Maui tourism, an economic mainstay, sparks anger amid fire ruin
By Doyinsola Oladipo, Julia Harte and Rich McKay
(Reuters) — The incongruous sight of tourists enjoying Maui's tropical beaches while search-and-rescue teams trawl building ruins and waters for victims of the deadliest U.S. wildfire in more than a century has outraged some residents.
They have vented on social media, posting video of tourists enjoying holiday activities like snorkeling while the death toll in the historic resort town of Lahaina passes 100 and is rising every day.
«Our community needs time to heal, grieve, and restore,» Hawaiian actor Jason Momoa said on Instagram, urging tourists to cancel their trips.
Authorities and businesses have welcomed the trickle of travelers, saying it will lessen the blow to the island's economy, which relies heavily on tourism. The industry is Maui's «economic engine,» generating 80% of its wealth, according to the island's economic development board.
As Maui embarks on a long, painful recovery from the fires, officials are wrestling with how to balance residents' immediate needs for housing and resources against the island's long-term financial health.
Hawaii Governor Josh Green recalled at a weekend press conference how the COVID-19 pandemic similarly forced the state to weigh the risks of allowing tourists in during a public health crisis against the harm Hawaii's economy would suffer from barring them.
«All of our people will need to survive, and we can't afford to have no jobs or no future for our children,» Green said. «When you restrict any travel to a region, you really devastate its own local residents in many ways more than anyone else.»
Tourism has taken a hit in the week since the wildfire devastated Lahaina, a popular vacation destination that was also home to
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