Nearly two years after catastrophic wildfires devastated significant portions of West Maui and Upcountry, the island’s tourism industry is charting a slow but steady comeback. Recent figures released by the Hawaii Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism indicate a complex recovery: while visitor arrivals and spending figures are climbing, they remain distinctly below pre-disaster levels. This nuanced recovery, marked by resilient local efforts and strategic marketing, offers timely insights for Thailand’s tourism-dependent provinces still reeling from natural disasters, including the 2022 floods in Ubon Ratchathani and recurring wildfire threats in the North.
According to the most recent statistics, visitor arrivals to Maui in the first half of 2025 increased by 11.2% compared to the same period in 2024, reflecting the slow rebuild of confidence among travelers. However, this figure is still 17% lower than in the first half of 2019, before the pandemic and the wildfires disrupted the tourism sector (Maui Now). The disparity highlights the prolonged impact disasters can have on a destination’s reputation and economic stability — a reality familiar to Thai locales striving to lure back both domestic and international tourists after environmental crises.
Key data from June 2025 show 227,120 visitors to Maui, a 5.1% increase from the previous year, yet still 23.3% less than June 2019. Perhaps more striking, visitor spending in June reached $510.6 million, up 13% year-on-year and 7% higher than June 2019. This trend indicates that, while fewer travelers are arriving, those who do tend to spend more — a phenomenon noted also in some parts of Thailand’s luxury tourism market post-COVID (Maui Now). The average daily census — a measure of visitors present on any given day — remains 24% below pre-pandemic levels, suggesting that extended stays or high-value travel experiences are somewhat compensating for lower head counts.
In response to sluggish recovery, the state government recently allocated $6.3 million for a targeted tourism recovery campaign. A notable initiative was the Los Angeles Rams’ preseason football camp, held in June 2025, with the event including community clinics and a year-long Los Angeles–based promotional campaign. This partnership between sports celebrities and local tourism authorities exemplifies the power of creative collaborations to accelerate recovery, a model increasingly explored by the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) in recent years.
According to the director of the state department overseeing tourism and economic development, “As we approach the two-year anniversary of the Maui wildfires, tourism on the island continues to improve, but the pace has been slow.” This sentiment echoes the experience of Thai tourism officials following calamities, who regularly emphasize the interplay between national reputation, regional recovery campaigns, and traveler perceptions in restoring market stability.
Despite these efforts, broader challenges remain. In June 2025, overall visitor arrivals to Hawaii declined 1.8% year-on-year, with decreases noted from the US East, Canada, and other international markets while the US West provided slight growth. This is a reminder that disaster recovery cannot be divorced from larger trends, such as shifting travel patterns, currency fluctuations, and in Thailand’s case, concerns about air quality, political stability, or global economic uncertainties (Maui Now).
For Thai policymakers and business owners, Maui’s experience underlines the importance of sustained, well-resourced messaging to restore traveler confidence. Beyond government campaigns, active engagement with potential visitors — whether through sports, culture, or digital influencers — can meaningfully shape perceptions. The concept of “mālama,” or caring for the land and community, embodied in the Rams’ visit serves as a model for Southeast Asian destinations to highlight their own unique rhythms of resilience, local wisdom, and environmental stewardship. In northern Thailand, similar themes have been used to encourage post-fire forest regeneration tourism and “volun-tourism” opportunities that help rebuild communities while providing meaningful visitor experiences (The Nation Thailand).
Reflecting on the longer-term trajectory, researchers suggest that the psychological impact of disasters — especially events linked to climate change — lingers far beyond immediate infrastructure repair (Journal of Sustainable Tourism). Travelers may continue to associate destinations with risk, regardless of official “all clear” signals, illustrating the vital role of ongoing reputation management. In Thailand, studies show similar visitor hesitancy long after floods subside or air pollution dissipates; targeted storytelling, transparent communication, and visible environmental restoration work are among the most effective tools for overcoming such reservations (Chiang Mai University Journal).
From a historical and cultural perspective, both Hawaii and Thailand rely on deeply rooted traditions of hospitality and community solidarity to weather such storms. The sociocultural importance of welcoming guests — enshrined in the Hawaiian aloha spirit or in the Thai concept of “sanook” and community festivals — provides valuable assets in rebuilding not only economies but also social morale.
Looking ahead, the interplay between natural disasters, tourism, and community well-being will remain central as climate risks increase. For both Maui and Thai destinations, there is an increasing impetus to build crisis-resilient, sustainable tourism frameworks. This includes contingency funds for tourism operators, community-managed marketing campaigns, and the integration of disaster response training into hospitality education — areas where Thailand’s Ministry of Tourism and Sports can take strategic cues.
For Thai readers, the lessons are clear: support local tourism whenever possible, seek out destinations actively investing in both community recovery and sustainable practices, and, for business owners, invest in diversified communication channels to reach a broader, more resilient market base. In a world marked by uncertainty, collective adaptability, innovation, and cultural pride form the keystone of recovery.
For further exploration of post-disaster tourism trends and sustainable recovery models, see detailed reports from Hawaii’s tourism agency, Tourism Authority of Thailand, and academic overviews in the Journal of Sustainable Tourism.