It ’ s no surprise that vacations are good for us . Downtime , sunshine , great meals we don ’ t have to make … they can all be a huge boost for both our mental and physical health .

But what about the good our holidays can do for others ? Our vacation dollars can work magic in areas recovering from disasters , helping them get back on their feet and rebuild their lives .

Not long ago , I spent a week on the Hawaiian island of Maui , where an August 7 , 2023 fire had completely destroyed the popular tourist town of Lahaina . Early reports discouraged travelers , saying that all available accommodations on the west side of the island were needed to house survivors and first responders , but by late September , the story had changed . By then , only two large resorts were needed to house those survivors , and the island was eager

– perhaps even desperate – to have tourists return .

At a tourism conference I attended , speaker after speaker emphasized the importance of bringing guests back to Hawaii , and most particularly to Maui . Said one tour company owner , “ Many people lost their homes to the fire . We don ’ t want others to lose theirs to foreclosure .” From the servers in restaurants , to the cleaning staff in hotels , the tour guides , and

the artisans who sell their creations in beachside shops , the people who live in tourist areas depend on travelers . It ’ s that simple .

But the important thing to remember , particularly in the case of Maui , is that visitors won ’ t have a lesser experience in a recovering area . The devastation in Lahaina touched only one small part of an otherwise gorgeous tropical paradise . On west Maui , resorts that are just 10 miles

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