Visitor arrivals and spending for the state fell in August as visitor arrivals to Maui plummeted nearly 58% and spending fell 49% after the devastating Aug. 8 Lahaina wildfires — the worst natural disaster in state history and the most deadly wildfire in over a century.
Department of Business Economic Development and Tourism Director James Kunane Tokioka said in a statement that “A total of 112,259 visitors arrived on Maui in August 2023, the lowest count since February 2021 (92,611 visitors). Visitor spending of $246.7 million on Maui was the lowest since March 2021 ($262.3 million).”
The decrease in visitor industry performance on Maui was partially due to government officials strongly discouraging non-essential travel to Maui in the days after the fire. Officials later revised their messaging to reassure travelers that only West Maui was closed. But the message was confusing, especially for travelers who are unfamiliar with the geography of Hawaii. It also came too late for airlines and hotels to pivot effectively.
As many as 88 direct trans-Pacific flights to Kahului were canceled in August due to the Lahaina wildfires.
Some travelers who were on Maui during the fire or were planning close-in trips moved to Oahu, Kauai or Hawaii island, which saw year-over-year arrivals gains in August. Visitor arrivals to Oahu rose 11% year-over-year to 507,702 visitors, who spent $847.1 million in nominal dollars, a gain of 4.1% from August 2022.
Hawaii island was up 4.1% to 152,951 visitor arrivals, while nominal spending reached $244.6 million, a gain of 3.6% from August 2022.
Visitors on Kauai rose 9% to 131,628. Nominal spending grew to $229.3 million, an increase of 17.3% from August 2022.
However, many travelers simply elected not to book travel to Maui or to cancel upcoming trips.
The result was that some 769,163 visitors came to the Hawaiian islands in August, which was down 7.3% as compared to August 2022.