Maui will be dealing with the aftermath of a catastrophe of epic proportions for a long time. The physical damage to Maui is in Lahaina, with West Maui (including Kaanapali) being cut off from tourism until further notice. However, the 109 square miles of West Maui comprise just 15% of the island’s 735 square miles.
But there’s another type of disaster that’s looming, and it is a financial one.; Maui island is, whether you like it or not, highly reliant on tourism continuing unabated.
With 85% of the island not damaged, many visitors and hotels are left wondering.
How to move forward with trip planning and reservations is at the top of everyone’s thoughts. The rest of Maui has hotels and vacation rentals open that can welcome visitors when the time is right. But having said that, they are impacted by what happened and by every decision that gets made.
The state initially asked all visitors to leave Maui after the Lahaina fire. And now hotels and vacation rentals in South Maui (Kihei and Wailea), Central Maui (Kahului), Upcountry Maui, and East Maui (Hana) are wondering how long they have to sit with open availability.
Initially, the state urged visitors to leave Maui following the Lahaina fire.
But that has since changed. There has been no official confirmation of a return to Maui travel, but the governor stated on Facebook that Maui needs visitors to return, and you have called for it in countless comments.
Hindsight will be great in evaluating whether the decisions made were the best ones, and will help both in preventing and mitigating future disasters. What’s done is done, but some are seeing the call by Lieutenant Governor Luke for all visitors to leave as unnecessarily drastic, and ill-advised. We saw this weekend in Honolulu an enormous number of people who reported moving there after being evacuated from Maui last week. The crowding was very noticeable everywhere.
The need for tourism employment to return is becoming critical.
It is ultimately a personal decision for the visitor about when to return, and visitors will need to decide for themselves. But here are some things to keep in mind for the moment, and over the next weeks:
West Maui is off-limits until further notice, and we don’t have information about when that will change. Placards are required for entry into West Maui and are only available to full-time residents and critical personnel.
Shelters are still open on Maui because of so many people who have no place to live. These people need housing before tourism can be fully restored.
The official death count will no doubt climb higher in the coming days. 500 or more people have probably perished. This is devastating to all of Maui because everyone is highly connected. There needs to be time to heal and we don’t even know when the full impact of the fire will be known.
Haleakala National Park will reopen on August 16. That’s a good sign for things moving forward in the near future.
Is island-wide infrastructure capacity constrained?
We have heard that yes, it is, but have also heard that no, it isn’t. For example, a number of comments have mentioned shortages of diapers and other necessities at Maui stores. Please confirm if you know about that.
BoH comments highlight the many differing points of view on resuming Maui travel:
“We are the ones donating our time money and resources locally to help the effort. But if you take away our income then we cannot sustain that effort or ourselves. The balance is no travel to West Maui for now and let the resorts there house the displaced. Let the rest of the island sustain the economy. The reality is that getting money from the state or FEMA takes months to years.”
-Eric.
Susan: “What about us? We need to make a living too! How can we survive if again the tourist trade is interrupted by an unforeseen event that in this case doesn’t even affect us?” I say come to the south side. Kihei is fine. Wailea is fine. It’s up to you to make your own decision.”
Seth said, “I live on Maui and work in the customer service industry in a management position, Southern Maui. To all those asking, if there are available rooms to book in Kihei and Wailea, or you already have reservations, please come. With a lack of business, I will not be able to justify fully staffing as usual. It’s a business and operating for a loss means closing down, causing further job loss. With fewer shifts to go around, the hourly workers will suffer causing a major domino effect into the inability to pay bills and their daily needs. When visiting, be respectful. Although it is your vacation and money, realize the workers have experienced tragic loss. It’s an island, we all know each other, the nightmare we are living through while trying to put on a smile and go to work, with the pictures, videos, loss of friends and families, etc is really taking a toll. But we are all doing what we need to do to get by.”
At the opposite end of the spectrum sits Julie’s comment: “People should just cancel their vacation… the people who live and work on Maui just lost everything… the airlines are honoring your plane tickets .just take the credit and go somewhere else for your vacation…. or put it on hold… all resorts and hotels should open for the residents who lost their homes. And the government should foot the bill.”
