An aerial view of the wildfire devastation in Lahaina, Maui on August 11, 2023.Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Occasions by way of Getty Photographs
Some have been encouraging vacationers to keep away from Maui after fires ravaged elements of the island.
Daniel Kalahiki, proprietor of the meals truck Like Poke, stated it was irresponsible and hurting companies.
He stated vacationers ought to keep away from Lahaina, the hardest-hit space, however go to different elements of Maui and volunteer to assist locals.
Some vacationers have been inspired to cancel their deliberate journeys to Maui after fires devastated elements of the island, however one meals truck proprietor stated telling vacationers to remain away may do extra hurt than good.
Jason Momoa, an actor and Native Hawaiian, was amongst these urging vacationers to keep away from the island. Different residents and activists additionally took to TikTok to inform vacationers to not go to or to go away in the event that they had been already there.
However Daniel Kalahiki, proprietor of the meals truck Like Poke, posted a sequence of Instagram movies saying these messages had been misguided. Kalahiki’s meals truck is positioned in Wailuku and was circuitously hit by the fires that impacted Kula and burnt a lot of Lahaina to the bottom, killing greater than 100 individuals.
“Lahaina’s closed. We grieve for them, we cry for them, we do the whole lot we are able to for them, and it’ll by no means, ever be okay or be the identical,” Kalahiki stated, including the one individuals who needs to be in Lahaina are residents or those that are rebuilding. “However we nonetheless want the remainder of the island to be open so we are able to proceed to reside.”
He stated most of Maui nonetheless wants and desires vacationers to return.
“Kihei, Wailea, open. Wailuku, Kahalui, open. Paia, Haiku, open. Hana, open. All of these locations are nonetheless open,” he stated. “All of these native companies — lots of of native companies that rely on not less than just a little little bit of tourism, as do I. Though my enterprise is predicated on locals, I nonetheless want that little little bit of tourism.”
Kalahiki stated in one other video that what he feared was already turning into actuality, including that folks throughout Maui had been being financially impacted, even dropping their jobs or companies, as a result of persons are telling vacationers to remain away or confronting those who’re already there.
He talked about a number of celebrities and outstanding figures that he thought had been performing irresponsibly by telling individuals to not come, together with Momoa.
“Jason Momoa, have enjoyable in your late-night reveals throwing spears along with your buddies, however what’re you guys going to do for us now?” he stated.
A consultant for Momoa didn’t instantly reply to Insider’s request for remark.
Kalahiki urged vacationers coming to Maui to not cancel their plans however to trip responsibly by staying away from Lahaina and as a substitute visiting areas on the east facet of the island that weren’t hit by the fires. He inspired any vacationers to take a while out of their journey to volunteer whereas they’re on Maui and to help native companies.
Kalahiki didn’t instantly reply to Insider’s request for remark by way of Instagram and telephone.
“All of us nonetheless have to pay our payments in order that we are able to contribute to serving to the individuals in Lahaina and Kula which have misplaced the whole lot. We nonetheless have to survive,” he stated, including: “It will likely be the worst day of my life, if I lose my home to the financial institution due to Maui being ‘closed.'”
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