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
Maui tourism
A coordinated statewide effort to support Maui’s tourism recovery is now underway, with the launch of a $6 million Maui Emergency Marketing Campaign funded by the Hawaiʻi Tourism Authority (HTA). With Maui’s visitor arrivals still 21% below pre-pandemic levels, the initiative addresses critical recovery needs that impact the entire state’s visitor industry ecosystem. By focusing efforts where they are needed most, the campaign will stimulate travel demand as early as this summer and through the end of 2025—supporting local businesses, preserving jobs, and restoring visitor confidence in the state’s most important economic driver. (Some people worry about the cost of 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
My wife and I recently spent four days on Maui, seeing how things are going in the wake of the devastating Lahaina fires and checking out new (to us) hotels and restaurants. I’m happy to say that things are moving along, although not at the pace some would hope. New homes are being built in Lahaina, and there’s a new restaurant in the north end of town, where a cluster of waterfront buildings and the Lahaina Cannery Mall escaped the deadly fires. The second night of our visit, my wife and I ate dinner at the wonderful Star Noodle, which Read more
Visitor arrivals to Hawaii are on the upswing. According to preliminary statistics there were 707,486 visitors to the Hawaiian Islands in September 2024, up 7.8% from the same month last year. Hawaii Tourism Authority figures say arrivals in September 2024 represent a 96.1% recovery from pre-pandemic, September 2019 figures. In September 2024, 19,188 visitors from Canada arrived in Hawai’i as a whole, an increase from September 2023 (18,647 visitors, +2.9%), but a decline compared to September 2019 (21,928 visitors, -12.5%). The stats show visits from all outside destinations were down slightly for O’ahu (-1.3% for September of this year, versus Read more
