In August 2023, wildfires swept through Lahaina in West Maui, destroying most of the historic former capital of the Kingdom of Hawaii and taking the lives of over 100 people.

In the wake of the tragedy, the chaos and panic of trying to rescue and locate survivors with minimal infrastructure and resources necessitated evacuating all visitors from the island and stopping the flow of incoming visitors.

As search and rescue gave way to recovery and the logistics of getting all of the displaced people accounted for and temporarily settled, the message went out loud and clear – – – Maui is closed to visitors.

It’s been about nine months since the fires, and I get questions from people every day asking if it’s okay to travel to Maui yet or if they’re still requesting people stay away. Honestly, there are a lot of mixed messages, and people are picking up on that. When the tourism bureau, local government, and local businesses are saying something different than…TikTok…who do you believe?

Is Maui Open for Tourism?

Whatever individual people’s opinions are about the state of tourism in Maui and Hawaii in general (this ranges from thinking there should be more balance and regulation in the industry to wanting absolutely no tourism)…Maui is open for tourism. All of Maui (with the exception of the burn zone in Lahaina obviously) is open for tourism.

Visitors were welcomed back to about 90% of the island (everywhere except West Maui) within a month or two of the fires. But the parts of West Maui “unaffected” by the fires remained closed for a while longer as so much of the recovery efforts were headquartered in the area.

By late March 2024, local Lahaina businesses that survived the fires as well as all of the resort areas north of Lahaina (Ka’anapali, Napili, Kahana, Kapalua) officially reopened to visitors.

So while you may hear individuals voice opinions about the state of tourism in Hawaii and how they’d personally like it to be, Maui is officially welcoming visitors back. And local agencies, businesses, and many locals are getting increasingly more vocal about it…I’ve heard tourism in Maui is still down about 20% compared to this time in 2019.

What Does a Trip to Maui Look Like?

Okay, so you can officially go to Maui. But what does a trip look like? Are you going to spend a lot of money for…less of an experience?

In a word…no. I feel 100% comfortable recommending people return to Maui in terms of being able to have a once in a lifetime trip.

95% of what I would have recommended as an itinerary in July 2023 is still doable.

While the wildfires were completely devastating (in every way), just speaking geographically…the lost areas are actually a very small percentage of the island. The historic part of Lahaina with all of the shops and restaurants on Front Street was a big loss for sure, but (in my opinion) it’s certainly not a reason to stay away from Maui.

And while rebuilding hasn’t resumed yet in Lahaina (hopefully we start to see something by this fall), businesses in parts of Lahaina that were spared by the fires have started reopening.

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What about Staying in West Maui? 

While a trip headquartered in Kihei or Wailea on the South Side pretty much feels “normal,” what about staying in West Maui?

On my last trip to Maui, I decided to stay in West Maui to get a feel for what it’s really like to not just visit this side of the island, but to stay here.

And honestly, I really liked it. You still have to decide whether the South Side vs the West Side is better for you (I’m personally partial to Wailea), but after this trip I’m looking a little more favorably towards the west side.

While it’s a farther drive from other places on the island, there’s quite a bit to keep you busy just on the west side, plus they’ve got plenty of tourist/resort amenities. But that’s all unrelated to the fires.

Here’s the situation with staying in West AFTER the fires: The road up through West Maui bypasses most of Lahaina (the burn zones and historic downtown are completely sealed off), but you will see it off in the distance coming and going and that’s pretty sobering.

And the parts of Lahaina that have reopened with shops and restaurants are eerily close to places that burned. I’ve heard some people say it’s a weird vibe being that close to all of the destruction, but it’s also the way forward.

I would go out of your way to patronize businesses like the Old Lahaina Luau, Maui Cannery Mall, Aloha Mix Plate, etc as they’ve spent the better part of a year supporting their employees and the community and are now responsibly leading the way forward with reopening.

The areas north of Lahaina (Ka’anapali, Napili, Kahana, Kapalua) are where you’ll actually stay on the west side and honestly, if you didn’t know what happened just down the road in Lahaina…you wouldn’t know. Everything is open and operating as “normal.”

I think the major negative of staying in this area now is the food situation. There are a lot of resorts and condos up this way and while there are a lot of restaurants, this part of the island really relied on restaurants in Lahaina (especially Front Street) as not just overflow but as an evening destination.

While tourism to Maui (and West Maui especially) is still down, the lack of restaurants is not a noticeable problem but as visitors return in heavier numbers over the summer and around the holidays, it could become more of a situation. Not that there’s no where to eat, but it may require more planning in advance if you’re wanting to eat at certain types of restaurants. That being said, as visitors are returning, more and more options are starting to open in the parts of Lahaina that are open.

And of course, one of the biggest things to be aware of staying in (or even visiting) West Maui is that most of the people who work in the places you’re visiting (hotels, restaurants, shops, activities, etc) live/lived in Lahaina and have been personally impacted by the fires.

These businesses and workers need and want your support, but you should go out of your way to be sensitive to the situation. I don’t initiate conversations asking people about their experiences in the wildfires. It’s painful for many to talk about and while well meaning, I’m sure it gets exhausting being asked about by every person you encounter each day.

And I feel like this should go without saying, but the destruction of the Lahaina wildfires is not a place to looky lou. It’s been an absolutely devastating event not just for those who lost their homes and loved ones, but for everyone on the island and it’s super insensitive to try to go “sight see” the damage. And I personally think that extends to trying to take photos from the road.

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What’s the Vibe with the Locals? 

Every person has a unique perspective, but generally speaking I’ve always found most locals (both Kanaka – Native Hawaiians – as well as people born and raised and folks who have lived in Hawaii for many years) to be warm and welcoming people.

And I think the same is still true after the fires. The pause in visitors was necessary to take care of the community and begin to heal, but most people seem to be ready to fully welcome visitors back.

I’ve also generally found that most people’s perspective on tourism somewhat correlates to their personal dependence on it. People who make their living in tourism are usually quicker to want to move forward than those who are financially unaffected. But the reality is that the majority of people in Hawaii are dependent on tourism (either directly or indirectly).

And I rarely had a conversation with anyone while I was in West Maui that didn’t involve some form of “we’re so glad you’re here…please tell your friends and family to come to Maui.

Want to read more posts about Maui? I’ve got plenty!

Things You Can ONLY Do on Maui // 9 Things to SKIP on Maui // 4 Day Maui Itinerary // My Favorite Road to Hana Itinerary // Things to Do Upcountry // Tips for Sunrise at Haleakala National Park // Snorkeling Molokini Crater // Whale Watching

My Favorite Hotels on Maui // Where to Find Condos on Maui // Wailea vs Kaanapali // Every Resort in Wailea Ranked // Four Seasons Maui Review // Andaz Maui Review // Fairmont Kea Lani Review // Wailea Beach Resort Review // Four Seasons vs Andaz Maui // Andaz Maui vs Wailea Beach Resort

Best Restaurants in Wailea // Best Breakfast in Wailea & Kihei // Mama’s Fish House // Best Luaus in Wailea

My Favorite Things to Do in South Maui // Best Beaches in Wailea & Kihei // Road to Hana Tips // Driving the Backside of the Road to Hana // Where to See Turtles on Maui

Maui vs Kauai // Everything You Need to Know BEFORE you go to Maui