The reopening of West Maui two months after wildfires devastated the region has sparked an argument about tourism.
The area reopened to visitors on Sunday. Some think it＊s a case of "overtourism" and that it＊s too soon to reopen the region to tourists.
Others say that Hawaii is so reliant on tourism, including the Lahaina area of Maui, that it was the right time to reopen.
Some residents have even signed a petition that has drawn 10,000 signatures so far to try and delay the opening. Some families still have to "find shelter, provide for their children's education, and cope with emotional trauma," according to the petition.
"There is just?not a lot of activities like there usually is for these people to do, so a lot of people are wondering, why do they want to come here?" said Jordan Ruidas, a community organizer in Maui.
Others recognize the delicate balance between tourism being the top economic driving force for all of Hawaii and the respect that the residents deserve.
"It's a great?business for Hawaii, but the difficult thing for us here is that there is not a street, a community, a county. There's nowhere that you can hide from tourism in Hawaii," said Susie Pu, a hotel manager on Maui. "The?most important thing is that we find a balance between the Hawaiian culture and tourism. Hawaiian people need to be benefiting from tourism equally. And I do not see that."
Ruidas said the area might be re-opened, but what is there for visitors to do? Shops and restaurants might be open for business, but are they ready to actually conduct business?
"The majority of?our income is from tourists, tourism, and I wish that we could say that we can survive on only the local community support," said shop owner Noah Drazkowski.?
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