Travel guidance lifted… A Hawaiian state order discouraging travel to West Maui was lifted this weekend, two months after wildfires raged through the area, killing at least 98 people and burning 2.1K acres. A phased reopening plan is in place, but with schools still closed and thousands living in temporary housing, the decision was met with strong resistance from some residents.
Check-ins: Five hotels in the region have begun accepting reservations. Occupancy rates are at about 12% and are expected to slowly climb to 32% by mid-November.
Work/life: About 40% of Maui’s GDP is tied to tourists, who spent $3.5B on the island in the first half of the year (supporting thousands of jobs). 8K+ residents are now out of work and Maui has lost $13M+/day since the fires.
Pushback: 17K people signed a petition to delay the reopening date, criticizing the plan for not adequately consulting locals, some of whom have been temporarily housed in hotels.
From Maui to Malaga… European wildfires spreading at peak travel season, knee-high flooding at Burning Man, and 116-degree temps on the Spanish coast are just a few of the climate events that’ve recently upended tourism. After the world’s hottest summer on record, vacation favorites (reliant on tourist $$) like coastal Greece and Italy could see visitor drop-offs of up to 10%. Elsewhere, colder regions like Bulgaria and Greenland are anticipating more tourists in the years ahead.
Overreliance can lead to vulnerability… While overrtourism is an ecological risk and a nuisance, a drop in visitors could be hard on areas that rely on vacationers. As extreme weather and climate disasters intensify, tourist destinations may find themselves overexposed to the economic effects. To offset losses, some places — like Venice and the Galapagos Islands — are introducing tourism fees to help pay for natural preservation.