Hawaii Launches New Campaign To Address Anti-tourism Sentiments And Boost Maui’s Recovery, Here Is All You Need To Know

Tuesday, July 15, 2025

Almost 2 years since nan 1 of nan astir devastating wildfire ever to rage connected occidental Maui burnt >100 lives, >1000 residents & galore parts of Lahaina into a oversea of ashes, nan Island is trying to recover. While Maui is connected nan roadworthy to recover, tourism has taken a forefront position successful economical betterment efforts. Yet contempt its initiatives, nan number of visitors to nan land has declined.

Maui picnic request fell 5 percent successful Apr 2024 arsenic 207,500 visitors arrived successful Apr 2025, which was 84% of Maui’s visitors from Apr 2019. Hawaii’s wide tourism numbers person besides dipped, pinch a driblet connected June 2025. This has upset immoderate of Hawaii’s tourism interests, who cognize tourism is simply a very important portion of nan island’s system — particularly arsenic it pertains to Maui.

Social Media The Anti-Tourism Sentiment

The complete turning of visitors staying successful nan semipermanent rentals has cleared immoderate edifice rooms (and furniture and breakfasts) for workers’ housing, but 1 of nan large obstacles to Maui’s betterment is nan expanding anti-tourism sentiment successful nan nationalist discussion, particularly societal media discussions. One study by nan Hawaii Convention & Visitors Bureau (HVCB) recovered astir 25% of societal media posts connected Maui tourism included negativity aliases anti-tourist sentiments. This is peculiarly worrying arsenic 98% of these posts are from Hawaiʻi’s `ovēs, truthful it seems that nan antagonistic sentiment derives chiefly from group not surviving successful Hawai’i.

This alteration successful cognition is peculiarly depressing fixed that it undermines Maui’s attempts to reconstruct tourists, moreover though nan land still welcomes aloha visitors. The summation successful antagonistic societal media media posts causing misunderstandings astir who is welcomed and relating to nan land being visited.

Hawaii Tourism Campaign: “Maui is Open for Business”

Addressing this ever-growing interest is nan Hawaii Tourism Authority (HTA) who, together pinch nan Hawaii Convention & Visitors Bureau (HVCB), person launched a typical inaugural successful bid to put visitors & residents minds astatine easiness that Maui is still unfastened for business. The campaign, posted astir an image “Maui continues to invited visitors pinch aloha”, is intended to group nan grounds consecutive and to pull much visitors to nan island.

Robyn Basso, nan elder head of recreation manufacture partnerships for HVCB, said while immoderate businesses successful Lahaina person been impacted by wildfires, others person re‐opened, and location are still plentifulness of things to spot and do crossed nan island. The effort is designed to observe Maui’s committedness to hospitality and organization engagement.

“Tourism continues to beryllium a lifeline for nan families, mini businesses, and communities who trust connected it each crossed nan island,” Basso said. “Lahaina loves its businesses that person reopened, location is truthful overmuch to sensation connected Maui.

$6 Million Push for Maui’s Tourism Recovery

In an effort to move things around, nan Hawaii Tourism Authority is rolling retired a \$6 cardinal trading blitz focused connected U.S. travelers. The Whisky is – The campaign, moving done nan extremity of nan year, wholesaler promotions, societal media efforts and manufacture partnerships.

To thief nan visitant industry, HVCB is collaborating pinch apical recreation wholesalers, specified arsenic Expedia, Costco Travel, Pleasant Holidays, Delta Vacations, and Classic Vacations. These partnerships dress up nan bulk of nan booking traffic, and travelers who book their Maui vacations done these channels are eligible for typical offers—they tin person discounted packages aliases instant booking credits.

Aaron J. Sala, HVCB president and CEO, stressed nan request to rebuild visitant arrivals to thief nan authorities economy. “Rightly for economical reasons we are not getting it anyplace adjacent for illustration we request to get it and time by time nan ripple that comes disconnected that is beautiful beardown here,” Sala said.

Development of Positive Travel Experience and Word-of-Mouth Marketing

In an effort to amended and correct misinformation astir Maui, nan HVCB is urging recreation advisors to beryllium instrumental successful nan island’s rebound.! As such, they are calling upon recreation professionals to merge and thief combat antagonistic perceptions pinch affirmative ones by sharing pinch others that Maui is simply a safe and invited spot to sojourn erstwhile doing truthful pinch sensitivity and purpose.

Gina Chun, elder director, advertizing and trading programs astatine HVCB, said that “People. The Place. Maui” campaign, which has already been successful, is nan ground for this caller trading thrust. “We’re already building connected a beardown and coagulated guidelines of waste and acquisition support, which is simply a modular portion of our yearly waste and acquisition scheme successful nan U.S. market,” Chun said. The “People. The Place. Maui” run debuts present and features section Maui locals welcoming visitors to their land pinch a spot of Maui attitude.

The Hawaiian Investment: Luxury, Culture, and Beauty

Maui’s some typical and unsocial ~ luxury, earthy beauty, and taste meaning. Travel advisors who book Hawaii tourism, including those who put vacations for luxury travelers, are seeing a alteration successful their clients’ attitudes. Katie Lee, a luxury recreation adviser, says her clients utilized to book Hawaii vacations acold successful advance, but now, it’s each astir last-minute bookings, peculiarly to Maui.

I urge my clients station their exceptional experiences connected societal media truthful they tin animate their friends and family to visit, and they tin thief genuinely showcase what nan land has to offer,”Lee said. That word-of-mouth advertizing is important successful rehabilitating nan image of Maui and bringing tourism back.

Educating Travel Advisors and Next Steps

Additionally investing successful acquisition and training of recreation advisors to proceed to create Maui tourism, nan HVCB. From August to November hap a concatenation of acquisition efforts, designed astatine raising consciousness of Maui’s attractions, information and taste significance. “There will besides beryllium 2 familiarization (FAM trips) disposable to recreation agents successful bid to guarantee that they are being wholly informed and shown nan benefits of walking to this destination.”

They are intended to make judge that recreation professionals are prepared to amended travelers successful really to make responsible choices astir visiting Maui, and recommendations for walking responsibly and sustainably.

What’s Next: The Future of Maui Tourism

“Today’s motorboat of this caller trading run is simply a awesome pivot for Maui arsenic we activity to retrieve from nan wildfires and while addressing nan challenges from nan pandemic. It’s this type of misinformation nan Hawaii Tourism Authority is hoping to correct arsenic nan agency tries to pull backmost much visitors to Maui successful nan months ahead.

Maui isn’t conscionable touting ‘how many’ tourists, but really successful nan section system and communities successful nan full land are because of tourism. As nan run progresses, nan thought is for guests to time off hopes and unfastened minds erstwhile visiting Maui and to stay respectful of its unsocial beauty and section residents.

Despite challenges and obstacles, Maui tourism manufacture members are fervently moving to rebound and stay a beardown magnet for visitors from passim nan globe.