The loss of Lahaina remains a lasting scar across the island of Maui.
Two months after a devastating wildfire that killed at least 97 people and burned thousands of acres on the island’s west side, Maui has fully opened up to tourists. Tourists crowd the streets of the north shore, sunbathe on Kihei Beach and admire a dazzling double rainbow over Kapalua Bay. But the historic town of Lahaina, once West Maui’s main tourist destination, is partially blocked from view by dust screens, scorched palm trees and brightly colored highway signs urging people to “Heal Lahaina” and “Respect Locals.” Checkpoints limit residents’ free movement.
Lahaina was home to famous restaurants and lively bars and was a tourism anchor for the area, but like the town itself, the businesses were devastated. Without Lahaina, the road to recovery for West Maui, and the island as a whole, is unclear, several Maui residents who work in a variety of industries stressed recently.
“Unfortunately, tourism is a big part of our economy, and when something like this happens, it creates a chain reaction with devastating consequences,” said Jasmine Kilbourne of Holoholo Maui Tours, which specializes in private trips around the island. The company’s website says travelers can “enjoy leisure time in Lahaina Town.” Kilbourne, 42, is out of work, along with her company’s four other employees. Business has been devastated, she said.
With this tragedy in mind, state and local officials have planned a phased reopening of West Maui. The first phase, which included the reopening of tourist accommodations north of Lahaina, from the Ritz-Carlton in Kapalua to the Kahana Villas in Kahana, began on October 8. Maui County Mayor Richard Bissen announced on October 23 that the final phase, covering the rest of the area through to Kaanapali, would begin on November 1.
The area has changed. In Kaanapali, nearly half the stores are closed in Whalers Village, an outdoor shopping complex selling the bright aloha shirts, beachwear and plumeria flower-shaped accessories that are symbols of a Hawaiian vacation. There’s just enough space to lay out a towel on nearby Kaanapali Beach. Occupancy rates for hotel rooms, timeshare units and rental properties in West Maui are below 30%, lagging far behind South Maui, which includes tourist destinations such as Kihei, according to the Maui Hotel & Lodging Association.
Frankie Urias, 46, who works at Joey’s Kitchen, a Napili restaurant famous for its Filipino-Hawaiian cuisine, said his West Maui neighborhood, once packed “shoulder to shoulder,” is eerily quiet despite government urging tourists to return.
“Lahaina was a big tourist attraction. This isn’t like that, it’s all resorts, there’s not much to see,” Urias said.
On a recent Saturday, the area’s first weekend after reopening, three women sat at the bar at Joey’s Kitchen. As they ordered another glass of “sparkling wine,” one of them said, “We came here to spend money. We don’t have much money, and these women need more.”
Recovery may be underway, albeit slowly, but while much has been lost, many of the old problems remain – the island’s deep reliance on tourism, tensions between visitors and residents, rising property prices and concerns about disregard for local traditions and culture.
In the coming weeks and months, Lahaina will see a mix of increased tourism and continuing relief efforts. The tourists will stay in the same hotels where evacuees who’ve lost everything are sleeping, getting free meals and trying to rebuild their lives. Many residents say they can’t stand this double life. But they have no choice.
“It might get in the way.”
Tourism to Maui plummeted in the days following the fire: By Aug. 26, 18 days after the fire, domestic flight arrivals to Maui had plummeted to just over 1,500 people per day, down 78% from the same day in 2019, according to state officials who oversee tourism.
Messages circulated on social media urging tourists to avoid the entire island, crippling Maui’s economy, where tourism accounts for 70 percent of total revenue. About 3 million visitors spent $5.82 billion on Maui last year, according to state data.
State and local leaders have been pleading for tourists to visit for the past two months.
“I hope that after Oct. 8, you’ll come to Hawaii and really lift us up, because this is a very tough time,” Gov. Josh Green said in a television interview with CBS. “You’re going to help our people recover.”
On October 9, the day after West Maui reopened to tourism, the island saw its highest number of visitors since the fires: more than 4,500 visitors, down just 27% from the same day in 2019.
West Maui is quiet, but tourists now seem to be concentrating on the south side, in the laid-back beach town of Kihei and Wailea, a fashionable area lined with luxury resorts. On a recent Sunday, a small crowd watched the sunset, with clouds framing the island of Lanai in the distance. Many visitors said it felt normal, even lively, to be here, and vendors said restaurants and food-truck parks were filling up again.
Some travelers said they postponed their vacations after lodging and government messages encouraged them to reschedule after the fires. John Spearman of El Mirage, Arizona, said this was his first visit to the Hawaiian islands of Oahu and Maui and that he found it “beautiful and peaceful” so far. He and his family were staying in Kihei and had no plans to go anywhere near West Maui.
“I’d love to, but I feel like it would be a hindrance,” said Spearman, 44. “It feels like going to the epicenter.”
Even visitors with longtime ties to West Maui are wary of staying in the area for too long. Ray and Cathy Weatherholt of Seattle have been visiting Maui annually for about 30 years, but this time they’re staying in Kihei instead of returning to their usual lodgings in Napili.
