A year after Maui fires, tourism nears a US$1 billion deficit

Wailea is just one of Maui's many pristine beaches that have been eerily quiet. Before the disaster, they were like magnets to tourists. (Image: Hawaii Tourism Authority / Tor Johnson)

Bloomberg

Sat, 17 Aug 2024

By Jen MurphyNearly one year after devastating wildfires killed more than 100 people and decimated the historic town of Lahaina on the west side of Maui in Hawaii, travellers are still unclear whether they’re welcome. That lingering uncertainty has created nearly US$1 billion (NZ$1.66b) in lost revenue for the island, which has historically relied on tourism for 70% of every dollar in its economy, according to the Maui Economic Development Board.Officially, all of Maui – with the exception of the burn zone in Lahaina – ha...

Subscribe to BusinessDesk

Stay informed on business, government and financial developments across New Zealand.

Deeply researched, twice-edited and fact-checked news
Annual subscribers also receive a complimentary subscription to The Wall Street Journal
Personalised email news alerts, plus gift up to 5 stories a month to non-subscribers

You can cancel anytime with two clicks, an email or a phone call.
Find out more.

We are serious about journalism.

Already a Subscriber ? Sign in here.

Name {{ registerForm.errors.get('name') }}

Email address {{ registerForm.errors.get('email') }}

Phone Number {{ registerForm.errors.get('phone') }}

Job Title {{ registerForm.errors.get('title') }}

Password Minimum password length of 8 characters.
Require at least one upper and lowercase, numeric, and special character. {{ registerForm.errors.get('password') }}

Repeat password {{ registerForm.errors.get('password_confirmation') }}

We had trouble validating your card. It's possible your card provider is preventing us from charging the card. Please contact your card provider or customer support.

Credit Card

Cardholder's name

{{ __(plans[index].name) | capitalize }} {{ plans[index].attributes.old_price | currency }} {{ plans[index].price | currency }}

All subscriptions auto renew but are easy to cancel.

I Accept The Terms Of Service

{{ registerForm.errors.get('terms') }}

Tax: {{ taxAmount(selectedPlan) | currency }}

Total Price Including Tax: {{ priceWithTax(selectedPlan) | currency }} {{ selectedPlan.type == 'user' && spark.chargesUsersPerSeat ? '/ '+ spark.seatName : '' }} {{ selectedPlan.type == 'user' && spark.chargesUsersPerTeam ? '/ '+ __('teams.team') : '' }} / {{ __(selectedPlan.interval) | capitalize }}