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January 16, 2024
In August 2023, a series of wildfires broke out across West Maui, Hawai'i. The blazes engulfed homes, businesses, and historic sites, killing at least 100 people in the deadliest wildfire event in the United States in more than a century. In the following two months, the state discouraged nonessential travel to Maui to avoid diverting the island’s much-needed resources.
Aftermath of the August 2023 wildfires in West Maui, Hawaii. Credit: State Farm for Wikimedia Commons
The policy caused a significant blow to Maui’s GDP, nearly 40% of which is directly generated from tourism. Tourism directly or indirectly brings in approximately 70% of every dollar generated on the island of Maui. The University of Hawai'i estimates that Maui lost more than $13 million a day in visitor spending after the wildfires as tourist numbers dropped by nearly three quarters.
High reliance on tourism has exacerbated the island’s vulnerability to climate change. Maui’s economy is closely tied to natural assets —natural features, landscapes and coastal infrastructure— that are particularly vulnerable to sea level rise, warming oceans, storm surge, flooding, and extreme weather events. When these assets suffer climate-induced destruction, the resulting economic losses cut much deeper than in regions with more diversified, less tourist-centric economies.
On October 8, West Maui officially reopened to tourism, following a recognition that the return of tourism-related employment was critical to recovery efforts. Both the return of tourists to West Maui and the start of recovery efforts provide opportunities to reevaluate the island’s relationship with tourism, revitalizing questions of how land is used and who benefits from it.
The land grabs that emerged in the wake of the fires rekindled discussions of the role of tourists on the islands. Non-locals have a long history of mistreating the Kānaka Maoli (Native Hawaiians) and their ʻāina (land). Since the annexation of the Kingdom of Hawai'i by the United States in 1898, tourism has grown significantly and perpetuated non-Hawaiians' abuse of Hawaiian land. Tourism heightens issues such as homelessness, lack of access to clean water, pollution, and the destruction of Hawaiian culture and environments, all of which disproportionately impact Kānaka Maoli. Furthermore, Kānaka Maoli and kamaʻāina (local residents) are not the primary beneficiaries of the income generated from tourism: many resorts are run and owned by foreign entities, while Kānaka and kamaʻāina tend to work in the industry’s low-paying service jobs.
Globally, tourism generates approximately 8% of all greenhouse gas emissions. In Hawai'i, it generates about a quarter of the state’s total energy sector emissions. Through hotels, resorts, and overcrowding, tourism has contributed to environmental degradation via the overburdening of municipal sewage systems, overexploitation of water resources, proliferation of plastic pollution, destruction of natural landscapes and native plant species, and exacerbation of soil erosion. These impacts have been worsened by the recent wildfires, which decimated native vegetation, spread toxic pollution, and triggered coastal erosion that degraded critical coral reef habitat.
Climate-resilient coastal tourism starts with holistic and intentional land use planning. As West Maui loses its coastline to sea level rise and erosion, the post-wildfire rebuilding of coastal infrastructure such as hotels and resorts must be climate-smart. Locating new buildings away from the coast and using resilient building materials can better prepare the tourism industry for sea level rise, flooding, hurricanes, and other extreme weather events. Limiting new building projects along West Maui’s coasts to avoid overcrowding will also mitigate coastal erosion, which has contributed to the loss of 85% of Maui’s beaches.
Wildfire recovery also presents an opportunity to rebuild infrastructure with an emphasis on nature-based solutions. An alternative to “hard” or “gray” infrastructure solutions (such as concrete seawalls, jetties, and levees), nature-based solutions imitate natural processes to increase human, ecosystem, and infrastructure resilience to climate threats. For example, restoring native plant species, coral reefs, mangroves, and coastal wetlands can provide crucial ecosystem services to mitigate flooding and sea level rise while also filtering water pollutants. On the other hand, sea walls constructed to protect against sea level rise and flooding often do more harm than good, hastening beach erosion.
West Maui’s vast coral reef ecosystem is a critical component of shoreline protection, serving to mitigate flooding and coastal erosion. However, Maui’s coral has experienced continuous degradation from water pollution and coastal erosion— both of which were aggravated by the August wildfires. Concentrated reef rehabilitation efforts can restore coral’s ability to serve as a natural flood barrier. On land, innovative landscaping can help, by naturally filtering sediment and pollution from runoff before it reaches the ocean. Replanting native plant species can also provide natural filtration services.