Weatherholt, 71, said in bustling Kihei, “you’d never know” there was a major tragedy just 30 miles away.
Kilbourne of Holoholo Maui Tours has noticed that tourists who previously stayed closer to lodging in West and South Maui are now exploring further upcountry and into the North Shore, areas that previously were less touristy and quieter, Kilbourne said.
“Makawao has been bustling recently, as has Paia, since Lahaina was gone,” Kilbourne said. “Those towns that are used to being a little quieter are going to feel the effects,” Kilbourne said. “That could lead to permanent change.”
Volunteer during your vacation
Visitors to West Maui aren’t just relaxing and sipping mai tais at their hotels; they’re also visiting local businesses and volunteering. Last weekend, dozens of people, many of them tourists, helped assemble and pack a meal of roasted mahi-mahi with steamed rice and local fruit at Merriman’s Kapalua restaurant.
The upscale restaurant, perched on the edge of the beach at Kapalua Bay, is typically a venue for special occasions like weddings. But for the past two months, Merriman’s has transformed into a meal distribution site, serving up hundreds of free meals every day. The restaurant, which reopened to the public last week, is now balancing community service with preparing dinner.
Sandra Irvin, 63, of Laguna Beach, Calif., was labeling the boxes at a table just steps from where her husband proposed 20 years ago. She and her family own a timeshare near Whalers Village.
“I would never say that’s normal, nor should it be,” Ervin said. “We need to be totally focused on what we can do to help with recovery. Sometimes that means getting out of the way. But it also means getting involved in volunteer work and seeing what we can do.”
Many of Merriman’s employees were directly affected by the fire, but they said seeing the goodwill of the volunteers gave them confidence.
“They’re giving up their time to help. It’s not just a day off,” said the restaurant’s executive chef, Damien Rubio, 41. “We’re really grateful.”
Remembering a loved one
The sense of loss and sadness was felt throughout the island and everyone seemed to be directly connected to this tragedy.
At Wailea’s Polo Beach, dozens of kayaks and curved outrigger canoes paddled out to sea just after sunrise on a recent Saturday. They rhythmically swirled their boats in sync to remember loved ones lost to disease or fire. The event, hosted by the Fairmont Kea Lani Resort, was part of a celebration of Hawaii’s nautical culture. With coffee in hand, resort guests watched curiously through the manicured hedges along the beach, observing the sunrise prayer and memorial ceremony in respectful silence.
Kimokeo Kapahulehua, president and founder of the Hawaiian Outrigger Canoe Voyage Association, said it’s crucial that visitors know and respect Hawaiian culture, especially since “we’re all affected by the fires.” He said his son lost his home in Lahaina and is living in a hotel in Kaanapali with thousands of other residents who were evacuated. His grandson’s school burned down.
“I want our children to learn about our culture. I want them to take care of our ocean and our land,” said Kapahulehua, 75, of Wailuku. “It takes the whole village to take care of our ohana (family).” Family.
More than 10,000 local residents signed a petition calling for a delay to the reopening, arguing that affected communities had not been properly consulted and that standards such as more stable, long-term housing for displaced residents should have been met before the government turned to tourism. The reopening continued as scheduled.
Suneh Patel, president of the Lahaina Town Action Committee and a director of Maui Resort Rentals, said now is the time to fix Hawaii’s bitter relationship with unrestricted tourism, which has contributed to a housing shortage and soaring real estate prices, underlying issues that existed long before the fires.
“This is a place where tourists have the freedom and the level of enjoyment they need, and those of us who serve them don’t have that luxury. It’s painful to see people who have been ignored for generations,” said Patel, 44, whose Lahaina rental property was destroyed in the fire.
“Going forward, how do we find a balance that allows us to move away from so much mining and still have the prosperity that the people who live and work here have to match that activity?” he said.
Winter, Maui’s peak tourist season
A real test for Maui’s tourism industry without Lahaina is looming: The winter holidays, Maui’s peak tourist season, will be an indicator of how the island’s tourism industry moves forward, travel and hotel experts said.
More than 6,800 people displaced by the fire are staying in 35 hotels across the island, Green said at a press conference Wednesday, though officials say they are working to move residents into long-term, stable housing. The lodgings are mostly concentrated in Kaanapali, with some open to tourists. Red Cross posters have been posted at beachside resorts throughout the area directing evacuees to free meals and other assistance.
Other major hotels housing large numbers of evacuees, such as the 508-room Sheraton Maui Resort, have a tentative opening date of December. The 438-room Royal Lahaina said on its website that it would close its doors to tourists through the end of the year.
“I want people to understand that it’s a process,” Gov. Green said in a recent speech. Video Update“We want to slowly recover so that when more of us return in November and December, we can all survive and take care of our families.”
Though Lahaina’s youngest child has started school, nearly every aspect of community life remains precarious, with residents worrying for years to come about when they will get the long-term housing the government has promised, and ultimately how their beloved homes will be rebuilt.
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