66 thoughts on “Petition To Delay Reopening West Maui October 8 Under Way”
Todd
We had a family vacation planned for 9/22 (Kaanapali). Now it seems like it would have been ok. Immediately after the fire, several groups canceled. This included a group staying in Kihei. We kept our reservation until the governor said closed until 10/17, then we rescheduled to 11/19. When we rescheduled the other groups canceled. They told us they needed 6-months or more to schedule a vacation with work. Getting everyone on board the first time was a challenge. The reality is there probably wont be a retry.
It sounds like the government is waffling back and forth , the same way that they did with opening up after Covid. It’s important to make a date decision, and then stick to it. The travelers who desire to come and help by volunteering both their time and their money deserve to know that once they commit to reservations, that they are not going to have to cancel everything due to Maui changing its mind about a reopening date. I feel the vast majority of travelers, at this crucial time, are very well aware that compassion and understanding to Maui residents is essential, and that many of our favorite restaurants, activities, etc are not operating. Maui vacationers are a tough bunch, but don’t chase them away by being indecisive.
From what some others have said here, West Maui IS open, just not Lahaina. Many business are open there. People are talking about returning from their visit there. So that tells me that whatever the governor is saying is merely a suggestion, not a ban, and that this Oct. 8 reopening date doesn’t really mean anything.
Visitors should check their airline flights and their accommodations to get the real state of what/what isn’t open. They should not be yanked around based on what the governor on another island is suggesting. It would be different if it were some sort of ban, but apparently it isn’t since many businesses are open.
First of all the people who lost homes or Business need the time to go through there remains to see if anything can be salvaged, mask and gloves required.
If all the displaced people have a place to live open everything up. Tourism is the economy. People have no jobs if no tourist come.
West Maui is already open except the burn areas. So what are they looking at keeping shut outside of the burn areas? The people need their jobs and it is so important to give them the opportunity to work rather than collect unemployment. They need tourists to bring back the economy and start to rebuild.
Is there a website on where to find what is open in West Maui? My favorite place to go for breakfast – Gazebo restaurant – says it is temporarily closed with no information on when it will open.
I’ll be staying in Kihei and am looking forward to exploring parts of the island I haven’t in the past (because I usually stay in West Maui), but if the Gazebo opens – it may tempt me to take a trip to West Maui…
Hi, there’s a FaceBook Group “What’s Open West Maui” that tries to keep track of. what has opened. You can ask a question if you are curious about a particular business.
Open the county of Maui!
The Maui economy heavily relies upon tourism.
Things are pretty dire on the west side and those who I’ve spoken with are ready for some sort of normalcy to come back.
Everyone needs to show aloha and positive energy to help with the transition and traumatic events of August 8th. All residents are in different mindsets and emotional needs. Being busy and contributing is therapeutic for many people.
There is room for everyone to help get things to move forward.
It’s such a delicate balance. West Maui has suffered a terrible blow with the loss of homes and people- loved ones. Yet there are many who rely on tourism for a living and so it is a double blow when West Maui remains closed. I am not a resident and so I can’t even imagine how horrible this has been. As a tourist (we have a trip booked for next March) I am of the opinion that those who want to return to work should be able to. Maybe that’s selfish of me, but I have to believe the date currently set for reopening the area should be allowed to stand. Get people back in work!
Far be it from me to know what West Maui needs. I do know I don’t trust much of what I hear that has any kind of political association to it. Below is a message I received from a Maui non-profit, Boots on the Ground-Maui. The message is clear that visitors are needed and welcome. This non-profit is also recruiting visitors as volunteers. It’s not tourism as usual, but it is needed and appreciated. We are leaving for Maui on 9/20 and will volunteer while there. I will let you know how it goes.
