One year after wildfires rolled through West Maui, devastating the town of Lahaina and burning homes, cultural and historical sites and businesses, the island and its community continue to rise from the ashes.
Maui’s inspiring rebuilding process has only made the island and its people stronger, creating an environment in which several restaurants, businesses and activities in Lahaina have already been able to resume operations.
While the rebuilding process is still underway, Maui’s doors are officially open—for leisure and business travelers alike—and there’s no better time to rediscover the island than now.
“It’s still the same island that it was before the fire. It’s still the beautiful destination that it always has been,” said Sherry Duong, executive director of the Maui Visitors & Convention Bureau (MVCB). “Our overall visitor arrival is down slightly from 2023, and of course, we know it’s because of the fire, right? But the recovery is moving along, just not as quickly as I know some of our businesses would like to see it happen.
“So, this is why it’s so important for groups to know that we are open, and all of our hotels that have meeting spaces available welcome them back,” Duong continued. “Part of the recovery for us is to bring our visitors back, to bring groups back, because that economic impact is what’s going to help us in rebuilding.”
By choosing Maui, you’re not just hosting a memorable event—you’re participating in a meaningful act of support for a community that has shown resilience and strength in the face of adversity.
[Related: West Maui Reopens. Should You Host Your Next Meeting There?]
Shopping & Supporting Local Businesses
“The biggest thing that really would help would be for groups to just support locals while they’re here,” Duong said.
There are tons of options for groups to give back that the MVCB can help organize.
To help small businesses in the area, the County of Maui, in partnership with the County of Maui Office of Economic Development, the LahainaTown Action Committee (LAC) and Sheraton Maui Resort & Spa, created an event called “Kokua for Maui: Shop & Show Aloha.”
The event showcases small businesses and artisans who were impacted by the wildfires and is a shopping experience in the Sheraton’s ballroom featuring live musical performances and celebrations of the community.
“That might be something groups can do if they know their attendees like to shop,” Duong said. “Some of these businesses haven’t been able to really recover or find a new location to set up shop, but [the MVCB] could help support those groups by setting up something like that where we could organize a shopping experience for a day in one of the ballrooms to help groups shop and support local.”
Another way groups can give back to the local community is through its culinary scene.
“While it’s nice to have your event and all your meals at the hotel, there are a lot of restaurants with local chefs that could really use the support for maybe a dine-around for their group, where groups split up and visit several different local chefs at their restaurants,” Duong suggested.
Groups can also organize an ancestral dining and storytelling experience with Kiawe Outdoor, a company serving Maui and the Hawaiian Islands year-round.
“It’s a wonderful outdoor experience of cooking that’s done with kiawe wood, and groups tend to really enjoy that,” Duong said. “It can be done in various locations for several different group sizes, and it’s a big way to support local.”
Groups can learn about more opportunities to support local businesses on HTA’s “Shop Local” webpage.
[Related: Hyatt Regency Maui’s ‘Meet With Malama’ Group Promotion Benefits Fire Victims]
Volunteering & Corporate Social Responsibility
Since before the August 2023 wildfires, Maui and its sister islands have offered programs through which groups can give back by volunteering or participating in corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities, “and it’s something that has really caught on even more so since the fires,” Duong said.
The HTA’s website has an entire page dedicated to “voluntourism” in Maui that covers all the ways leisure and business travelers can help the island’s rebuilding efforts, from food distribution and sorting with Feed My Sheep to sorting and organizing incoming donations for furry friends at the Maui Humane Society.
The County of Maui also has the HandsOn Maui site and associated GetConnected portal, where users can search for volunteer opportunities with local nonprofit organizations. The site also features updated blog posts covering topics such as how companies can volunteer during the holiday season to five traits that make a good volunteer.
“There are a whole bunch of fun things on there that groups could do as a CSR activity for a few hours or half a day,” Duong said.
More to Maui
While areas like Lahaina in West Maui and Wailea in South Maui are popular destinations for meetings and events, and rebuilding efforts may make some planners hesitant to consider bringing groups back to the island, Duong emphasized that there is so much more to Maui than meeting planners may realize, and many other destinations across the island are open for business.
