“Over-tourism” has long been a complaint of locals on the Hawaiian island that is among the world’s most popular getaways, and now the Mayor of Maui is asking for fewer tourists, so the island can keep on top of demands.
As the U.S. begins to emerge from the pandemic, Maui is reeling from some of the same strains seen on the mainland, like a shortage of hospitality workers. And its restaurants, still operating at limited capacity, are struggling to keep up.
Now, as cooped-up mainlanders return in droves, Maui officials are making an unusual plea to airlines: Please don’t bring so many people to our island.
“We don’t have the authority to say stop, but we are asking the powers to be to help us,” Mayor Michael Victorino said at a recent news conference.
Hawaii has had some of the nation’s most stringent coronavirus public health restrictions, and it’s the only state that hasn’t fully reopened, in part due to its remote location and limited hospitals.
Also high on people’s minds is the memory of diseases that wiped out 80% of the Native Hawaiian population in the century after Europeans arrived.
The governor doesn’t plan on lifting all restrictions until 70% of the state’s population is vaccinated. As of Friday, 58% were.
Yet Hawaii has become an attractive destination as other states ease rules, particularly because some overseas travel is still restricted. And Maui is a favorite spot for vacationers from the U.S. mainland, where the pace of COVID-19 vaccinations has been robust.
The Hawaii Tourism Authority said 215,148 visitors came to the island in May compared to just 1,054 during the same month last year when tourism all but shut down amid COVID-19 fears and Hawaii’s requirement that travelers quarantine upon arrival. That’s not far off May 2019, when 251,665 visitors arrived.
Restaurants, which are operating at 50% capacity, are feeling the crunch.
“We’re under more pressure than we’ve been in pre-COVID, that’s for damn sure,” said Jack Starr, who manages Kimo’s in Lahaina, which has a reservation waitlist almost two months out.
Eateries will be allowed to start filling 75% of their seats later this week, but Starr says the employee shortage and a 6-foot (2-meter) distancing requirement for tables leave their hands tied.
“Are you kidding me?” he said. “You got to take that down to 3 feet, and we might have something going here.”
Hawaiian Airlines spokesman Alex Da Silva said that as “Hawaii’s hometown airline,” the company is conscious of the pressure the rebound in arrivals has put on infrastructure, natural resources and communities. But he also noted visitors are the engine of the state’s economic recovery.
He said Hawaiian Airlines looks forward to continuing to work with the mayor and other leaders to find solutions.
However, not everyone thinks curbing airline travel is the answer.
Mufi Hannemann, president of the Hawaii Lodging and Tourism Association, said he worries the mayor’s request sends a mixed message at a time when both the tourism industry and broader economy are clawing their way back.
“People are still unemployed. And businesses are still struggling,” he said.
Hannemann instead urged cracking down on illegal vacation rentals and controlling crowds through usage fees. Oahu has done the latter, for example, by charging visitors to a popular and environmentally fragile beach called Hanauma Bay.
City Council member Yuki Lei Sugimura said residents are frustrated but appreciate travellers.
“The visitor – they are our No. 1 economic driver. They create jobs. So they’re very important to us. But people are saying we want to have a balance,” she said.
Via AAP with Mark Thiessen in Anchorage, Alaska.