It does not appear that visitors or business owners care what the Governor “recommends”. My west Maui timeshare property is open, honoring reservations, has staff, and most amenities are open. Did we learn nothing from the ridiculous COVID shutdowns? There will be long-lasting economic fallout if West Maui is not allowed to function. I feel heartfelt devastation over the losses in Lahaina.to It has held a special place in my heart for over 25 years. Yes, I know people need time to grieve but what does having tourists in West Maui have to do with their voices not being heard? I always felt it was ill advised for Hawaii to give up all other industry and focus solely on tourism. But it did and needs it to survive.
I do not understand why there is additional conversation with the opening of West Maui. The area that is being talked about to allow tourist back in is all of the properties about 5 miles north of Lahaina. Many hotels and time shares in this area along with golf courses. The longer the state tries to keep West Maui closed the greater the expenses to the state. They are going to have to pay for all of the workers who cannot go to work, in either cash, food stamps or providing food through food banks. What we do not hear from the state is the amount of cash they have available to run the government, if in fact they continue to loose tax income from the tourist who are not able to return or don’t feel welcome.
As a displaced Lahaina resident, I fully support re-opening West Maui. For everyone who wants more time, think of your siblings or cousins who need to return to work to remain on Maui. Right or wrong, West Maui needs visitors in order to survive and ultimately rebuild. Aloha!
Kevin, mahalo for your thoughts, and I’m so sorry for what you have been through and are going through.
5000 people signed this petition to delay the opening, with more to come (goal is 6200). Do you have any “on the ground” thoughts about why they are doing this? Do they think they are not affected economically with no tourism? If so, do they not care about their fellow residents who are being affected economically? Trying to understand the motivation here, and how they can be so insensitive.
I feel delaying opening of west Maui would be detrimental to the economy on that side of the island. We are scheduled to arrive Nov. 1st and are hopeful the west side will be open.
Having come to Maui 17 of the last 20 years to stay at a friend’s condo, we questioned whether we should come. We contacted friends who are permanent residents, both native and transplants. All of them encouraged us to come. We did! Our reception has been extraordinary and everyone we encountered has said, tell your friends to come. I am a minister for 45 years and have walked through the death, grief and loss of hundreds of people. Some move through the process much faster than others. Striving to be respectful of each individual and move forward is difficult. May God grant insight, understanding and wisdom! Thank you for the extraordinary Aloha!!!
I understand why Green and the federal government want an early opening. Tax revenue!! Right now victims are paying nothing. Tourists are not coming. Panic time!!
We are going ahead with our October 11 travel plans to West Maui. After many, many emails, texts, and long phone discussions with our West Maui accommodations, we are assured that we are welcome and wanted as visitors. We love Maui and would Only visit if we felt certain that it is the right thing and safe to do so. We understand that this trip will be different in its emotional impact, but we are looking forward to the trip and supporting however we can during our time there
Venture to South Maui as well. There is hardly any impact here – it is almost the same vibe as every other time. One difference here is that the people who are serving you here are Super grateful and full of aloha. Another difference is that there are less people, but it’s not empty. It’s about half as full as usual this time of year. Of course if the subject of the fires is brought up, everyone is respectful and empathetic while talking about it. But I honestly wouldn’t know what had happened based solely on the atmosphere and relations here in South Maui.
Sounds like it’s still a bucket of fish. Come, don’t come. No wonder people are skeptical and undecided. Please don’t post more news until there is a decision that will be final.
They are not connecting the dots. They want housing, financial security and restoration. Each of those requires a job and that requires cash flow. Cash flow requires tourism.
How Ridiculous! The Hyatt Residence Club is open for Owners. Kaanapali Beach Resort is welcoming guests. Not to be insensitive, as a Californian I’m very sensitive to the damage from Wildfires, but come on – enough is enough. What are people supposed to do for jobs and money? What is gained by not opening? Our timeshare week starts on October 28 and 6 of us are coming with our vacation $$ to spend in West Maui. Yes it is tragic, but people’s livelihoods are at stake.
We had a family vacation planned for 9/22 (Kaanapali). Now it seems like it would have been ok. Immediately after the fire, several groups canceled. This included a group staying in Kihei. We kept our reservation until the governor said closed until 10/17, then we rescheduled to 11/19. When we rescheduled the other groups canceled. They told us they needed 6-months or more to schedule a vacation with work. Getting everyone on board the first time was a challenge. The reality is there probably wont be a retry.
