Restaurants and tour companies are laying off workers, and unemployment is surging. State tourism officials, after initially urging travelers to stay away, are now asking them to come back, avoid the burn zone and help Maui recover by spending their money.
Because Kaanapali is older and well established, it can get crowded during peak seasons, making it hard to find parking at times. It is a great place for those looking to be in the center of all the activity, however, and makes up for its hustle and bustle with more shopping and dining options.
Here's why. Fodor's Travel named Maui one of 10 destinations on its 2023 “No List” that tourists should reconsider visiting this year. The travel publication outlined 10 regions ranging from Antarctica to Italy that are threatened by environmental damage caused by overtourism and climate change.
In early August 2023, a series of wildfires, referred to as the Hawaii Firestorm by the United States government, broke out in the U.S. state of Hawaii, predominantly on the island of Maui.
Confirmed deaths: 988, becoming the country's deadliest wildfire in more than 100 years. Locating remains and identifying victims has been a difficult process.
Some victims were stuck in traffic, trying to escape, when the fire overtook their cars. The wildfires killed at least 97 people and destroyed more than 2,000 buildings, most of them homes. Some survivors jumped over a sea wall and sheltered in the waves, as hot black smoke blotted out the sun.