Wildfires continue to burn in multiple areas of Maui and within the Mauna Kea Resort area in the northwest part of Hawaii Island, resulting in the evacuation of thousands of residents and rescheduling of upcoming travel.
80 percent of the historic town of Lahaina, a popular spot among those visiting Maui and staying at nearby resort areas, has been destroyed. As of press time, 55 people were dead and and more than 1,000 structures damaged or destroyed.
In communication with state and county emergency management officials, and visitor industry partners, the Hawaii Tourism Authority (HTA) has issued the following travel advisories and instructions for visitors:
- Any non-essential travelers are being asked to leave Maui, and non-essential travel to Maui is strongly discouraged at this time. With imperiled residents to consider, emergency management officials are focusing their resources on recovery of people and communities forced to evacuate their homes and businesses.
- Visitors with travel plans to West Maui are encouraged to consider rescheduling their plans for a later time.
- If your client’s travel plans are for other parts of Maui and the Mauna Kea Resort area of Hawaii Island in the coming weeks, HTA encourages you to contact their hotels for updated information. Travel to Kauai, Oahu, Molokai, Lanai and other parts of the Hawaii Island are not affected at this time.
- Although Maui’s Kahului Airport remains open for the time being, anyone who has booked a flight to or through the airport is encouraged to check with their airline for any flight changes or cancellations, or for assistance with rebooking.
Updates on Maui Wildfires
As more information becomes available, HTA will be providing communication updates to their travel partners—including airlines, accommodations, ground transportation companies, activity providers, travel agents and wholesalers, as well as to local and national media—to keep them informed about travel to Maui and Hawaii Island.
In partnership with the Red Cross, HTA is opening an assistance center at the Hawaii Convention Center on Oahu for evacuees from Maui who are unable to return home for the moment. Displaced residents and visitors will be given food, water, medical support services, and shelter as needed. The center also will provide support to help visitors book accommodations or flights.
For updates, visit hawaiicounty.gov.
