HAWAIʻI TOURISM AUTHORITY / TOR JOHNSON
Left to right : Visitors enjoy shave ice in Hana ; Travelers can enjoy peaceful beach views in Wailea ; Pā ’ ia is home to several quaint restaurants and shops .
Travel With Respect So , how should travel advisors talk to visitors interested in visiting Maui post-fire ? Daines said travelers are welcome to come and enjoy Maui , and all of Hawai ‘ i , but should remember the islands aren ’ t just a pretty playground . They are , in fact , home to a strong community of people .
“ The devastation here , the loss of life , it wasn ’ t just some buildings burning down . People were trapped ; people died . It was traumatic , and healing is going to take years ,” he said .
Vuori said traveling to Maui is a way of honoring the Hawaiian community . “ If you come and you ’ re respectful and compassionate and caring , you can have a positive impact here on Maui because the face of tourism has to change ,” he said . “ As tragic as this disaster has been , it also presents an opportunity for our community to reimagine tourism and our future .”
Hawai ‘ i is not an amusement park , Vuori said . “ This is why you see the State of Hawai ‘ i talking about regenerative , sustainable tourism . People can get involved with a cultural group or go and help clean up a lo ‘ i kalo ( taro patch ) by looking at sustainabletourismhawaii . org . They can get their feet and hands dirty , and I can guarantee you they will remember that kind of vacation for the rest of their life because they did something positive .”
“ It ’ s an experience that is not available anywhere else ,” he added . “ You can get to know locals , and if you ’ re lucky , maybe you get invited to a real lū ‘ au and become part of the community .”
The primary message coming out of Hawai ‘ i is to travel with reverence and respect . “ That ’ s the message we ’ ve been trying to convey about Hawai ‘ i in general , not just Maui ,” Daines said . “ It ’ s such a fragile and special place , and if we don ’ t take care of it , then none of us can enjoy it , not even the residents . So we all have to collectively take care .”
“ This is just a heightened level of mālama ( caring ),” he said . “ A heightened level of care for a place and people .”
SENDING ALOHA TO LAHAINA
• Hawaii Community Foundation ’ s Maui Strong fund supports Maui communities affected by the fires , including with the response and recovery efforts .
• Aloha United Way ’ s Maui Relief fund directly supports fire victims .
• Hawaii Ag & Culinary Alliance is providing immediate assistance to displaced restaurant , bar and hospitality workers .
• UH Maui College is helping students and their families impacted by the fire .
• Maui Humane Society has taken in displaced pets and provides pet supplies to those affected by the fire .
• Lahaina Restoration Foundation , a nonprofit that preserves and protects history and cultural heritage , is accepting donations to help with recovery efforts .
• See other ways to donate at the Hawai ‘ i Visitors & Convention Bureau ’ s Mālama Maui page .
WINTER 2023 / THE COMPASS / 73