The devastating wildfires in August continue to have an affect on the island of Maui. Many residents are still displaced in temporary housing. Though time is moving on, they are still, understandably, working through heavy grief.
This week, all of West Maui, with the obvious exception of Lahaina, is welcoming visitors again. Visitors are advised to bring and practice aloha, patience, compassion and grace.
Many have worried that reopening West Maui to visitors might further displace fire evacuees. According to this Hawaii News Now article, the Red Cross assures all that evacuees will not be evicted from temporary housing.
Visitor arrivals to Maui were down 57% according to the most recent visitor data reports. That’s a big hit to local businesses. So, when you visit Maui, officials ask that you try as much as possible to support the locally-owned businesses. For example,
For more information, see the Malama Maui page on GoHawaii.com.
Sheila Beal
Andy Beal
1 comment
We had to cancel our Maui trip due to the Lahaina fire. We are looking to reschedule for June 2024. However, airline prices are soooooo ridiculously high that we now cannot afford to go in June. Airfare tix prices need to come down so we can visit and support maui once again.