WAIALUA (HawaiiNewsNow) – The weather has dried out and the skies have cleared over Oahu. But did the back-to-back kona storms have an impact on visitor numbers? And given the damage, is it still a good time to visit the islands?
“Hawaii is open for business. We are welcoming our visitors here,” said Hawaii Tourism Authority chief administrative officer David Uchiyama.
However, the HTA also says tourists should steer clear of the hardest-hit areas.
“We’re asking for the respect of our visitors to stay out of those areas in respect for residents — Waialua, Mokuleia, parts of Haleiwa,” said Uchiyama.
Some tourists want to look at the damage
Not everyone seems to have gotten the message.
“We’re going through a catastrophic time right now in our community, and to see them come through, to be here for their vacation — one, it’s not the right time, and two, I have family members talking to me, friends, that they’re even complaining about ruining their vacation because of what happened,” Waialua resident Shayden McCandless told Hawaii News Now.
Businesses hit by declines
Officials are walking a fine line, trying to help those communities while making sure the state’s main economic driver isn’t impacted. Parts of the North Shore and Waialua are open, but business has taken a hit.
“Visitors are welcome because our business dropped about 90 percent,” said Reba Martin, who owns a business at the old Waialua Sugar Mill. “If they don’t come soon, I think maybe we’ll cut down on our manpower.”
“Just like when we had the Lahaina fire, people thought the whole state was closed down,” said Jerry Agrusa, a professor with the U.H. School of Travel Industry Management. “Even after the Lahaina fire, a lot of people said, oh, we shouldn’t go to Maui.”
Visitor arrivals dipped a little during storms
According to the Hawaii Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism, visitor arrivals from the continental U.S. dipped a little during the storms:
- On Friday the 13th during the first kona low, passenger counts at HNL dropped to 7,829, while the statewide count was 18,187.
- Five days later, those numbers bounced back to 14,629 on Oahu and 25,276 statewide.
- The numbers dipped again during the second kona storm, but not as much, with 10,530 passengers arriving on Oahu and 21,237 statewide last week Friday.
- Those numbers rebounded again Tuesday to 14,015 on Oahu and 25,150 statewide.
Could the storms have a long-term impact?
“Overall, I think it’s too hard or too early to tell for sure,” Uchiyama said.
“I believe most of those folks that already booked, booked,” said Agrusa. “Maybe they’re adjusting, but they’re not totally canceling.”
Some visitors are lending a hand
Some visitors have also headed to the North Shore to aid in the recovery.
“We had two people from South Carolina that were here,” said Kailua resident Frank Romaguera, who himself went to Waialua to help. “They dropped their bags at the hotel, they came right up here to assist. So they didn’t come up here to gawk. They didn’t come here to do anything like that. They came up here to help.”
“Just lend a helping hand wherever you can, whether it’s picking up trash, shoveling mud, you know — just anything to help the people right now,” said McCandless.
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