Maui’s Governor has reinforced the importance of tourism to the recovery, and future, of the Hawaiian island in the aftermath of the devastating wildfires and the destruction of Lahaina town this month, stating that tourists are welcome – just not in West Maui.
In addressing a community concern about ensuring the economic well-being of Maui and the state – and despite opposition from island residents who want visitors to “keep out” – Green emphasized the importance of travel to the island.
“We continue to welcome and encourage travel to our beautiful state, which will support the local economy and help speed the recovery of those who have already suffered so much,” he said in a statewide address Friday.
Green also has said it would be “catastrophic” if Maui’s tourism industry came to a halt right now, warning that it could lead to a “mass exodus” of residents.
It’s a situation that Maui resident Julie Sumibtay said she wants to avoid, even if she understands how other locals want the space to grieve and deal with their profound pain without the prying eyes of outsiders.
“Some of us need work,” said Sumibtay, who works at the front desk of a condominium complex in Kihei, where some of the units are used as vacation rentals. “So, if they’re saying Maui is closed, then there are no tourists coming in, and then we lose our jobs.”
Already the deadly fire and its aftermath has prompted some would-be tourists to change their plans, opting to head to other islands instead.
“Like we saw in the pandemic, decisions we made can affect everyone across the islands. So, what we’re saying now is travel should not be to West Maui. But the other parts of Maui are safe,” said Green. “And the rest of the state, of course, is also safe.”
He added, “We want people to travel to the state to the extent that they’re not impacting the hard work that these extraordinary people are doing (supporting disaster recovery).”
In alignment with the governor, the Hawai‘i Tourism Authority urges visitors to refrain from going to West Maui (including Lāhainā, Nāpili, Kāʻanapali, and Kapalua) as a means of respect to the people and places that have been lost in Lāhainā during the devastating tragedy.
The Aug. 13 emergency proclamation remains in place, with all nonessential travel to West Maui being strongly discouraged through the month of August.
The impacted area of Lāhainā remains off limits to the public as the search and
recovery efforts continue.
However, long before a wind-whipped wildfire blasted through the island of Maui, tension existed between Hawaii’s kamaaina, or longtime residents, and the visitors some islanders resent for turning their beaches, mountains, and communities into playgrounds.
But the Maui Economic Development Board says tourism is “irrefutably” the economic engine of Maui, which saw 1.4 million visitors in just the first half of 2023. About 70% of every dollar generated in Maui can be attributed to tourism, according to the board.