In Hawaii, there's this tiny but loud FRINGE that don't want any tourists coming to Hawaii.
Yes, Hawaii's economy is too over-dependent on tourism. Yes, some tourists act in problematic ways.
But the reality is that people need income NOW, and waiting for another industry to over-shadow tourism will take too long for people who need income NOW to survive NOW! The anti-tourism fanatics are putting lives at risk by depriving employees of an income.
Understandably, after the big wildfires, Lahaina was closed off to non-essential travel. After all, it was a disaster zone that needs time and resources to recover.
For a while, tourist were warned to not visit Maui. But there's a lot more to Maui than just Lahaina. The wildfires didn't damage all of Maui, just Lahaina and (to a lesser extent) Kula.
Lahaina is in West Maui, which is the smaller part of Maui. Damage there doesn't mean damage elsewhere in the island
Let's put it this way, if a disaster hit San Diego, that wouldn't mean San Francisco is now closed for business.
--------
Kaniela Ing (former state legislator, now a progressive activist) thinks that tourism to Maui should be halted, and that all of Maui to be should be dependent on a government-subsidized stimulus money, similar to the early months of the coronavirus crisis.
I agree that we need a stronger safety net system, but I think that any disaster relief funds (which I wish is unlimited, but in the real world is limited) should be targeted for those in Lahaina (and to a lesser extent, Kula) who lost their homes & jobs.
Those who live & work in other parts of Maui who are able-bodied & able-minded should be allowed to have employment-income again which would be easier to get if tourists are coming to Maui again.
------
Also Twitter (or X, or whatever Elon Musk wants to call it these days) tend to attract extremists from various sides of the political divides. There is a xenophobic FRINGE in Hawaii who rant on Twitter that "tourists should never come to Hawaii". Those who don't know any better will assume that's how "all" Native Hawaiians feel. No, that's how the extreme FRINGE feel.
I grew up in Hawaii, been around Native Hawaiians all my life. Very few are in the anti-tourism fringe. Most are cool with tourists, though they wish some of the tourists were more respectful to their land & culture. In other words, they have a more nuanced view towards tourism than the extreme anti-tourism FRINGE that rant on Twitter.
Also this, I don't remember a single politician (not even the ones representing Native-majority districts) who won an election on a "zero tourism" platform.
====
Suggested readings
Audrey Mcavoy and Jennifer Sinco Kelleher, “Tourists Are Needed on Maui to Stave off Economic Disaster after Devastation,” Honolulu Star-Advertiser, September 8, 2023, https://www.staradvertiser.com/2023/09/08/hawaii-news/tourists-are-needed-on-maui-to-stave-off-economic-disaster-after-devastation/.
an excerpt from that article
Clothing designer Gemma Alvior estimates that locals make up almost all the clientele at her Kahului store, Pulelehua Boutique. But that might not shield her in a place where the tourism industry accounts for 75% of private-sector jobs.
“If they don’t have a job, they’re getting laid off, how are they going to buy stuff?” she said. “What do they need to buy clothes for if they’re not working?”
One reason visitor traffic plunged is that Hawaii’s leaders, joined by Hollywood celebrities, told travelers to vacate the island.
The day after the fire, the Hawaii Tourism Authority, a quasi-state agency, said visitors on “non-essential travel are being asked to leave Maui” and that “non- essential travel to Maui is strongly discouraged.”
The agency said the community needed to focus on recovery and helping those who had to evacuate.
Around the world, people saw video and photos of travelers jamming Kahului Airport to board flights out.
That message has since changed.
“Maui’s not closed,” Mayor Richard Bissen said in a recent interview.
People shouldn’t go to Lahaina or the surrounding West Maui area — “It’s not a place to stare,” Bissen said — but the rest of Maui needs tourists. “Respect the West, visit the rest” is the motto some have adopted.
