HTA is letting the Maui community take the lead on what it needs to heal. And there are going to be some people who aren’t ready to return to work.” “It’s a balance, right? If you just lost your house, we don’t want you to lose your job, too. “The two most important things to pack on a trip to Maui at this time are patience and grace, understanding that people have lost a lot,” Gionson said. The loss from the deadly inferno is difficult to measure and includes many lives, historical and cultural sites and families’ homes. “First and foremost, we need to acknowledge that what happened was tragic and we can’t pretend that that didn’t happen,” said Ilihia Gionson at the Public Affairs Office of the Hawaii Tourism Authority. Some locals and Hawaiians continue to criticize the idea of vacationing on Maui right now. Others just canceled their trips altogether. They worry they’ll be treated poorly in a place with a contentious history with overtourism. Some have voiced concerns about feeling strange being at hotels alongside families who lost their homes. Many people are wondering if they should continue with their upcoming trips to Maui. “What's worse, we have the ability and resources to employ numerous people who have lost jobs due to the fire, but now there is not enough work to help our own family, let alone our neighbors.” “Things are going to be dire soon if travelers don't return quickly,” she said. Meanwhile, at stake are the livelihoods of many Maui locals because the island is so dependent on tourism. Some tourists are ready to step up and help Maui’s local businesses in need, but it’s complicated to travel to a place where devastation and loss of human life recently occurred. Though West Maui, including Lahaina, Napili, Kaanapali and Kapalua, remain closed, the Hawaii Tourism Authority “encourages travelers” to visit other areas of Maui, like Hana and Kihei. Josh Green – are pleading for visitors to come and support Maui's economy. Now, a few weeks later, many people – including Hawaii Gov. “With the unexpected and quick shutdown of the island, our whole household is now without an income,” Sabrina Rosenbloom said. It’s all causing a strain for locals who depend on tourism. Over the past week, daily passenger arrivals to Maui dropped 80%. The week after the fires, Maui hotel occupancy rates dropped 27.6%. To many, it’s reminiscent of the COVID-19 shutdown. Images and videos on social media show Maui’s once-bustling – and arguably overcrowded – resorts and beaches nearly empty. Social media messaging soon told tourists “to not travel to Maui” so resources could be used for residents who lost everything. In the immediate aftermath of the fires, tens of thousands of tourists evacuated the island. As of Monday, the business has done only two tours. 8 and left more than 100 people dead, thousands missing and the historic town of Lahaina in ashes.īefore the fires, the family would operate full tours of 20 guests at about eight to 10 bookings a day. Named after the couple’s youngest son, Gabriel, the small family-run business has lost more than 95% of its bookings since the devastating West Maui fires that started on Aug. Watch Video: Timeline of the deadliest wildfire in a centuryĮach morning, Jason and Sabrina Rosenbloom anticipate waking up to new cancellations for their Maui-based eco-friendly kayaking tour company, Gabriel’s Ohana.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |