Hawaii is ready for Canadians, and other visitors, to return – particularly to Maui, which suffered from devastating wildfires earlier this fall and is still on the road to recovery. But while the Hawaii Tourism Authority acknowledges that while many visitors “respectfully” stayed away from Hawaii in the aftermath of the calamity, the islands are now really ready for their return.

“The best way to support us is to tell your friends and family and readers to come to visit us, we need your help!” said HTA Sr. Brand Manager for Canada Jadie Goo during the tourist board’s annual Aloha Canada 2023 sales mission this week, which is visiting Toronto, Calgary, and Vancouver for meetings with the trade.

Lorenzo Campos, account manager at VoX, which represents Hawaii in Canada, added that the big message from this year’s events is that Hawaiians need visitors to return to help support the islands – and their jobs. He says that, while it is understood that many people didn’t want to rush back during recovery out of respect, that staying away now is actually “affecting the islands negatively.”

Campos is quick to point out that most of Maui – with the exception of Lahaina – has re-opened to visitors. As are all the other Hawaiian islands, which were unaffected by the wildfires.

Karishma Chowfin, director of sales for the Oahu Visitors Bureau says there was a lot of confusion during and after the fires on Maui that affected travel to all the islands – a situation that is “passing” but which has not entirely disappeared.

And to that end, she assures, that the islands are open and ready for visitors. “Please come,” she says, “we need your business.”

As for her island, Chowfin says she visitors will find a great mix of urban and country in Oahu, from the hotels and nightlife of Waikiki to the wild North Shore. There are also festivals galore, including her favourite, the Made in Hawaii artisans fair.

One change during the pandemic, she advises, is that many natural sites in Hawaii, like Oahu’s famed Diamond Head trails, now require tickets booked in advance online.

Chowfin says Canadians, who can take advantage of daily Air Canada flights to Honolulu, are beloved in Hawaii, not least because they tend to stay longer than other visitors – and that’s just what Hawaii needs right now.