With the average four-star hotel in Hawai'i going through more than 300,000 single-use plastic items per month, the hotel industry has an outsized role to play in mitigating plastic pollution, much of which ends up along the islands’ beaches. Many single-use plastics in hotels can easily be substituted with sustainable, zero-waste options— from installing bulk soap and shampoo dispensers in hotel bathrooms to providing reusable cups and mugs for coffee and water. Legislation can offer a more stringent and enforceable mechanism to mitigating hazardous pollution than voluntary commitments. State bill HB85/SB659 would prohibit plastic personal care product containers in lodging establishments. Greater focus on the benefits of plastic reduction will facilitate the long-term health and resilience of West Maui’s natural features— and, in turn, of its tourism industry.
The sprawling Aulani Disney Resort and Spa on the Hawaiian island of O'ahu. Credit: Wikimedia Commons
Maui’s hotels and resorts also have many accessible options for reducing their historic overconsumption of natural resources, especially water. Hotels can adopt “wash upon request” policies for bedding and towels, and swap out inefficient plumbing fixtures for low-flow options. Targeting exterior landscaping can offer considerable cuts in water usage, as lawn sprinklers, fountains, and pools are notoriously wasteful. Hotels can incorporate native and tropical plants that require less water, reduce fountain and sprinkler usage, and avoid new pool installations. At the state level, regulators have already begun to target water usage by hotels and resorts: a plan to increase water rates for these lodgings was approved by the Board of Water Supply in 2023, and will take effect in January 2024.
Rebuilding West Maui’s tourism sector will require reevaluating the way tourists interact with the island’s land and communities to minimize harmful impacts. Regenerative tourism aims to ensure that tourists leave their destination in a better state than before they arrived— in ways that contribute to, rather than exploit, the destination’s culture, nature, and community. Mechanisms for implementing low-impact, regenerative tourism on the ground in West Maui and throughout the state include offering community-based tourist experiences, imposing user fees, and promoting education and marketing campaigns.
Community-based tourist experiences create a more equitable relationship between locals and visitors by allowing communities to decide how they want to represent and protect their culture and environment. While the state’s current tourism governance model has proved ineffective at solving overcrowding issues, Hā‘ena State Park on Kaua‘i has demonstrated a potential pathway for community-led solutions for overtourism. The park enforces daily visitor caps, reservations, and paid parking passes for non-residents. Hā‘ena even inspired recent legislation that allows community organizations to manage state parks.
Initiatives that emphasize a destination’s environment have been shown to increase tourists’ pro-environmental behaviors. Accordingly, Hawai'i has used marketing and education campaigns to advance regenerative tourism. To encourage visitors to give back to the islands, the Hawai'i Tourism Authority’s Mālama Hawai'i program promotes “voluntourism.” It has partnered with 50 hotels to offer incentives for guests to volunteer with local organizations. Tourists can participate in local farming practices, help restore wetlands, and learn about Hawaiian history and culture. Visitors have a desire to engage in these environmentally sustainable tourism practices when visiting Hawai'i. Providing opportunities and incentives for them to do so will facilitate a more regenerative way for tourists to engage with the islands and its resources.
Another solution to over-tourism that has gained traction in the state legislature is the adoption of user fees. User fees, or visitor-impact fees, are collected from individuals, including tourists, who want access to a service or facility. Hawai'i’s proposed “Green Fee” (SB304), which has garnered widespread public and political support, would raise revenue to support the state’s natural and outdoor recreational resources by imposing a $40 or $50 fee on visitors— offering a direct way to ensure tourists are contributing to the land they are visiting. Some state parks throughout the islands already have fee systems for non-residents, including Diamond Head State Monument, Hanauma Bay State Park, Wai’ānapanapa State Park, and Hā‘ena State Park.
Climate change poses a significant threat to the future of Hawai'i, including its tourism sector. Ongoing wildfire recovery efforts in West Maui present a critical opportunity for imua —Hawaiian for moving forward with strength and spirit— through adaptation and resilience, and with the Kānaka Maoli local communities front and center. The current state of tourism is not sustainable for the people or the land, especially amidst the climate crisis. The government, tourism industry, and visitors all have a collective responsibility to ensure that Maui’s land is restored and reimagined to benefit Hawaiian people now and in the future. As Maui rebuilds, efforts to rethink the tourism sector should center on climate-smart solutions that ensure the longevity of both the community and the land.
Authors: Nicole Pouy and Laura Gries
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