A strong holiday rebound in visitors to Hawaii, including a better-than-expected boost for Maui, has state tourism officials optimistic about the year ahead.
The Hawaii Tourism Authority (HTA) says Oahu, Kauai and Hawaii Island all saw an increase in domestic passengers in the last week of December compared to the same time the year before.
Compared to 2022, Maui was down 14% for the 2023 holiday period. But that’s a pretty good showing considering the devastating fires that destroyed most of Lahaina on 08AUG 2023.
“I was totally shocked,” said Lisa Paulson, executive director of the Maui Hotel and Lodging Association.
“The first week of festivities was as predicted, a bit grim, but they saw a nice ramp-up,” she told Hawaii News Now. “Some of my properties I’m pleased to report had almost 100% occupancy — one had 99 and one had 82.”
The drop in travellers to Maui meant the overall visitation numbers were down for the 2023 holiday season, but strong performances by other islands meant the total visitor numbers were down only 1.5%.
The HTA is encouraging responsible tourism to Maui in the wake of the fires. Visitors are being asked not to visit Lahaina or take photos of damaged areas.
They’re also encouraged to donate some of their time to a worthy cause, such as helping out at a food bank or taking part in a beach clean-up.
As Open Jaw reported in October 2023, the HTA introduced new videos in collaboration with community members and partners discussing mindful tourism and guidance on respectful visits to Maui.