What are your thoughts about upcoming Maui vacations?
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should be having musical events to help raze money for rebuild.
would like to know what areas of the island we can vacation in so that we can spend dollars there.
never was able to get there. always wanted to go. now want to vacation where maybe some of my dollars can add to the pot and posable help.
with all our love and support dale and donna
There is no “private” news anymore. Een through the White House. So I would like an informed mind to tell me; What is the next step for: The displaced families? Why is there not any statements on what type of living arrangements will happen for them? What is the next step to clean and de-toxify Lahaina? Could they not take a section of the land, to get it prepared for temporary housing? And if so, what kind of temporary housing would be acceptable with the climate of Hawaii? Why is there not an outline of proposed steps planned? Nothing is private anymore with social media, yet we see nothing on this?! I know in school we had to outline steps in our studies. I’d like to see the outline here?! I would be sad to learn that the State of Hawaii is just like the Mainland and afraid to make a move for offending someone! Look what that gets us?! Nowhere, but crime and stalemate.
Maybe rebrand Maui Strong to Lahaina Strong. As long as Maui is a disaster area then tourists won’t visit. It’s unclear whether Maui is a disaster or not if all the fundraising and support is blended together.
Christa I agree with you. because most humans are followers and the un-informed have no idea the geography of Maui nor really the reason they want to vacation on this island. Back in my childhood school day, we had to study history, national geographics. We had tests and had to know each state well. When I first visited Hawaiian chains, in the 70’s, it was because I loved the history, land, and the beautiful people that was studied for years. I wanted to see it all first hand. Now, it is a social media bucket list, selfie zone, etc. But, back to your statement. Marketing should not be: Come to Maui:, bring your full wallet, tip extra, volunteer on your days off when you worked 5 years to get there, and now the entrance or exit of West Maui. These are some of the statements I read that understandably are needed, but for sure not good marketing for time in Paradise for the uneducated or uninformed which is pretty widespread…unfortunately.
Thank you for all your info. We received a note from the condo that we are renting in March of next year. They are saying please don’t cancel. They even gave us a list of All the stores and restaurants that are open in west Maui! We will come!!!
You want us to cancel our reservation at Kaanapali but the Air BnB will not cooperate and let us cancel by not giving us a refund. We are due to stay in Kaanapali from 11/16 through 11 24. Please advise us.
Hi Cecile.
There will be updated guidance from the state about West Maui. That should not take long, while you’re reservation is still more than two months away.
Aloha.
I am planning on coming to Maui in February to visit a friend
She lives upcountry
What should I do? I can volunteer and help.
Hello,
We have a trip planned for late October, and after the guidance this week we have decided to keep our plans, with a slight modification. Our original plans included stays in both south and west Maui, and we have changed everything to stay in south Maui.
We would like to do some volunteering while we are there. I know this is a ways away and it is hard to predict what the need will be. But can someone point us to local organizations, including churches, that may be seeking and/or coordinating volunteer efforts?
Our vacation for Sept 7th through 19th was canceled.
Airlines ( United) returned our full airfare. Our condo owner ERIC also paid us back Our money. vrbo was great.
We will book Hawaii end of 2024.
My thoughts exactly, and what we plan to do when we return to West Maui in January as we have been doing for nearly 20 years.
This is a valid rich important question and statement. I for one experienced for months while reseraching Maui brutal social media posts that we are no longer welcome and should stay out. This was before the fire. I wish we knew what posts to believe. I know what sounds logical, but when our lives are threatened by certain posts, one wonders.
I agree that stopping tourism completely will have a severe impact on the economy. That being said, tourists who do still go thru with their vacations, will need to adjust accordingly. Pack a suitcase full of patience and empathy for what these residents are experiencing, open it immediately and use it liberally.
Once the recovery phase is over and they move to rebuilding, maybe there will be opportunities to offer a few days of your vacation to volunteer your services.
i am planning on visiting Maui at the end of December and attend the tournament of champions golf tournament at Kapalua.
my first question is, will the golf tournament at Kapalua be canceled?