It sounds like the government is waffling back and forth , the same way that they did with opening up after Covid. It’s important to make a date decision, and then stick to it. The travelers who desire to come and help by volunteering both their time and their money deserve to know that once they commit to reservations, that they are not going to have to cancel everything due to Maui changing its mind about a reopening date. I feel the vast majority of travelers, at this crucial time, are very well aware that compassion and understanding to Maui residents is essential, and that many of our favorite restaurants, activities, etc are not operating. Maui vacationers are a tough bunch, but don’t chase them away by being indecisive.
From what some others have said here, West Maui IS open, just not Lahaina. Many business are open there. People are talking about returning from their visit there. So that tells me that whatever the governor is saying is merely a suggestion, not a ban, and that this Oct. 8 reopening date doesn’t really mean anything.
Visitors should check their airline flights and their accommodations to get the real state of what/what isn’t open. They should not be yanked around based on what the governor on another island is suggesting. It would be different if it were some sort of ban, but apparently it isn’t since many businesses are open.
First of all the people who lost homes or Business need the time to go through there remains to see if anything can be salvaged, mask and gloves required.
If all the displaced people have a place to live open everything up. Tourism is the economy. People have no jobs if no tourist come.
West Maui is already open except the burn areas. So what are they looking at keeping shut outside of the burn areas? The people need their jobs and it is so important to give them the opportunity to work rather than collect unemployment. They need tourists to bring back the economy and start to rebuild.
Is there a website on where to find what is open in West Maui? My favorite place to go for breakfast – Gazebo restaurant – says it is temporarily closed with no information on when it will open.
I’ll be staying in Kihei and am looking forward to exploring parts of the island I haven’t in the past (because I usually stay in West Maui), but if the Gazebo opens – it may tempt me to take a trip to West Maui…
Hi, there’s a FaceBook Group “What’s Open West Maui” that tries to keep track of. what has opened. You can ask a question if you are curious about a particular business.
Thanks to Bob for another interesting article!
L
Open the county of Maui!
The Maui economy heavily relies upon tourism.
Things are pretty dire on the west side and those who I’ve spoken with are ready for some sort of normalcy to come back.
Everyone needs to show aloha and positive energy to help with the transition and traumatic events of August 8th. All residents are in different mindsets and emotional needs. Being busy and contributing is therapeutic for many people.
There is room for everyone to help get things to move forward.
It’s such a delicate balance. West Maui has suffered a terrible blow with the loss of homes and people- loved ones. Yet there are many who rely on tourism for a living and so it is a double blow when West Maui remains closed. I am not a resident and so I can’t even imagine how horrible this has been. As a tourist (we have a trip booked for next March) I am of the opinion that those who want to return to work should be able to. Maybe that’s selfish of me, but I have to believe the date currently set for reopening the area should be allowed to stand. Get people back in work!
Far be it from me to know what West Maui needs. I do know I don’t trust much of what I hear that has any kind of political association to it. Below is a message I received from a Maui non-profit, Boots on the Ground-Maui. The message is clear that visitors are needed and welcome. This non-profit is also recruiting visitors as volunteers. It’s not tourism as usual, but it is needed and appreciated. We are leaving for Maui on 9/20 and will volunteer while there. I will let you know how it goes.
It does not appear that visitors or business owners care what the Governor “recommends”. My west Maui timeshare property is open, honoring reservations, has staff, and most amenities are open. Did we learn nothing from the ridiculous COVID shutdowns? There will be long-lasting economic fallout if West Maui is not allowed to function. I feel heartfelt devastation over the losses in Lahaina.to It has held a special place in my heart for over 25 years. Yes, I know people need time to grieve but what does having tourists in West Maui have to do with their voices not being heard? I always felt it was ill advised for Hawaii to give up all other industry and focus solely on tourism. But it did and needs it to survive.