“Groups are usually more comfortable and familiar with West Maui and South Maui,” Duong said. “But I also want to point out that there’s Upcountry, and then there’s Central Maui and Wailuku and Pa'ia and Makawao, all these other places that can be explored by groups, too—and visiting one destination benefits them all.”
‘The People. The Place. The Hawaiian Islands.’
The Hawai'i Tourism Authority (HTA) is rolling out new initiatives in alignment with supporting local, aiming to emphasize how important tourism and travel is not just for Maui, but for all of the Hawaiian Islands.
In August, the HTA launched new targeted campaigns as part of its global marketing and visitor education efforts to reinvigorate responsible travel demand from key markets around the world to the Hawaiian Islands.
The campaign, “The People. The Place. The Hawaiian Islands.”, uplifts Hawai'i’s musicians, lei makers, chefs, farmers, culturalists, fashion designers and others in their sectors that rely on a vibrant visitor industry and will be live in-market mid-May.
“The People. The Place. The Hawaiian Islands.” is aimed at the Hawai'i target traveler, “defined as those who are eco-conscious, mindful of safety precautions, interested in learning about the culture of the places that they visit and want to protect the Islands’ natural resources.”
While the campaign will have a heavier emphasis on supporting Maui, it will also build on each island brand and be utilized by HTA’s global marketing teams in their respective markets and Hawai'i partners worldwide.
[Related: Meetings Industry Fund, MPI Help Maui Industry Colleagues]
Latest & Greatest: Oʻahu
“Known as ‘Hawai'i’s Gathering Place,’ O'ahu embodies an energy meeting and convention attendees feel the moment their plane touches down in Honolulu,” said Lynn R. Whitehead, vice president Global MCI Sales & Marketing at Meet Hawai'i. “From downtown to the beachfront resort area of Waikiki, O'ahu’s beat pulses in business, entertainment and cultural events.”
Offering exciting attractions, a diverse population, an elevated ambiance and perfect weather year-round, Honolulu draws groups of all sizes to the island. The city was recently recognized by Berkshire Hathaway Travel Protection as the “Safest City to Travel to in the World” in 2024.
“While Honolulu bustles with activity, the areas surrounding it afford a more leisurely and safe experience,” Whitehead said. “The perfect O'ahu programs showcase it all, pairing city with country, surf with style, tradition with innovation and commerce with culture.”
Here’s a look at what’s new and coming in the popular Hawaiian destination.
Hotel Developments on O'ahu
- The Sheraton Princess Kaiulani completed a renovation of 664 guest rooms.
- Renaissance Honolulu Hotel & Spa debuted in the heart of Honolulu.
- AC Hotel by Marriott Honolulu opened in Downtown Honolulu.
- OUTRIGGER Reef Waikiki Beach Resort completed a renovation.
Other Notable Hawaiian Island News
- The Maui Coast Hotel opened its new Kai Tower.
- The Westin Maui Resort & Spa, Ka'anapali concluded a $160 million transformation with the debut of the Kukahi Tower and unveiled Hana Hou by Westin, the first resort venue of its kind in Hawai'i, featuring a 10,000-square-foot social center for guests and the community to gather and enjoy arcade games, Topgolf Swing Suites, a bar and lounge area and more.
- OUTRIGGER Kona Resort & Spa unveiled a $60 million transformation on the Island of Hawai'i.
- Tasting Kaua'i’s new Waimea Walking Food Tour offers two-and-a-half hours of walking, tasting local food and learning about the rich history and lifestyle of the island’s west side.
- Honoli'i Orchards recently introduced its first Manoa Chocolate cacao farm tour experience for guests on the Island of Hawai'i. Situated on the east-facing slope of Maunakea, Honoli'i Orchards benefits from the east side of the island’s ideal growing conditions, marked by abundant rainfall, deep volcanic soil and dynamic terrain carved by the Honoli'i Stream. Guests will learn about the area’s history and take a tour exploring the evolution of chocolate from its ancient origins to its modern craft variations. After a tasting of 10 craft chocolate bars made from cacao sourced from Hawai'i farms, they will learn about the diversity of flavors and unique terroir of Hawai'i cacao.
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