Maui has been dealt a bad hand in recent years as the effects of the deadly 2023 wildfires still loom amid other economic concerns.
The rebuild efforts are expected to give the island's economy a boost, but it's also facing a tourism slowdown, workforce shortage issues and housing supply scarcity.
Known for its natural beauty across the world, Maui has served as a magnet for tourism dollars. But tourism across Hawaiʻi is slowing down.
The wind-down means trouble for the island's economy, which is so dependent on the sector.
The PGA Tour also decided to cancel its season-opening tournament in Kapalua due to drought issues. The event was estimated to generate about $48 million for Maui.
The broader slowdown is expected to have a wide-scale effect on not just hotels but businesses across the island.
Even as an economic downturn threatens jobs across the island, businesses are also facing pressure to solve a workforce shortage problem. The shortage of workers threatens to impact the island’s hospitals and even brings into question whether the island has enough resources to build up its housing supply quickly.
Housing supply itself is also a huge issue on Maui, as it has faced a housing affordability crisis for some time now. The 2023 fires wiped out over 2,000 homes off the market, which only exacerbated the problem.
Now that the rebuilding efforts are underway in Lahaiana, the island is at least expecting some economic stimulation from the construction sector. But whether that would be enough of a boost to make up for the tourism losses is questionable.
The rebuild has been moving along, but it could take years before it has a real impact. Plans for what the rebuild might look like are also still in the works.
Discussions on how to best preserve Lahaina's culture while also improving its functionality are still in flux.
Two years after the fires, the community has successfully built 68 structures. Another 840 are still going through the process, according to Maui County, signaling a long road ahead.
