Fires In Hawaii Have Prompted Residents To Call For A Temporary Tourism Halt

After the summer wildfires, Hawaiians have handed a petition calling for a delay in the reopening of the islands to tourists.

Communities ravaged by fire hand-delivered an appeal to Hawaii Governor Josh Green, as some residents of West Maui are opposed to plans to reopen the area to tourists beginning this weekend, arguing that the area is still unable to handle the influx of visitors.

There is a heated and emotional discussion over when tourists should return to West Maui, and this petition, signed by 3,517 locals, is a response to that.

The village of Lahaina, which had been around for centuries, was wiped out by the worst wildfire in the United States in more than a century.

At least 98 people perished in the fire on August 8th, and over a dozen are still missing. This Sunday, two months after the accident, officials will launch the first part of their effort to restore Maui to visitors.

Locals feel they should have a voice in Hawaii's reopening. Many locals argue that they are not prepared for tourists, while others insist that they need them in order to find gainful employment at local hotels and eateries.

Governor Green expressed "total sympathy" for the pain of others. He said that over eight thousand people had lost their jobs because of the blaze, and that bringing people back to work was a crucial aspect of rebuilding.

“It’s my job as governor to support them, to be thoughtful about all people and to make sure Maui survives, because people will otherwise go bankrupt and have to leave the island, have to move out of Maui,” he said. “Local people - these are middle-class people that lived in Lahaina - will have to leave if they don’t have jobs”, he commented.

Maui, with its beautiful beaches and cascading waterfalls, is one of the most tourist-reliant islands in Hawaii.

After the fire, Green and tourist authorities prohibited "non-essential travel" to the island, causing a 70 percent drop in arrivals. Economists at the University of Hawaii predict that unemployment on Maui will exceed 10%, up from 2.5% in July. State tax revenues are predicted to drop as a consequence of the recession.

Visitors were encouraged by the tourist sector a few weeks after the fire to avoid areas that were damaged by the flames, such as Wailea and Makena. Then, this month, Green stated that all of West Maui, including Lahaina and the hotels and condominiums to the north, will be accessible to visitors again on October 8.

This plan's geographic scope was significantly reduced last week when Mayor Richard Bissen of Maui said that just the northernmost area of West Maui, a 5-kilometer stretch that includes the Ritz-Carlton Kapalua, will begin receiving visitors. Most Lahaina refugees have been relocated to the surrounding area, which will resume tourism at a later, unannounced date.

According to the mayor's plan, the first section to reopen would stretch from Kapalua to the Kahana Villa, which is located 11 to 16 kilometers (or 15 to 20 minutes) north of the region that caught fire. According to Bissen, after authorities have evaluated the first phase, the second and third stages, which encompass areas closer to the burnt portions of Lahaina, will reopen.

Green also stated that those who aren't job ready won't have to. Benefits and housing, he assured them, would be maintained.

On the other hand, the governor has warned that if tourism drops, it will be tougher for the state to pay for things like rebuilding the elementary school that burnt down and giving everyone access to healthcare.

 

source: euronews.com