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Alex Nakajima, the general manager of Kapalua Golf & Tennis on Maui, fields a handful of calls every day asking the same question:
"Should we visit Maui?"
It's a complicated question to answer following the devastating fire August 8, 2023, that leveled the nearby town of Lahaina, killing at least one hundred people and displacing thousands of locals.
"There are sensitivities of 'Should I go or not?'," Nakajima admitted. "People are calling us for a true feel of 'Should I even vacation (on Maui)?' Kapalua and Ka'anapali are just beautiful. They weren't affected. The beauty is (still) there."
This week's season-opening PGA Tour event, The Sentry, shines a renewed spotlight on Maui's ongoing struggles to return to normal. As someone who works in the hospitality industry, Nakajima wants travelers to return. As someone who is sympathetic to the plight of people who lost everything, including a third of the Kapalua staff, he understands why news articles about protests and negative social media sometimes scare visitors away. Many families who lost homes continue to be housed in hotel rooms with a tiny fridge and no kitchens while trying to rebuild their lives and working at the same time.
Day-to-day life isn't easy, especially for workers in the hospitality industry who must serve the needs of others even as theirs aren't being met. They're wading through the time-consuming process of getting compensation following a natural disaster, while trying to deliver Hawaii's trademark Aloha spirit. The Associated Press reported that up to 6,000 residents displaced by the fire are frustrated and protesting the lack of affordable housing. Tourism officials are asking for patience and compassion from visitors.
“As part of Mauiʻs recovery process, we need our visitors to help keep our community employed," said Sherry Duong, Executive Director, Maui Visitors & Convention Bureau. "We welcome respectful, responsible and compassionate travel to all accessible parts of Maui. We encourage our visitors to buy local, dine at local restaurants, enjoy Mauiʻs incredible activities and attractions including our beautiful golf courses, and most of all visit our island with patience and grace.”
Golfers wanting to tee it up on Maui will find positives and negatives should they decide to come. Nakajima said Kapalua's hotel occupancy won't be at full capacity through much of 2024, meaning mainlanders can enjoy paradise without the crowds that plagued the Hawaiian islands during a post-pandemic travel surge. Both of Kapalua's courses, which are managed by Troon Golf, were closed following the fire, allowing time for small improvement projects like parking lot paving and improving turf conditions that otherwise wouldn't have been undertaken.
Nakajima said the two courses are averaging 50 to 60 golfers a day, roughly 50 percent of normal. He said forecasting a budget this year was simply "a guess."
"Maybe we will see 60 to 70 percent (of revenue) of a normal year," he said.
The loss of Lahaina's 60 restaurants has boasted Kapalua's restaurant scene, which is good for the bottom line but sometimes tough when staffing levels are down, caused by locals leaving the island.
Ultimately, Maui's comeback will be heavily dependent upon tourism. Watching The Sentry should remind golfers just how beautiful Kapalua is. If Maui isn't on your radar for 2024, it should be. Every dollar spent will help Maui's economy and keep islanders employed.
"We want incomes to continue through jobs and working for native Hawaiians," said Nakajima. "(It's likely) somebody in their families are working at restaurants, or they all need tourists to return. They are coming to the sense of 'We need to get back to normal and get back on with our lives'. There is a fine balance."
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