Maui Locals Plead For Tourists To Show Respect For Their Island In This Time Of Crisis

Maui WildfirePhoto byGoogle Images Maui News

It was another beautiful day in Maui, the surreal island of Lahaina with its greenery, natural indescribable beauty, historical sites, resorts, and marinas were a tourist's dream and home to locals with happiness in their hearts and a warm "Aloha" for all. However, a fire wreaked widespread destruction across Lahaina by that evening on August 8, 2023. Firefighters rushed to contain the flames; however, the wildfire continued to rage out of control.

The flames were jumping from tree to tree, and soon entire neighborhoods were engulfed in smoke and flames. People were evacuating their homes, grabbing whatever they could carry, businesses faced horrific devastation, and the fire roared on relentlessly, seeming it would never be contained. According to Reuters, this tragedy is being referred to as the worst Natural Disaster in the history of Hawaii and the deadliest U.S. wildfire since 1918. Also, Reuters has reported that as of today, August 16, 2023, firefighting crews are still battling flare-ups across the island. The death toll climbs with each new day, and reports of further devastation and tragedy continue. However, many have stepped into volunteer work, delivering supplies where needed most, and throughout this horrific tragedy, the true heart of Maui shines through.

However, not only is the government asking tourists not to enter the island currently, but posts by locals are also voicing their pleas. As shown by one Tik Tok posted by a Maui resident, she respectfully asks:

"I'm not alone in feeling that the tourists need to leave. Be respectful; Lahaina is a burial ground right now. People lost their lives, dead bodies, and spirits that are trying to cross over… Your vacation is not a priority, especially when *most* have no reverence for the island in crisis. So PLEASE, have respect, leave, and postpone any future travel to Maui. Mahalo!"

She speaks about witnessing tourists' demands during this crisis as local people struggle and need all available resources. She asks who decides to allow tourism vacationers while the people of Lahaina are in despair as they have lost their whole town. To see this post, search "conquerlovebyadri" on Tik Tok.

At present, hotel rooms are needed to house thousands of displaced residents. The reasons are stated clearly in a statement given by the Hawaiian Tourism Authority:

"In the weeks ahead, the collective resources and attention of the federal, state, and county government, the West Maui community, and the travel industry must be focused on the recovery of residents who were forced to evacuate their homes and businesses."

On Saturday, a Hawaiian native and Hollywood actor, Jason Momoa, warned tourists against traveling to the island. "Maui is not the place to have your vacation right now. Do not convince yourself that your presence is needed on an island suffering this deeply." This is confirmed by a statement by Maui Police Chief John Pelletier, also on this past Saturday, that only as of August 12, 2023, crews working with dogs have covered just 3% of the search area.

"We've got an area that we have to contain that is at least 5 square miles, and it is full of our loved ones," he said, noting that the number of dead is likely to grow and "none of us really know the size of it yet."

"It will certainly be the worst natural disaster that Hawaii ever faced," Green said as he toured the devastation on historic Front Street in Lahaina. "We can only wait and support those who are living. Our focus now is to reunite people when we can and get them housing and get them health care, and then turn to rebuilding."

We support Maui in its heartbreaking devastation and ask anyone currently a tourist on the island to respect the crisis. We ask that everyone show respect for Maui by not traveling to the island, and giving those devastated, displaced, and in need, availability to all resources available.

Please share this article with as many as you can. Let us all show our respect to the residents of Lahaina, which will be rebuilt and restored to its natural beauty by the government's and residents' hearts.

Aloha has many meanings. To most, it represents "Hello and Goodbye." However, the word is much more than that. It is a word that expresses love, affection, gratitude, kindness, pity, compassion, grief, and mercy. It is a word to Hawaiians that contains a more profound spiritual and cultural significance and is used to define a force that holds together existence.

Instead of planning to travel to the island, let us all give an "Aloha" to the residents, those who lost loved ones and homes, and show our deepest, profound respect.