48 thoughts on “Why Hawaii Tourism’s Shocking Return Hit Maui Hardest”
Diana B.
More Hawaiian locals need to get vaccinated in order to get a handle of the Corona virus. Workers also need to return to work.
Bill C
A $100 visitor fee for each person and $50 per child under 12 years of age.
Lopaka15
I’m curious, since Hawaii is that busy, why are they opening up to some overseas travel ? That’s going to add a lot more to the reported overcrowding.
1
Pua T
My local friends on Maui are complaining that the visitors seem a bit out of control, probably due to being cooped up for a year. Many instances of disrespectful behavior and issue with wearing a mask. We love to host visitors to all Hawaii but please be mindful of Hawaiian respect and customs. I am sure the rude tourists rpresents a small percentage of visitors. A bit of aloha goes a long way!
Jared X
Same ol’ same ol’. This exact same debate has been ongoing since Captain Cook first set foot on the islands–and the natives killed him. It’s a love / hate relationship (tourists love Hawaii / locals hate the tourists) that will never change… EVER.
Kirk s
We went to Honolulu in April, talk about feeling unwelcome by airport staff by security. It seems the authorities were the ones that treated us worse. Outside mall where they supposedly required masks and so we did but many did not but one time my wife just had hers pulled down from her nose and was rudely told by security to get it on while people walking by didn’t even have them on. Let me tell you, the businesses everywhere welcomed us as if there was no pandemic. It’s just another smack down to control, well you do not have to worry about this vacationer, I won’t be back. Not impressed with the ridiculous prices and rude authorities and the worse amenities on excursions and lame Luau’s. You definitely do not get what you pay for in Hawaii, visit somewhere else where you are welcomed.
Brenda L
We have been to Hawaii many times in the past 40 years. It’s still one of my favorite places on earth. We have Mostly split our time between Maui and Oahu, with a couple of trips to The Big Island and to Kauai. I still miss the kitschy souvenir shops, the friendly locals, the ability to go anywhere on the islands with little or no traffic, the absence of fast food chains and low rise hotels. Airfare was reasonable, hotels catered to all economic levels. I know, it’s a different world today. It’s not the same where I live either. The airlines will only fly full planes, the hotels will only operate at full capacity and vacation condos can’t survive without patrons. Raising prices only limits the economic circumstances of the travelers, but doesn’t guarantee that the visitors will be respectful of the natural wonders or the locals. I agree with previous posters that limiting visitors to “attractions” as is done elsewhere, can work, but only if advertised along with the booking of air and hotel (condo). Visitors need to know before they put money into a trip, or you end up with unpleasant and obnoxious visitors. As for restaurants, we are on vacation, we don’t want to spend our precious vacation time waiting in line for a meal, and, a large percent of the travelers are 1st timers, they don’t know where they want to eat, months before their trip. And, restaurants don’t always survive between trips. Establishments that want the business, need to step up, pay their employees a livable wage so that they can accommodate patrons. I hope to come back soon. But, I think I’ll wait until the rest of the world reopens, and maybe things will be better.
Thanks for letting me rant
Donna H
We have been visiting Maui almost every year since 1998. I totally agree with everything you said, especially missing the quaint towns/shops, empty roads and beaches, etc.
Jeff M
Parking is the BIGGEST issue from beaches to the road to Hana.
And there is no reason not to create more parking.
As for the restaurants not returning to full capacity while travel has that is on the locals that have not received their vaccination.
Only 58% whats up with that? most states have already passed 70%
Jared X
Well, there IS actually a reason not to create more parking… several of them. (1) Hawaiian government–both local / county and state–is completely inept and dysfunctional. Look no further than the Oahu rail project to confirm that. Any time any new construction or infrastructure projects are proposed–even something as simple and necessary as a parking lot–get ready for an uproar from “the locals”… and claims of burial grounds and sacred lands, yada yada yada–that will tie up the project for years–if not forever. (2) Hawaii is completely broke–at both the county and state levels–despite extracting hundreds of BILLIONS of dollars from tourists over the years. Why? Huge state and county bureaucracies–and massive social programs–instead of investing that money wisely in common-sense infrastructure projects over the years (like widening/improving the road to Hana decades ago–when the traffic first started–and continuing / connecting / improving that road all the way around the back side of Haleakalā–like any intelligent state or county government would have also done decades ago). So it’s not like these fools don’t KNOW what needs to be done to solve these problems… they just don’t have the intelligence or the mandate to actually do them.
Jane H
No, no, no, no! There is a reason why the road to Hana or our back side road to Hana has to be upgraded. They don’t want to, other than making sure the bridges are safe to cross over and the road doesn’t have holes in it, is the only things that need to be taken care of over there. The Hana community don’t want all those people going back there. It is a different world there, still true Hawaii and we want to keep it that way.
As far as our social programs, mind your own business! We want to take care of our people and especially our Kapuna! Yes we have social programs and Lord willing they will continue. Too many people come here that cannot care for themselves and become homeless. Hawaii is not a dumping ground for your mainland homeless people. These people should not come here. That would help to alleviate some of our money going into social programs. By the way every now and then we give homeless people one-way tickets to go back to the mainland as long as they have somewhere to go back to. That being said part of the reason we need these social programs is because you mainlanders come over here and buy up our properties and put high prices for rent on them. Locals cannot afford to pay higher rents. So don’t spout off about our intelligence or mandate. We have our reasons why we do things the way we do. Our heart is for the aina and our people.
