Maui expects to exceed its pre-pandemic visitor numbers this July Fourth weekend, according to the Maui Visitors and Convention Bureau, though vaccine passports do not begin until July 8 for domestic trans-Pacific travels.
The bureau said 309,134 visitors stayed on Maui in July 2019, before the pandemic.
In May of this year, about 215,000 people visited Maui, down from nearly 249,000 in the same month in 2019.
The bureau believes the long Fourth of July Weekend will increase travel this year while locals worry about increased traffic and overcrowded facilities.
"I know there is understaffing at the hotel for sure," said Chelsea Fine, a barista at the Andaz Maui at Wailea Resort. "For any restaurant or service industry company, you’re gonna see a lot of understaffing right now. A lot of people moved away over the pandemic, and it’s tricky to get those back. That’s a big concern with all the tourism-based industries over here."
The bureau advises tourists to look into alternative ground transportation due to the ongoing rental car shortage. For more information, visit mauitourism.org.
