117 thoughts on “Your Future Maui Vacation May Save the Island from Further Disaster”
dale s
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.
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.
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
“…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.
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.
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.