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More Hawaiian locals need to get vaccinated in order to get a handle of the Corona virus. Workers also need to return to work.
A $100 visitor fee for each person and $50 per child under 12 years of age.
I’m curious, since Hawaii is that busy, why are they opening up to some overseas travel ? That’s going to add a lot more to the reported overcrowding.
My local friends on Maui are complaining that the visitors seem a bit out of control, probably due to being cooped up for a year. Many instances of disrespectful behavior and issue with wearing a mask. We love to host visitors to all Hawaii but please be mindful of Hawaiian respect and customs. I am sure the rude tourists rpresents a small percentage of visitors. A bit of aloha goes a long way!
Same ol’ same ol’. This exact same debate has been ongoing since Captain Cook first set foot on the islands–and the natives killed him. It’s a love / hate relationship (tourists love Hawaii / locals hate the tourists) that will never change… EVER.
We went to Honolulu in April, talk about feeling unwelcome by airport staff by security. It seems the authorities were the ones that treated us worse. Outside mall where they supposedly required masks and so we did but many did not but one time my wife just had hers pulled down from her nose and was rudely told by security to get it on while people walking by didn’t even have them on. Let me tell you, the businesses everywhere welcomed us as if there was no pandemic. It’s just another smack down to control, well you do not have to worry about this vacationer, I won’t be back. Not impressed with the ridiculous prices and rude authorities and the worse amenities on excursions and lame Luau’s. You definitely do not get what you pay for in Hawaii, visit somewhere else where you are welcomed.
We have been to Hawaii many times in the past 40 years. It’s still one of my favorite places on earth. We have Mostly split our time between Maui and Oahu, with a couple of trips to The Big Island and to Kauai. I still miss the kitschy souvenir shops, the friendly locals, the ability to go anywhere on the islands with little or no traffic, the absence of fast food chains and low rise hotels. Airfare was reasonable, hotels catered to all economic levels. I know, it’s a different world today. It’s not the same where I live either. The airlines will only fly full planes, the hotels will only operate at full capacity and vacation condos can’t survive without patrons. Raising prices only limits the economic circumstances of the travelers, but doesn’t guarantee that the visitors will be respectful of the natural wonders or the locals. I agree with previous posters that limiting visitors to “attractions” as is done elsewhere, can work, but only if advertised along with the booking of air and hotel (condo). Visitors need to know before they put money into a trip, or you end up with unpleasant and obnoxious visitors. As for restaurants, we are on vacation, we don’t want to spend our precious vacation time waiting in line for a meal, and, a large percent of the travelers are 1st timers, they don’t know where they want to eat, months before their trip. And, restaurants don’t always survive between trips. Establishments that want the business, need to step up, pay their employees a livable wage so that they can accommodate patrons. I hope to come back soon. But, I think I’ll wait until the rest of the world reopens, and maybe things will be better.
Thanks for letting me rant
We have been visiting Maui almost every year since 1998. I totally agree with everything you said, especially missing the quaint towns/shops, empty roads and beaches, etc.
Parking is the BIGGEST issue from beaches to the road to Hana.
And there is no reason not to create more parking.
As for the restaurants not returning to full capacity while travel has that is on the locals that have not received their vaccination.
Only 58% whats up with that? most states have already passed 70%
Well, there IS actually a reason not to create more parking… several of them. (1) Hawaiian government–both local / county and state–is completely inept and dysfunctional. Look no further than the Oahu rail project to confirm that. Any time any new construction or infrastructure projects are proposed–even something as simple and necessary as a parking lot–get ready for an uproar from “the locals”… and claims of burial grounds and sacred lands, yada yada yada–that will tie up the project for years–if not forever. (2) Hawaii is completely broke–at both the county and state levels–despite extracting hundreds of BILLIONS of dollars from tourists over the years. Why? Huge state and county bureaucracies–and massive social programs–instead of investing that money wisely in common-sense infrastructure projects over the years (like widening/improving the road to Hana decades ago–when the traffic first started–and continuing / connecting / improving that road all the way around the back side of Haleakalā–like any intelligent state or county government would have also done decades ago). So it’s not like these fools don’t KNOW what needs to be done to solve these problems… they just don’t have the intelligence or the mandate to actually do them.
No, no, no, no! There is a reason why the road to Hana or our back side road to Hana has to be upgraded. They don’t want to, other than making sure the bridges are safe to cross over and the road doesn’t have holes in it, is the only things that need to be taken care of over there. The Hana community don’t want all those people going back there. It is a different world there, still true Hawaii and we want to keep it that way.
As far as our social programs, mind your own business! We want to take care of our people and especially our Kapuna! Yes we have social programs and Lord willing they will continue. Too many people come here that cannot care for themselves and become homeless. Hawaii is not a dumping ground for your mainland homeless people. These people should not come here. That would help to alleviate some of our money going into social programs. By the way every now and then we give homeless people one-way tickets to go back to the mainland as long as they have somewhere to go back to. That being said part of the reason we need these social programs is because you mainlanders come over here and buy up our properties and put high prices for rent on them. Locals cannot afford to pay higher rents. So don’t spout off about our intelligence or mandate. We have our reasons why we do things the way we do. Our heart is for the aina and our people.