48 thoughts on “Why Hawaii Tourism’s Shocking Return Hit Maui Hardest”
Markr
Just a suggestion. Improve the PI’ILANI HWY to help with access to Hana. That way the locals have a alternative to get home. Can only so much thru a funnel. Here in Colorado we need to make reservations to get into Rocky Mountain Nation Park. This is to control the amount of cars (tourists) that go into the park.
Nancy H
I agree with the comment made by Stafford L, stating Beat of Hawaii comment about Hawaii not having workers is a bunch of garbage, why should people work, when they can get unemployment and all kinds of stimulus checks, but eventually this will all run out. It is not only in Hawaii that this is happening, also this is going on in California. Come and visit and you will find out. We have been going to Hawaii for many years now and it has always been crowded, nothing new. Except your locals don’t want to work, also in California, if you can get paid for not working, why work.
Irene R
Wow, if you hate locals so much, why do you come here? Your assumptions about employees are very far off base.
Jane H
Please, don’t build any more hotels or condos that are mainly purchased for vacation rentals.
Please, do something about the high cost of rent. It is killing the local population. Non-residents should not be allowed to purchase property here and then charge exuberant prices to residents. Our families are struggling to even find a place to rent right now and the high rent isn’t helping.
Russ H
The island of Maui has been the victim of it’s own beauty I guess. When I talk to friends about Hawaii, I would guess 70-80% only go to Maui. They seem to think Maui is Hawaii.
I have read that the powers on Maui have for years promoted that idea. I imagine that such views aren’t going to change.
Dave R
Agree. Seems most of our friends define Maui as Hawaii when they travel. We long ago shifted to the Big Island for our visits. Just the larger geography alone is a plus. Great destination and people.
Stafford L.
Your comment stating there are enough workers is a bunch of garbage,there are workers who have been getting unemployment check and the stimulus check why would they go back to work making more than having to actually work. The Mayor needs to address this and stop crying about this as all the visitors are putting money into the county coffers and all the shops and other thing’s are now making money as they are now being supported by the visitors.
Andy M
the article is accurate. There may be plenty of people able to work that dont choose to work, it isn’t Hawaii’s fault, the federal government created the problem. The fact of the matter is that there aren’t enough people doing the jobs that need to be done to allow tourism to operate at a level necessary to support the influx of people to our islands.
PAMM
The changes I’d like to see as a long time resident is for Maui county to get a new, forward looking Mayor. Mikey can’t decide if he wants tourists or not.
He’s the biggest impediment to regaining out jobs and economy. No tourist area gets to pick and choose who comes and when. If he doesn’t like being Mayor then step out of the way!
Enforce the laws of the land, enforcement of traffic, parking, and stealing all needs to be done.
Step out of the way Mayor Victorino, and let Maui find her own balance without your meddling and taxes!!
Mahalo Rob and Jeff for your thought provoking articles and Aloha 🌺 Spirit.
JohnW
SWA is the airline equivalent of someone moving to Hawaii and speaking pidgin soon after they arrive.
Sadly, you can’t limit one airline just because they want to flood a market.
Maui is well on it’s way to being turned into the Las Vegas strip.
Chris S
They simply need to raise cost of air travel. Once the airlines can use their aircraft for other destinations they won’t be pushing people to Hawaii. Then when prices go up we won’t have the moron tourists who climb Kamahama status or chase monk seals.
Those are the people we really don’t need here.
Mahalo for your website guys you do a great job.
Beat of Hawaii
Hi Chris.
Thanks for your input and the nice words.
Aloha.
Rochelle h
You mean kamaiana right? Also unfortunately some dummies still have money to spend, and they all think it’s “in” to brag about Maui. I still love Oahu 50 years later. It’s home away from home.
Chris S
Sorry. Was typing fast and poorly.
King Kamehameha statue on big island was being climbed on.
Brad K
The last thing anywhere in Hawaii needs is more fees. Another 3% tax will encourage other islands to follow suit. It is pricing itself away from average income travellers and will end up hurting accommodation providers who rent basic places. Only wealthy people will be able to come and those are generally not the people who are looking to connect with local culture. It is another nail in the coffin of a diverse visitor diaspora.
Chris S
Respectfully disagree.
Have been on Maui since the 70s. When travel was expensive always found respect from tourists with few exceptions.
One southwest started flying it seemed to bring people who were a lot less respectful. Of course not all, but a greater number.
Sometimes less is better.
JohnW
Sad but true Chris, while as you noted it’s not all, the reality is the southwest pax’s seem to be different. Southwest lends itself to the bargain hunting, stay in a BNB (illegal?) and buy groceries to cook there while they explore throughout the island. SWA does not partner with anyone but themselves and it shows. Those kind of people are most certainly not bad people, but the tourism market cannot support an imbalance of those kind of tourists flooding the neighborhoods and doing their own thing.
To your point about the change in the face of tourism here, just look at some of the posts elsewhere here that says it all.
The people on here saying those “lazy locals should stop accepting hand outs from the government and embrace being flooded with tourists” are a pretty good example of a certain demographic that really doesn’t get what Aloha means, doesn’t understand Hawaii and spoil what is still good about the islands.
They would be much happier in Las Vegas or Orlando.
Alfred S
The 3% tax increase is because the State is going to keep 100% of the TA tax whereas they used to share it with the county. So the legislature approved counties to be able to tack on up to an additional 3%.
Beat of Hawaii
Hi Alfred.
That’s correct, and was detailed in the article we wrote and that is linked to.
Aloha.
Macvickers
Important information for all those leaving SFO for Hawaii on UAL:
There is a highly organized efficient way to receive your fast clearance safe travels check. There are booths set up between gates 16 and 17 where you will be given a UAL paper bracelet that speeds you through the terminal to your baggage claim. Because we had the bracelet we were guided past a line of hundreds of people. We saw someone later at our resort who have been on our fly without the bracelet. He said it to his family over an hour to get through the airport.
