‘Visit, spend, go home’: What people in Maui want you to know if you visit
Tourists were initially urged to stay away from the Hawaiian island of Maui in the immediate wake of a wildfire that killed at least 115 people and devastated the historic town of Lahaina.
But now, nearly three weeks after the catastrophic wildfire, officials and some locals are urging visitors to not cancel upcoming trips to other parts of the island, saying the tourism dollars are needed to keep locals employed.
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“Maui update. South Maui resorts (Lahaina is West Maui) NEED visitors. Furloughs and layoffs starting because people think the whole island is closed. It is not,” U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz of Hawaii tweeted Thursday. “If you are planning a trip to Wailea or Kihei, don’t cancel. If you want to come to Hawaii pls consider South Maui.”
‘Aina Momona, a community organization that discouraged visitors from coming immediately after the fire, is now offering advice to tourists who do come to the island.
“If you decide to travel to Maui, behave with solace, empathy, compassion,” a recent Instagram slideshow urges. The “bottom line,” it says, is that people should “visit,” “spend” and “go home.”
The No. 1 message from community leaders and officials is that tourists should steer clear of Lahaina, which was ravaged by fire, and nearby towns such as Kaanapali and Kapalua, which are housing relief efforts and displaced fire survivors.
Don’t “rubberneck” around the affected communities, said Kainoa Horcajo, a cultural consultant and organizer with mutual aid organization Maui Rapid Response. “But the rest of the island is open and it needs support,” Horcajo added.
Stories about tourists taking selfies in front of the destruction in the immediate aftermath of the fire compound the anger and frustration of people in the community who have already lost so much, said James Kunane Tokioka, director of the state Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism.
Tokioka reiterated the message that the rest of the island and state are open, but urged tourists to act with respect.
Popular South Maui towns such as Kihei and Wailea are far from the destruction, as is Paia on the North Shore.
Travelers are welcome in Kahului, Wailuku, Kihei, Wailea, Makena, Paia and Hana, as well as the neighboring Maui County islands of Lanai and Molokai, according to official state guidance.
