Rebuilding Together: How Tourism Boards From Maui, Pasadena, And Asheville Are Navigating Recovery After Wildfires And Hurricanes

Published on September 4, 2025

When communities are devastated by earthy disasters for illustration hurricanes and wildfires, tourism boards are called upon to do much than conscionable beforehand nan destination. Rather, they return connected important roles successful nan treatment process. Following specified crises, nan tourism boards of Asheville, Maui, and Pasadena person established a support strategy pinch nan extremity of assisting 1 different successful reconstructing their tourism industries and communities. Since then, what began arsenic a fortuitous brushwood successful New York has developed into a captious collaboration centred connected exchanging information, resources, and affectional support successful times of need.

The Birth of a Support Network

The relationship betwixt nan tourism boards of Maui, Pasadena, and Asheville began astatine a media arena successful January 2025. At nan time, Pasadena was still recovering from nan Eaton fire, while Maui was dealing pinch nan aftermath of nan catastrophic 2023 wildfires. Both destinations were represented astatine TravMedia’s International Media Marketplace successful New York. Amid nan chaos and accent of nan betterment process, a elemental speech betwixt nan representatives of nan tourism boards sparked what would go a lasting partnership.

Although not definite of attending nan arena owed to nan difficulties posed by nan ongoing betterment efforts, nan typical from Pasadena recovered nan travel to beryllium unexpectedly transformative. At nan event, erstwhile Los Angeles was recognised, it prompted Maui’s tourism charismatic to scope out. As 1 organization was still grieving, nan different reached retired pinch empathy, offering proposal and solidarity. This enactment of kindness laid nan instauration for a long-lasting master and individual bond.

A Gathering of Shared Experience

Following nan first meeting, nan tourism boards of Maui and Pasadena kept successful touch. Soon after, they arranged for an in-person gathering successful Los Angeles, wherever they shared stories of their respective betterment processes. Their discussions revealed some successes and challenges, pinch some teams sharing lessons learnt and nan affectional toll nan disaster betterment had taken connected their staff. The speech was powerful, highlighting not only nan applicable aspects of betterment but besides nan value of empathy and solidarity betwixt communities successful crisis.

By nan summertime of 2025, Asheville, North Carolina, joined nan network. After nan devastation caused by Hurricane Helene, Asheville’s tourism committee was eager to link pinch others who had faced akin struggles. This expanded support web now included 3 destinations, each grappling pinch its ain unsocial challenges while providing support and spot to 1 another.

More Than Marketing: The Dual Role of Tourism Boards

In nan aftermath of nan fires and hurricanes, tourism boards successful affected areas recovered their responsibilities shifting dramatically. It was nary longer conscionable astir promoting a destination; nan task of situation guidance and organization support became arsenic important. In Maui, nan tourism committee unit joined nan county’s emergency operations centre, assisting pinch alleviation efforts and communications. Many labor were personally impacted by nan disaster, losing homes aliases having family members affected, which only deepened their committedness to nan betterment efforts.

Similarly, successful Pasadena, tourism workers recovered themselves moving connected aggregate fronts. The city’s normal centre was transformed into an emergency shelter for displaced residents, while nan unit continued to negociate communications and support section businesses. The consciousness of work went beyond their master roles; they were profoundly progressive successful supporting their neighbours and helping to rebuild their community.

This dual work of being some victims and responders was emotionally taxing. However, nan unit members successful some destinations recovered ways to cope. In Maui, nan support of nan organization provided a root of strength, pinch section chefs cooking meals for those affected and volunteers stepping successful to thief wherever possible. These acts of resilience became integral to Maui’s betterment process.

In Pasadena, nan tourism unit recovered a measurement to header pinch their individual losses by diving into betterment efforts. The urgency of these tasks provided a consciousness of attraction during an different overwhelming time, though looking back, it was recognised that this changeless attraction whitethorn person delayed their affectional processing.

A Message for Travelers: How Intentional Travel Helps

Both Maui and Pasadena are now sending a clear connection to imaginable visitors: showing up successful nan aftermath of a disaster matters. Responsible tourism — choosing to shop astatine small, section businesses, booking pinch section operators, and eating astatine independent restaurants — plays a important domiciled successful helping communities rebuild. However, visitors are besides encouraged to attack their recreation pinch empathy and knowing for nan symptom and trauma nan organization has endured.

The tourism boards accent that visiting these destinations post-disaster should not beryllium seen arsenic a “guilt journey” aliases an effort to disregard nan suffering. Instead, it should beryllium a measurement to show solidarity, respect, and support for nan betterment process. Tourists are seen arsenic a captious portion of nan treatment journey, and their beingness is welcomed arsenic a motion of resilience and corporate effort.

Signs of Recovery and Long-Term Impact

Both Maui and Pasadena are starting to show visible signs of recovery. In Maui, businesses successful Lahaina are reopening, and nan number of visitors is slow returning to pre-disaster levels. In Pasadena, trading campaigns person helped section businesses get backmost connected their feet. While betterment is still an ongoing process, these destinations person learnt invaluable lessons from their experiences.

For nan tourism boards, nan effect of nan disasters has permanently changed nan measurement they attack their work. In Maui, nan tourism squad now sees its domiciled arsenic not conscionable promoting nan destination but ensuring that tourism efforts actively lend to nan community’s well-being. In Pasadena, nan acquisition has led to nan finance successful situation training, ensuring that nan squad is amended prepared for early emergencies and much attuned to nan semipermanent needs of nan community.

Building a Collaborative Future

Between these 3 locations, nan support strategy is still strong. The tourism boards person learnt much than conscionable master lessons from their communal support and shared experiences. They now admit nan humanity that goes beyond their positions arsenic promoters and marketers. According to 1 of nan Pasadena representatives, though becoming a personnel of specified a web is simply a nine 1 would ne'er want to beryllium a portion of, nan support and knowledge that it provides are priceless.

There are plans for nan web to support expanding successful nan future. In bid to item nan resiliency of nan recovering destinations and nan value of responsible tourism, nan tourism boards are reasoning astir collaborating connected projects for illustration a “progressive property trip” passim them. Together, they intend to show their stories much widely, bolster their group’s resilience to upcoming difficulties, and show really tourism tin support healing.