'You're kind of raised to hate tourists': Maui fires fan tensions on Hawaiian island

Last Wednesday, a day after the wildfires, the county asked visitors to leave Lahaina and the island as a whole as soon as possible.

Officials soon urged people to avoid the island entirely, except for essential travel. “In the days and weeks ahead, our collective resources and attention must be focused on the recovery of residents and communities that were forced to evacuate,” the Hawaii Tourism Authority said.

Many travellers heeded the advice. In the immediate aftermath of the fires, some 46,000 people left the island.

But thousands did not. Some ignored requests to leave Maui immediately, while others flew in after the fire - decisions that have angered some.

“If this was happening to your hometown, would you want us to come?” said resident Chuck Enomoto. “We need to take care of our own first.”

Stinkywinks,

They sure like the money from them though

girlfreddy,
@girlfreddy@lemmy.ca avatar

When those are the only jobs available, what else would you have them do?

Stinkywinks,

…so then if the tourists leave because they hate them so? Too many people have 0 logic

girlfreddy,
@girlfreddy@lemmy.ca avatar

You don’t seem to have much either.

rab,

If there are no tourists, what jobs are left?

It’s like if Iceland didn’t get tourists anymore, there would be nothing for locals to do.

girlfreddy,
@girlfreddy@lemmy.ca avatar

… except enjoy their beautiful nation.

Aliendelarge,

“You’re kinda raised to hate…” seems like kind of a common problem for humans.

girlfreddy,
@girlfreddy@lemmy.ca avatar

Especially those whose land and culture are co-opted by us for our benefit alone.

GyozaPower,

I mean, in this case I kind of understand it. Hawaii was essentially forced into being part of the US and then forced into being the holiday stop for rich people. I would also hate it if I lived in a small island with lots of tradition and it all was turned into a mere tourist attraction for people who don’t give a shit.

It also doesn’t help that some rich folk have ravaged the islands by literally buying them

Aliendelarge, (edited )

And while that may be, it resonates with my own upbringing in a town transitioning from more traditional industry of logging to tourism with similar hatred of tourism and other incoming groups. I understand the emotions behind it, but it doesn’t make it productive or useful. It’s a common problem for humanity and Hawaii isn’t special in that other than some of the history being more recent.

TinyPanda,

Americans when they colonize dozens of indigenous islands and commit genocide that Hitler based the holocaust on “smh dont be an unproductive hater!”

GyozaPower,

It’s one thing to have an industry shift (which also sucks), but it’s another thing to be colonised, have some of your islands bought and almost completely owned by rich folk, who can do whatever they fuck with them and having to feel like a tenant in your ancestors’ lands.

There’s one hell of a difference and I wouldn’t be surprised if we eventually had an IRA situation there.

Kbobabob,

They hate tourists? I wonder how they would feel if their economy crumbled from no tourists.

neptune,

Isn’t that the sort of depency that would breed distrust and other negative feelings?

Kbobabob,

So it would seem…

girlfreddy,
@girlfreddy@lemmy.ca avatar

Let’s see … chose rebuilding an important historical and cultural center of Native Hawaiians - and provide temporary shelter, food and money until the rebuild is complete - vs cater to rich assholes who own most of Hawaii or just want to visit, even tho 106 are confirmed dead with only 27% of the disaster area searched?

Choose people over economy every gd time.

BURN,

Have you been to Hawaii lately?

The locals aren’t benefitting from tourism. They’re being exploited working minimum wage in tourist supporting jobs, living in much poorer conditions than the tourists on the resorts.

Their economy could use some scaling back and making it less of a tourist destination. But unfortunately we all know the resorts are just waiting until the instant they can start building on the land that just burned down.

Ajen,

Tourism isn’t the reason housing is so expensive in Hawaii, it’s because it’s an extremely desirable place to live. Reducing tourism without changing anything else wouldn’t help.

BURN,

Yes, that’s very true. However I’d argue that tourism perpetuates a lot of cycles of poverty on the island.

Reducing tourism very likely won’t change anything, you’re very right there, but it was a large contributor in bringing it to the point it’s at now.

rez_doggie,

Stfu colonizer.

Kbobabob,

You don’t have to like it but it’s still reality. And what kind of insult is that? LMAO

FlyingSquid,
@FlyingSquid@lemmy.world avatar

I used to live in Hollywood, CA. Tourists are the worst. They think they own everything, they happily push you off the sidewalk so they can take a selfie, and they leave trash everywhere. Hollywood sucks anyway, but they make it so much worse.

AttackBunny,

I’m in San Diego. Yeah they are. The ones in LA are typically a little different, but as much as I love summertime, the “Zonie” plague, and the rest of the “hot states” gets REALLY old.

girlfreddy,
@girlfreddy@lemmy.ca avatar

“Already, wealthy visitors have contributed to exorbitant house prices, buying land and property in a place where homeownership is out of reach for many permanent residents. Famous billionaires Peter Thiel and Jeff Bezos both have homes in Maui. Oprah Winfrey is the island’s largest landowner.”

pixeltree,

Look up Larry Ellison

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