Comments are closed.
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Just a suggestion. Improve the PI’ILANI HWY to help with access to Hana. That way the locals have a alternative to get home. Can only so much thru a funnel. Here in Colorado we need to make reservations to get into Rocky Mountain Nation Park. This is to control the amount of cars (tourists) that go into the park.
I agree with the comment made by Stafford L, stating Beat of Hawaii comment about Hawaii not having workers is a bunch of garbage, why should people work, when they can get unemployment and all kinds of stimulus checks, but eventually this will all run out. It is not only in Hawaii that this is happening, also this is going on in California. Come and visit and you will find out. We have been going to Hawaii for many years now and it has always been crowded, nothing new. Except your locals don’t want to work, also in California, if you can get paid for not working, why work.
Wow, if you hate locals so much, why do you come here? Your assumptions about employees are very far off base.
Please, don’t build any more hotels or condos that are mainly purchased for vacation rentals.
Please, do something about the high cost of rent. It is killing the local population. Non-residents should not be allowed to purchase property here and then charge exuberant prices to residents. Our families are struggling to even find a place to rent right now and the high rent isn’t helping.
The island of Maui has been the victim of it’s own beauty I guess. When I talk to friends about Hawaii, I would guess 70-80% only go to Maui. They seem to think Maui is Hawaii.
I have read that the powers on Maui have for years promoted that idea. I imagine that such views aren’t going to change.
Agree. Seems most of our friends define Maui as Hawaii when they travel. We long ago shifted to the Big Island for our visits. Just the larger geography alone is a plus. Great destination and people.
Your comment stating there are enough workers is a bunch of garbage,there are workers who have been getting unemployment check and the stimulus check why would they go back to work making more than having to actually work. The Mayor needs to address this and stop crying about this as all the visitors are putting money into the county coffers and all the shops and other thing’s are now making money as they are now being supported by the visitors.
the article is accurate. There may be plenty of people able to work that dont choose to work, it isn’t Hawaii’s fault, the federal government created the problem. The fact of the matter is that there aren’t enough people doing the jobs that need to be done to allow tourism to operate at a level necessary to support the influx of people to our islands.
The changes I’d like to see as a long time resident is for Maui county to get a new, forward looking Mayor. Mikey can’t decide if he wants tourists or not.
He’s the biggest impediment to regaining out jobs and economy. No tourist area gets to pick and choose who comes and when. If he doesn’t like being Mayor then step out of the way!
Enforce the laws of the land, enforcement of traffic, parking, and stealing all needs to be done.
Step out of the way Mayor Victorino, and let Maui find her own balance without your meddling and taxes!!
Mahalo Rob and Jeff for your thought provoking articles and Aloha 🌺 Spirit.
SWA is the airline equivalent of someone moving to Hawaii and speaking pidgin soon after they arrive.
Sadly, you can’t limit one airline just because they want to flood a market.
Maui is well on it’s way to being turned into the Las Vegas strip.
They simply need to raise cost of air travel. Once the airlines can use their aircraft for other destinations they won’t be pushing people to Hawaii. Then when prices go up we won’t have the moron tourists who climb Kamahama status or chase monk seals.
Those are the people we really don’t need here.
Mahalo for your website guys you do a great job.
Hi Chris.
Thanks for your input and the nice words.
Aloha.
You mean kamaiana right? Also unfortunately some dummies still have money to spend, and they all think it’s “in” to brag about Maui. I still love Oahu 50 years later. It’s home away from home.
Sorry. Was typing fast and poorly.
King Kamehameha statue on big island was being climbed on.
The last thing anywhere in Hawaii needs is more fees. Another 3% tax will encourage other islands to follow suit. It is pricing itself away from average income travellers and will end up hurting accommodation providers who rent basic places. Only wealthy people will be able to come and those are generally not the people who are looking to connect with local culture. It is another nail in the coffin of a diverse visitor diaspora.
Respectfully disagree.
Have been on Maui since the 70s. When travel was expensive always found respect from tourists with few exceptions.
One southwest started flying it seemed to bring people who were a lot less respectful. Of course not all, but a greater number.
Sometimes less is better.
Sad but true Chris, while as you noted it’s not all, the reality is the southwest pax’s seem to be different. Southwest lends itself to the bargain hunting, stay in a BNB (illegal?) and buy groceries to cook there while they explore throughout the island. SWA does not partner with anyone but themselves and it shows. Those kind of people are most certainly not bad people, but the tourism market cannot support an imbalance of those kind of tourists flooding the neighborhoods and doing their own thing.
To your point about the change in the face of tourism here, just look at some of the posts elsewhere here that says it all.
The people on here saying those “lazy locals should stop accepting hand outs from the government and embrace being flooded with tourists” are a pretty good example of a certain demographic that really doesn’t get what Aloha means, doesn’t understand Hawaii and spoil what is still good about the islands.
They would be much happier in Las Vegas or Orlando.
The 3% tax increase is because the State is going to keep 100% of the TA tax whereas they used to share it with the county. So the legislature approved counties to be able to tack on up to an additional 3%.
Hi Alfred.
That’s correct, and was detailed in the article we wrote and that is linked to.
Aloha.
Important information for all those leaving SFO for Hawaii on UAL:
There is a highly organized efficient way to receive your fast clearance safe travels check. There are booths set up between gates 16 and 17 where you will be given a UAL paper bracelet that speeds you through the terminal to your baggage claim. Because we had the bracelet we were guided past a line of hundreds of people. We saw someone later at our resort who have been on our fly without the bracelet. He said it to his family over an hour to get through the airport.