Is there any fire damage in the Napili or Kapalua area?
I am constantly praying for the people of Maui.
I seriously doubt that the Tournament of Champions would be cancelled and I expect that by that time the chorus of “please return to West Maui and support the local economy” will be essentially unanimous. Of course all good people recognize the importance of respecting the important search and recovery work in Lahaina which must be carefully completed and I hope that we’re also able to acknowledge the importance of welcoming visitors back into west Maui to avoid an economic catastrophe. I own and manage 2 vacation rental properties in west Maui and I just got off the phone with the cleaner for one of them. She’s displaced from her (still standing) apartment in Lahaina and now staying in Ka’anapali and her daughter will be able to finish her senior year high school at Maui Prep in Napili. We had a good conversation with no cell reception problems and she was in surprisingly good spirits, describing how the community has come together so I take this as another indication of Maui’s strength. My other west Maui property is at the Honua Kai resort in Kaanapali, which has taken zero fire damage and my understanding is that there was no damage to Napili or Kapalua, which are miles away from Lahaina. 2 years ago my friends and I played the Plantation course the day after the pros finished and all the pins were in the same spots. Enjoy your stay in West Maui and thank you for supporting the local economy and the people of Maui by not cancelling your travel plans.
I live in the Lahaina; the devastation and suffering is enormous! While our local Kaanapali resorts gear up to serve the needs of those homeless from the fires, I think in the upcoming weeks or perhaps a month they will open up again for tourists as the hospitality industry & related jobs find its way amongst the recovery… I know many people who lost everything except their lives… many people are worried that if the tourism takes a drastic down turn on the West side, they will lose their jobs as the resorts cannot continue to pay them without guests. Most importantly, we honor the recovery efforts, as the dead have not been accounted for by any stretch of the imagination! I pray those trying to make a living and survive through this severe tragedy will not lose their livelihoods, as so, many have already …#MauiStrong
It is such a fine line. I do have clients that will be arriving Maui August 19th and they are staying in Wailea. My best find of information has said they are functioning and need the reservations. With great sadness and full respect for all of Maui that has experienced the most devasting disaster with horrific loss of life and property, I hope supporting the businesses that are able to keep operating might allow them to provide the help their neighbors are in dire need of.
It was understandable to discourage travel to the island during the days immediately following the fire. There was an immense strain on all resources across the island. The fire wasn’t completely out, there were other fires, traffic, staffing changes (people who lived in Lahaina didn’t necessarily work there), and I can only imagine stores and gas stations were impacted as residents gathered resources to donate to West Maui. Not to mention the complete devastation that many residents felt and carried with them in those first few, terrible days.
It’s hard to know what one Should do regarding travel. HTA doesn’t speak for all residents. A few individuals on social media do not speak for all residents. A few business owners do not speak for all residents. I would say, look at HTA for the foundational guidance.
I am cancelling a trip to visit a friend upcountry in September. I don’t mean to have a holier-than-thou attitude about it, but it just didn’t feel right to me, so I’m not going. If it feels right to you to continue your own trip to Maui, do as HTA says and contact your accommodations for more info (unless it was West Maui in which case it sounds like you’re out of luck through August). If you might be able to spare some funds for a donation toward Lahaina families or restoration efforts, that could be nice too.
I have a Hyatt timeshare (on the west side) reservation at the end of the month. Hyatt says I will have to pay a cancellation fee to cancel!!!!!! How terrible. Why isn’t Hyatt opening its facilities to the homeless? Why doesn’t the federal government rent the facility to house the homeless? Shame on Hyatt and shame on our government.
Perhaps you should listen to the Hawaiians who have been voicing their true feelings. Tourism accounts for only 25% of the income for Maui. Tourists are a drain on limited resources and further contributing to environmental issues that contributed to this fire
what you get that number 25%?
Yeah. Reuters and Time magazine have tourism as 80% of Maui economy (“according to the island’s economic development board”).
