kihei 5 night reservation.
The entire state is heartbroken and the people of Maui are 1000% more.
Everyone in Kihei told us how happy they were to see us and how tourism is part of the healing.
We’ve decided to visit our timeshare at Westin Kaanapali about 3 weeks before you go in December.
We really thought about and asked the Oahu Ohana for their opinions.
We are going to give people of West Maui our Love and Sympathy and let them know how much they are loved.
Please go, The people of Maui, especially West Maui need you.
Best wishes,safe travels
Bill and Karen
Thank you so much for the encouragement and sense of approval, we will return to this land we love so much and do our best to be helpful and respectful.
I’ll add this nugget, and, Jeff and Rob, you can weigh in — Maui Hotel and Lodging Survey put West Maui occupancy for next week at 3% to 4%. Thanksgiving numbers, if I read them correctly, are around 35%. The “Tourists Keep Out” message was heard loud and clear.
Did the plan include designated sights for construction new housing?
I guess what bothers me the most is these questions about whether West Maui open? Yes, it’s open. It was never really closed. Traveling through West Maui from Lahaina to Kapalua (via Kaanapali) has open since about a week after the tragic fire. If you’re going to West Maui and the resort confirms they are open, there’s nothing the govt is doing to stop you from visiting West Maui except in the fire neighborhoods of Lahaina. In fact, the governor wants you to come.
Seems to be a whole lot of wishful thinking with blinders on going on here by all parties concerned. Where in the world will the state find 8000 units of long term housing on Maui??? You can barely find 10 or 15 rentals at a time on the whole island and most of those come with a nose bleed level of pricing.
This Gordian Knot doesn’t have any short or medium term answers ( and no – the way Alexander dealt with it isn’t an option). In fact I’d be willing to bet a case of good Pali Road Whiskey that 10 years from now this will still be a current and ongoing issue. Stay tuned.
JMHO
Best Regards
I don’t think its 8000 units. 8000 people. It includes families. The units are in the range of 1800 to 1900 based on the math from early reports.
I was referring to 1 unit being the equivalent of adequate living space for one individual (~8000 being broken down into discrete household units). If the state / county government is providing/contracting for the housing, I’m sure they have to follow Federal HUD square foot per person requirements for such.
Sorry I didn’t make that distinction in the OP!
Best Regards
How many times do you think the airlines will change tickets. I have had tickets to Maui for 10 months. I’m going to Maui come hell or high water, so I’m not thinking about trying to exchange tickets – again, which I’m sure other people are experiencing. How generous are the airlines going to me? What happens to the people who got their tickets for October 8 and now are told that Maui isn’t opening yet by then.
Make up your mind and stick to it!!! Get your island open before you have no people that want to play your games anymore and have moved on to vacation in a reliable spot!
We just visited Maui. It is heartbreaking. Although we were scheduled to stay in Kaanapali, we were moved to a different resort in Kihei. We drove to kaanapali for lunch one day and chatting with the staff. These folks are hurting and are desperate for visitors to return and for their lives to get back to the new normal. We pray that the powers responsible for reopening are listening to the Majority of Maui residents and Not the loudly vocal minority.
There is no easy answer to this tragedy.
Thank you for constantly updating all. I will be there next week but almost canceled my wedding as we wanted to be sensitive to the needs there. I am afraid we won’t be welcomed by locals so don’t plan to visit that side of the island. I understand that businesses need our business and I would love to see that part of the island as I missed it last time I was there but if there is no news nor plan on how visitors can visit that area respectfully and provide business, then I am afraid others won’t anyway.
Is the Red cross anywhere to be found, Helping with housing?
Yes, all over the island. I’m one of the helpers. 🙂
They have moved most of the support for that to the Civic Center north of Lahaina. They also have several organizations (FEMA, Maui Strong, etc.) that have funding for the housing of the displaced.
The Red Cross’ main focus is in the immediate aftermath of the fires, and ongoing psychological and emotional support. They still have centers all over the island where the displaced can go for help and support (Kahului, Wailea, etc.)
Courage; much of it is missing in the Government Officials in Maui. The Mayor’s latest declaration to open in phases without any specifics on timeframe is a cop-out. How are individuals supposed to plan…the answer is they can not. I am afraid these recent changes are going to do irreparable harm to West Maui’s Businesses and hotels/condos for most of 2024. Our only hope is that visitors have a short memory and will eventually give West Maui another shot.
Let me get this right… people who pay thousands of dollars a week for a condo vacation and taxes and fees in Kaanapali are told they can’t come so tragically displaced people can stay free in their units indefinitely? Who is paying that cost of hundreds of dollars a day and renovations if necessary? Taxpayers? Condo owners? Why aren’t other places in cheaper areas of Maui sharing the burden of this “hospitality?” There will be a vicious cycle of less money spent, more businesses closed and more unemployment with ever increasing numbers of homeless prople.
It’s affecting South Maui as well. People are afraid to make decisions due to the indecisiveness of the leadership. To them, it feels like walking on eggshells, and feels like it won’t be a relaxing vacation, and that they may have a negative experience.
However, the visitors that are here are having a wonderful time, even better than if they had come when it was more crowded. Reality is quite different than the misguided expectations set by those who are too clueless to know what’s really going on.
Why is it so difficult to multitask and manage both the displaced residents and their needs with the critical continuity of their economy? Understand and agree the displaced families and their basic needs should be prioritized (long term housing, kids back in school, etc). But this has been so incredibly frustrating to navigate. We’ve waited out the last 7+ weeks with the varied messaging and ugliness toward visitors and finally just cancelled our mid-Oct trip today. We really wanted to come support local businesses, volunteer, & hug all the wonderful people we’ve come to know and love since the 1980’s. It’s a 2nd home for us and they’re our beloved friends. We will absolutely return. Just not right now. Love to Lahaina 🌺
I am so tired of hearing locals making comments that tourists need to treat them with respect and visitors in return defending about how they are always respectful and volunteer, etc.
The reason for my perspective on this is that from what I have observed is even though Hawaii has more tourism than most places do and locals can become understandably frustrated, they also have tourists that love their culture, people, and islands. These “disrespectful” tourists have donated more to the Hawaiians following the disaster and shared more aloha than most have experienced following a tornado/hurricane/fire on the mainland.
Whether this is vocal minority or the perspective of most locals, the lack of respect resides with Hawaiians.
The residents of Maui must come first. Visitors can stay other places. The residents have lost so much and have nowhere to go. It’s a no win situation for all of Maui. God bless you all.
…Hearing Andy and Red in my mind. “It usually comes down to one simple choice. Get busy living, or get busy dying.”
The reopening of West Maui is a catch-22. You need business and commerce to have jobs that can pay for daycare, housing, and rebuilding schools. To have all of that, we need tourists. While everyone understands the need to pause and reflect, we can’t get stuck in the pause. Those lucky enough to obtain housing in a resort should feel blessed that a business is for going millions in profits to give them a place to continue to live until they can get back on their feet. But they need to understand that the world keeps spinning and the people who are giving them a place to live need to make money in order to help them.
The question I as those who want to keep West Maui closed, is to what end?