West Maui is reopen after fires, but should travelers go?

In August, deadly wildfires swept through parts of Hawaii, specifically Maui and the Big Island. On Maui, the wildfires spread to the historical town of Lahaina. Around 100 people died, homes, businesses and hotels were destroyed, and that section of the island had been shut off to visitors.  But the rebuilding and recovery process has been ongoing, and Gov. Josh Green proclaimed those sections of West Maui “open” again to tourism as of Oct. 8. And today we’ve brought together three Hawaii tourism experts: Our contributing editor for Hawaii, Christine Hitt; Kathy Takushi, the owner of Maui-based travel agency Captivating Journeys; and Ilihia Gionson, the public affairs office at the Hawaii Tourism Authority, to talk about the island’s approach to reopening and whether travelers should go to West Maui. In this informative and emotional episode, we talk about responsible tourism -- the right way for people to approach travel to those impacted areas. What to say to visitors who may feel apprehensive about going. The aloha spirit that's so unique to Hawaii. And concerns about overtourism: Could Lahaina’s closure mean crowds in other parts of the island? Episode sponsor: This episode is sponsored by Air France/KLM Royal Dutch Airlines https://www.afkl.biz Stay on after this episode for a bonus interview with Charlotte Bowman, sales development director for Air France/KLM, and Mary Pat Sullivan, the executive vice president of marketing and partnerships for Travel Weekly and the Northstar Travel Group. Additional links and coverage: Support for Maui wildfire relief: https://www.mauinuistrong.info/ Hawaii Tourism: https://gohawaii.com Captivating Journeys: https://captivatingjourneys.com/ Reports by contributing editor Christine Hitt: In the aftermath of Maui fires, an agency owner looks ahead https://www.travelweekly.com/Hawaii-Travel/In-aftermath-of-fires-Maui-agency-owner-looks-ahead?ct=hawaii West Maui's phased reopening takes place https://www.travelweekly.com/Hawaii-Travel/West-Maui-phased-reopening A new plan for Maui's recovery https://www.travelweekly.com/Hawaii-Travel/Insights/Maui-travel-recovery-plan Understanding the economic impact of the Maui fires https://www.travelweekly.com/Hawaii-Travel/Insights/Understanding-the-economic-impact-of-the-Maui-fires Additional Travel Weekly reports on Maui fires: A visit to Maui, a month after the fires https://www.travelweekly.com/Hawaii-Travel/Aloha-and-welcoming-hospitality-for-visitors-on-Maui Reopening Maui hotels focus on locals https://www.travelweekly.com/Hawaii-Travel/Reopening-Maui-hotels-focus-on-supporting-locals Maui hotels launch promotions to stimulate tourism recovery https://www.travelweekly.com/Travel-News/Hotel-News/Maui-hotels-launch-promotions-stimulate-tourism-recovery    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.