“…Tourists are a drain on limited resources and further contributing to environmental issues that contributed to this fire”
So now the tourists are responsible for the fire? Wow. Please explain?
And what percentage of the residents of Maui are saying that? Is it a majority, or is this a tyranny of a noisy minority thing?
Most people would not do well with a 25% cut in pay – I suspect that the island’s economy would not either.
I’d say it’s a very small but self centered faction that could care less about the well being of the people that have lost everything and they don’t care if they are unable to be employed and start the rebuilding process. Sadly they make up “facts” (25%) to support their version with how they want the world to be. So many people are heartbroken by this disaster and it’s a time to pull together, learn from, and recover.
From labor and statistics:
As of September 2021, tourism accounted for around 75-80% of Maui’s economy. The state of Hawaii hovers around 25%.
Nikki, these 25 percent numbers are wrong, try again please
What a tragedy, and we have donated to relief efforts.
We have reservations for March, with no plans to cancel.
I live and have deep roots on Maui. We will welcome respectful visitors as always. 80٪ of the island is unaffected. Stay out of Lahaina side.
If we all lose our jobs, as many likely will, our grief will be compounded!
We have friends who work in West Maui and live in Lahaina, so have lost everything except their jobs, which will be there once they are able to work again in West Maui. I have talked with them, mainly listened to them. Our hearts break for the loss of so many lives, livelihoods, homes, animals, land, historical and cultural artifacts.
We have owned a studio timeshare in West Maui for nearly 20 years and stay for several weeks in Jan/Feb. All of our plans for a Jan. 12 arrival have been made, and we hope to be permitted to follow through with them. While we send donations now, we want to do more – to support the businesses and to volunteer however we can.
There are a lot of us who love and respect the people, the culture and the land. We hope that our presence is not an intrusion, but proof of our loyalty to a place and a community that has given us so much.
The Kihei Wailea side of Maui is just fine. Just as our island was recovering from The Covid debacle, we have now experienced our worst natural disaster. We do not need further economic disaster. Let’s keep the the south side viable. It will only help to rebuild the areas that need it the most.
This is absolutely correct. If we don’t get people back to work we are going to multiply this disaster. That means hosting tourists and resurrecting the marine recreation industry asap. DLNR’s response is inscrutable.
Suspending all applications for commercial use permits indefinitely? Thats how we are going to get people back to work?
I have been going to Maui since 1982, every year and sometimes twice a year. My heart breaks for the locals. This is like a catch 22. I had booked months ago and we co-own our condo in Kihei. I want to go to support the people who still need to work, so they can be supportive of those that are unable to at this time, and not become another casualty of this disaster. I do not wish to add to the unhappiness of those who were affected, so I know that if I avoid that part of the island that will help those with the cleanup and recovery process. I can only hope this does not add to their pain.
My heart is with Maui…
This is so sad and we feel for all the locals who have experienced any type of loss. I know some have loss more than others, but we love the island and culture of Maui. My family has roots in Maui and we know the community and ohana are strong in the Lahaina community. Be strong and know you can get through this together as a community and ohana.
I feel sympathy for maui and the residents loss. I have been to hawaii four times in my life and was the most beautiful place I have ever been. One employee from the Bishop’s Museum made a strong point. Even though this place seems like paradise we all have to remember it was formed by volcanoes. These towns and resident’s all reside on top of a volcanoe that formed their Island. It just was an example of how dangerous these islands can be at anytime. Touristist’s that fly or sail the this paradise risk their lives from plane accidents to ships that may sink. All and all this is a reminder of how unpredictable nature can be.
Our family is scheduled to be in Maui in early October. Like many, our initial feeling was to cancel the trip out of respect for the community. We went back and forth and consulted with a lot of people, including a few with local connections. We have decided to keep our travel plans, focus on supporting locally-owned businesses, tip well, buy from local artists, and we are planning to reach out to local non-profits in mid-September to see if there is an opportunity for us to do a day of service while we are there – maybe animal shelter, food bank, beach clean-up or something else. And to pick up goods for donation at Costco when we land (such as dog food or diapers). Hawaii will be good for our souls. We hope to leave behind our kindness and offering of service and support in return.
