Originally Posted by
mtofell
Yeah, beyond the obvious with the fire (lives lost, homes burned), the way the economics plays out is going to be interesting. All these resorts were built to bring tourists to Lahaina and it's now gone. So, what are the tourists expected to do when in west Maui? Sure, there are beaches, golf, other shopping and all that but without a doubt the heart of west Maui is/was Lahaina. Where will all the would-be tourists go? Wailea? Another island? Somewhere totally other than Hawaii?
I imagine in the coming years there will be some pretty significant stagnation or price drops on condos and vacation rentals in Kapalua, Kaanapali, Napili, etc.
And some tourists are perfectly content to relax their Fa Tasses at a resort, never leave the property, and eat B/L/D there. Time will tell, and hopefully AS will have reliable schedules to take travelers there other than once a week at midnight from a single California airport.