The beautiful island of Maui was devastated by fires in August of 2023. An estimated 102 people were killed in the lovely, historic city of Lahaina. In March of this year, powerful rainstorms overpowered communities, especially on Maui and O’ahu, with torrential, record rains. Now along comes Hurricane Lowell, which did tremendous damage to the island of Kaua’i this week, uprooting entire builidings and wiping out popular spots, including the waterfront restaurant at the lovely Sheraton Hotel/Resort on Po’ipu Beach. The latest reports show extensive damage in Hanalei town and on the south coast, including Poipu and Waimea, home to Read more
Lahaina fires
Two years ago I was sitting in my back yard in Toronto when I got a text message from my sister. “So awful about the Maui and Lahaina fires,” she said. I had been busy and hadn’t been checking the news. I had no idea what she was talking about, so I was dumbfounded when I did a google search and saw the photos and read about the devastation of a town I’ve probably visited 100 times or more. It was a delightful, slightly rowdy, engaging, colourful and somewhat ramshackle town with fine food, engaging shops and an old-time feel Read more
Destination Canada has unveiled a new campaign, “Canada, naturally.” It’s a nice play on words that emphasizes this country’s truly spectacular natural landscapes. The first look of this long-term campaign came with the launch of the U.S. multi-channel marketing campaign that went live in market May 12. “Rooted in Destination Canada’s 2030 Strategy: A World of Opportunity, Canada, naturally. is a bold step toward strengthening Canada’s global position and generating $160B in annual tourism revenue by 2030,” Destination Canada officials said. “To achieve this goal and build long-lasting demand, Canada needs to be a destination that resonates deeply with target Read more
Maui County recently released a draft of its long-term recovery plan for Lahaina. I find it an encouraging report, but there aren’t a lot of details just yet. “To the naked eye, little progress has been made in the 14 months since the fire, with only a handful of houses breaking ground on reconstruction,” Forbes.com reported recently. “However, most of the debris from the fire has been cleaned up, and crews are almost done restoring utility access to all impacted lots.” Forbes said release of the Lahaina draft plan is “no doubt a welcome sign for the Read more
Los Angeles Tourism invites visitors to experience the cultural explosion of events, exhibits and future openings that are redefining the city’s art scene. Los Angeles, and the surrounding region, will come together for Southern California’s landmark arts event, PST ART: Art & Science Collide, kicking off on September 15th with 70+ gallery and museum exhibitions opening concurrently across the city. The Destination Crenshaw project continues to take shape in South LA, while the surrounding neighborhood offers a cultural hub of arts organizations, galleries and dining to visit in the area. Lastly, the city’s major cultural institutions are debuting significant Read more
