In the midst of years of destructive tourism and the recent Maui Wildfires, Maui’s ecosystem and economic landscape are struggling now more than ever. The fires started around Aug. 8 in Lahaina, Maui, and have reportedly claimed the lives of over 100 people, with CBS News reporting that over 800 people are still considered missing. 

In the aftermath of the fire, over 2,700 structures across the island have been destroyed as the fire rapidly progressed. The Maui fires, considered among the deadliest wildfires in modern U.S. history according to NPR, have left Maui in a devastated state. 

Some residents have expressed concern and frustration regarding tourists visiting the area while Maui is mourning the loss of life and damage to land of culturally significant locations following the destruction from the fires.

Maui has had a long, complicated relationship with its economic reliance on tourism. According to ABC News, the fires have already cost billions of dollars in damages to the area. Maui residents also worry about how the devastating aftermath of the fires will come into play with their economic reliance on tourism. 

The NY Times reported that “many residents, particularly in Maui, are furious over the uncomfortable, contradictory scenario of visitors frolicking in the state’s lush forests or sunbathing on white-sand beaches while they grieve the immense loss of life, home and culture.” 

Tourism during tragedy is distasteful, dehumanizing and, frankly, disgusting. It minimizes the human lives impacted and disvalues their reality.

Additionally, with more and more tourist agencies buying land and driving up prices of real estate, it is harder for working-class families to afford housing according to AP News.  The fires have only exacerbated this problem, displacing families living in condos amidst losing their homes. Real estate agents are circling, trying to buy up the land cheaply to make room for more luxury vacation homes and condos. According to NPR, local resident, Jeremy Delos Reyes, and his wife, Grace, have had three different realtors call to ask if he wants to sell his land. 

With Maui left to rebuild after the losses of the fires, the residents have conflicting feelings regarding the need for tourism to bring in capital and the dangers tourism poses to the town. Tourism has been hostile throughout Hawaiian history, so it’s understandable that residents would want to fight large corporations taking advantage of the coastal land where residents’ homes and neighborhoods once stood. The flip side of the coin is the expensive price tag it will take to rebuild the city. If the money doesn’t come from Hawaii’s most popular area of commerce, then where could it come from?

However, the lack of land and housing isn’t the only crisis that Maui faces post wildfires. With heavy water regulations in place, the residents of the land feel like they do not have a say in how their most important resource is used. The deadlock over water policy has left areas of the island at risk of being consumed by the flames. There are simply more pressing issues that citizens should have to be worried about than a contractor bothering them with selling the property where their home once stood. 

Local government and citizens are pursuing a balance of water usage for cultural purposes, tourism and residents. 

“Since the fire, Gov. Green has repeatedly highlighted the ongoing water conflict in Maui in remarks to reporters. He has suspended portions of the water code ‘necessary to respond to the emergency,’ and has signaled he may further relax water regulations throughout West Maui,” according to a report done by The Washington Post. 

In the aftermath of the fire, Maui looks forward to reuniting families and rebuilding, on top of confronting the economic and water crises that surround tourism.

Residents in Hawaii should be able to focus on rebuilding their lives, their homes and their city. Financial implications of corporate influence should take a backseat while the city is repairing. While Maui depends on tourism economically, tourists must also be mindful of how their presence affects the island’s culture and ecosystem.