Such kindness
I hope and think the majority feel like you do KC. I mentioned elsewhere that the concept of tourists staying away beyond the recovery period could really hurt the residents and be the equivalent of kicking someone when they are down. Maui needs to be supported, not deserted. They aren’t ready yet but sooner rather then later. And for sure supporting local businesses, flying Hawaiian Air etc is part of the rebuilding of not just Maui, but all of Hawaii.
Many small businesses on Maui sell gift cards/certificates on-line. If there is a shop, store or restaurant that you want to support and plan on visiting on your next trip, please consider this option. It gets much needed cash into the economy now and could make a huge difference down the road. Donating the gift cards to an on island charity of your choice would be a double win! Thanks.
The reason the Maui officials are asking you not to come to Maui is that there is only one decent road to West. Even locals can not use it to get home. My wife and I have spends days and nights trying to get to our home. One of the problems is that when people get here, they want to witness the devastation. At least give us a month or two to deal with this tragedy.
Hi Tim.
Thanks for that!
Aloha.
Hi Tim. They are asking people not to come to West Maui. Not all of Maui. And there lies the confusion and misunderstood message.
I agree and am always amazed everywhere I travel where individuals just like t! look at devastation. I guess they call them looky loos?~ Im hoping the privacy screens will help deter those!
I have plans to visit Wailea on August 26-31st and I want to do the best thing for the people of Maui. This is actually the first visit to Maui I’ve planned that isn’t on the west side in Kaanapali. Every time I’ve visited has been amazing, and I’m heartbroken to hear what’s happened to the lovely people who call West Maui home.
At first, I assumed I should cancel my trip so people who have been displaced could be housed in my hotel room. With the latest press release from the Hawaii Tourism Authority, it’s become a lot less clear what I should do. I planned on mostly working during this trip, so I won’t be trying to force a vacation mindset on the people who just survived this horrible tragedy. As of now, I’m thinking I’ll be going, tipping well, and doing what I can to be respectful and compassionate towards the residents of this beautiful island… in addition to donating to the relief efforts.
On August 26th we were supposed to arrive on Maui from Canada, this time with our grown children in tow to share in the spectacular beauty of Maui. Our accommodations were in Kihei and were not directly affected by the fires, however; our itinerary included West Maui including the Nakalele Blowhole and the spectacular surrounding trails. This was to be our third time on Maui, full of shaka-laden selfies, 360 photos, and happy Instagram videos. That would have been impossible to do knowing that there was so much grieving and suffering so close, even if we had concentrated our time on the non-West Maui attractions. We postponed this vacation out of respect for local residents, knowing the need for disaster relief to flow properly, without us and our rental car adding to congestion. We know that postponing will hurt the local economy in the short-term and we hope that government can step up for tourism workers. Our VRBO host graciously provided us with a 100% refund which we used to donate to Maui Food Bank. We will not use our airline credits to go somewhere else. We will be back on Maui this time in 2024, to celebrate its recovery. “Ka Aina O Ka Makani Ka Ili Aloha.”
I’m a Maui resident. Our economy was fragile before the fires. We were finally starting to recover from covid. We are afraid we will lose our jobs, pay our bills and support the rebuilding of our beloved Lāhainā.
Please do not cancel your vacation to Maui. We will welcome respectful visitors as we always do.
Your love and support will be greatly appreciated!
Me ke aloha pumehana
Hi Jamie.
Thanks for sharing that with us! We appreciate it.
Aloha.
I can see both sides of it but the comment “…all resorts and hotels should open for the residents who lost their homes. And the government should foot the bill.”
And where is all that $$$ going to come from? I guess the HI gov’t has a bunch of money stashed away from all the hotel taxes, fees, etc. right?
Amidst the biggest disaster I have seen here on Maui, we don’t need another economic disaster. We are just recovering from the COVID debacle so why not let the south side open and flourish as it should. There were wild fires that were nearing the Kihei roadways but those have been completely extinguished. The Kihei Wailea area is beautiful as always.