I do not understand why there is additional conversation with the opening of West Maui. The area that is being talked about to allow tourist back in is all of the properties about 5 miles north of Lahaina. Many hotels and time shares in this area along with golf courses. The longer the state tries to keep West Maui closed the greater the expenses to the state. They are going to have to pay for all of the workers who cannot go to work, in either cash, food stamps or providing food through food banks. What we do not hear from the state is the amount of cash they have available to run the government, if in fact they continue to loose tax income from the tourist who are not able to return or don’t feel welcome.
I live here and I can tell you that the Maui County budget has been 1 billion dollars for the last 2 years.
As a displaced Lahaina resident, I fully support re-opening West Maui. For everyone who wants more time, think of your siblings or cousins who need to return to work to remain on Maui. Right or wrong, West Maui needs visitors in order to survive and ultimately rebuild. Aloha!
Kevin J: Please write to your Gov and Mayor and tell them this. They really don’s see the forrest thru the trees! I’m so sorry for your loss.
Kevin, mahalo for your thoughts, and I’m so sorry for what you have been through and are going through.
5000 people signed this petition to delay the opening, with more to come (goal is 6200). Do you have any “on the ground” thoughts about why they are doing this? Do they think they are not affected economically with no tourism? If so, do they not care about their fellow residents who are being affected economically? Trying to understand the motivation here, and how they can be so insensitive.
Still a mess. This is the true reality of opinion concerning tourists: “Visit, spend, leave.”
I feel delaying opening of west Maui would be detrimental to the economy on that side of the island. We are scheduled to arrive Nov. 1st and are hopeful the west side will be open.
Curt, it is open. Join What’s Open Maui on Facebook. There is a list posted everyday of what is opening or open as of now.
Having come to Maui 17 of the last 20 years to stay at a friend’s condo, we questioned whether we should come. We contacted friends who are permanent residents, both native and transplants. All of them encouraged us to come. We did! Our reception has been extraordinary and everyone we encountered has said, tell your friends to come. I am a minister for 45 years and have walked through the death, grief and loss of hundreds of people. Some move through the process much faster than others. Striving to be respectful of each individual and move forward is difficult. May God grant insight, understanding and wisdom! Thank you for the extraordinary Aloha!!!
Amen Joe!
What does “reopening West Maui” actually mean? Isn’t a lot of it already open?
I understand why Green and the federal government want an early opening. Tax revenue!! Right now victims are paying nothing. Tourists are not coming. Panic time!!
We are going ahead with our October 11 travel plans to West Maui. After many, many emails, texts, and long phone discussions with our West Maui accommodations, we are assured that we are welcome and wanted as visitors. We love Maui and would Only visit if we felt certain that it is the right thing and safe to do so. We understand that this trip will be different in its emotional impact, but we are looking forward to the trip and supporting however we can during our time there
Venture to South Maui as well. There is hardly any impact here – it is almost the same vibe as every other time. One difference here is that the people who are serving you here are Super grateful and full of aloha. Another difference is that there are less people, but it’s not empty. It’s about half as full as usual this time of year. Of course if the subject of the fires is brought up, everyone is respectful and empathetic while talking about it. But I honestly wouldn’t know what had happened based solely on the atmosphere and relations here in South Maui.
Sounds like it’s still a bucket of fish. Come, don’t come. No wonder people are skeptical and undecided. Please don’t post more news until there is a decision that will be final.
They are not connecting the dots. They want housing, financial security and restoration. Each of those requires a job and that requires cash flow. Cash flow requires tourism.
How Ridiculous! The Hyatt Residence Club is open for Owners. Kaanapali Beach Resort is welcoming guests. Not to be insensitive, as a Californian I’m very sensitive to the damage from Wildfires, but come on – enough is enough. What are people supposed to do for jobs and money? What is gained by not opening? Our timeshare week starts on October 28 and 6 of us are coming with our vacation $$ to spend in West Maui. Yes it is tragic, but people’s livelihoods are at stake.