I believe that people on this site really enjoy Hawaii all of its splendor.
There is a lot of info regarding Lahaina.
I have found what I think is a good source for daily updates via Eric Wests YouTube Channel. Look under his live updates section. I do not know him personally and only have followed him on his youtube channel. He is a person that has been on Maui for quite sometime and truly has the Aloha spirt. If you want a local perspective and follow a person that is helping others I think you might enjoy his videos he is posting. I am sure that there are other good sources as well and BOH and Eric’s both seem to give honest info.
Best
KAB
This was a difficult decision. We were booked into West Maui the last week of September. We canceled due to our proximity to Lahaina, but we were also very concerned about damage to tourism jobs. We will be donating refunds to relief.
Notably, all our travel companies refunded us even if non refundable, except Hawaiian Airlines. They refused based on their ridiculously short waiver deadline of August 31.
We booked a condo at Kaanapali Shores for the end of August through a local Vaca mgmt office. They are not offering a cancelation, and now are not responding to my emails. Even though the property is telling me its not available for occupancy.
We dont want to insert our family into such a devastating time for the people of Maui.
Thanks
Hi Joe.
Have you contacted your credit card company? With some documentation that the property is unavailable to fulfill your agreed contract, they may be able to help.
Aloha.
Hello, I am posting again because I don’t see my comment here anymore. I just wanted to say we are praying for all of Maui and Hawaii as they are mourning this tragic event. Our prayers go out to those who have lost their homes, are displaced and for those who have not been found. We would also like to donate but not sure what website would be the best to do that where there’s not a scam and it does go straight to the people of lahaina. We currently have a trip booked 10/26-11/1 and we’re staying just north of Lahaina near Napili-Honokowai ( next to Maui brewing). We have not heard back from our vacation rental host so we’re not really sure if it would be best to go ahead and cancel since our cancellation date is coming quick. What would you recommend? Of course we want to be respectful of all Maui locals in this time of tragedy but not sure what we should do as well.
Hi Andrea.
Your trip isn’t for more than two months. Hopefully that leaves a chuck of time to see what happens, at least for the next few weeks. With the latest advice from the state saying to avoid west Maui through the end of August, they will be updating advice that should prove helpful for dates beyond August. Hope that helps.
Aloha.
Julie’s welfare obviously doesn’t depend on businesses staying afloat. Seth understands the big picture. This is not like covid where family’s got immediate stimulous & relief payments. The rest of the island needs to remain employed to survive and support their fellow neighbors. There are so many other beautiful areas of Maui that remain pristine (but not unaffected by tragedy). Come to Maui, be a respectful visitor, and support their community so it can rebuild Lahaina.
This to me is a fight between emotion and logic. Emotionally, people are hurting. And the concern of course is respecting the time they need to grieve.
But logically you have to ask, how will Maui be able to get back up on it’s feet if there is a financial crisis as well. For any type of grassroots support to be successful, the people of Maui need a strong economy. Remember, 17% of your lodging is a tax that goes to the state and Maui. County. Not to mention all the other jobs associated with that stay.
I look at it this way. If my neighbor lost their home, would I suggest to take away the income of them and our entire neighborhood?
And you can always make part of your trip a volunteer opportunity and look for ways to give back.
What happened in Maui is tragic and we are praying for all those that have passed away, haven’t been found and those still in need! What would be the best place or site to donate to? So we are fully booked at a vacation rental north of Lahaina near Kapalua airport (right by Maui brewing co) for 10/26-11/1 and we too are wondering if we should still go. We haven’t heard anything from our VRBO host yet and our cancellation date is coming soon. We want to be respectful of the locals but also understand they need to make a living too. What would you recommend?
Andrea.
If you read the comments and responses, you will see the full range of opinions about your upcoming vacation. Not sure if there’s any more we can add that we haven’t already said.
As for donations, at the top of every page on our website is a link that will lead to reputable recipients such as the MauiStrong Fund of the Hawaii Community Foundation.
Aloha.