Episode 41: Forever Maui - How Tourism Is Helping the Island Bounce Back with Leanne Pletcher

Angie Orth:

Nicknamed the “Valley Isle,” this place might as well just be called paradise. It's 735 square miles of overwhelming natural bliss, a place where lush green rainforests meet hilly volcanic slopes, and crystal clear waters shimmer like diamonds under the sun. And when the sun goes down, the sky palettes are legendary, delicious farm-to-table food, mountaintop cowboy ranches, and warmhearted locals who naturally embrace the fine art of hospitality.

This week, we are setting sail for Maui. You'll hear about the culture of the people, what to do and see on the island, what to eat, and how the community is coping after the August 2023 wildfires. I'm joined today by Leanne Pletcher, director of Public Relations & Marketing at the Maui Visitors & Convention Bureau.

Thank you so much for joining us today, Leanne. We are so glad that you're here. I have been following the tragic news out of Maui, and so I know this has to be a busy and difficult time for you and your colleagues and neighbors. I just wanted to say thank you for taking the time to come chat with us and to give us your perspective on visiting and on what makes Maui so awesome. So, thank you.

Leanne Pletcher:

Thank you so much for having me. This is a real privilege to be able to share what's happening on Maui. We're so appreciative of all the outpouring of prayers, donations, and support that the island has received since the wildfires in early August. We are just so grateful for that. It's been incredible and almost overwhelming.

Angie:

I think by now all of our listeners know what we're talking about, that there was a terrible fire in August in parts of Maui. Like so many of our favorite islands in the world, we also know that Maui is heavily dependent on tourism. I've seen different recommendations on visiting Maui now in the wake of the fire, and I want to separate fact from fiction. What do you want travelers to know right now about planning a vacation to Maui?

Leanne:

Maui needs you more than ever. As we go through our recovery from the wildfires in early August, we need you to come and help support our community, help our local businesses, and keep everyone thriving. We are so appreciative of all the support we've had from visitors throughout the years that have kept this island so vibrant and healthy. It's helped generations of people with these positions at the different hotels. You hear stories about these hotel workers who have been there for 30 plus years and have made so many friends, and it's like inviting your family back. We really need our family to keep coming back, and support our community.

Angie:

For people who want to come visit and support the Maui community, what's the best way to stay informed about travel updates?

Leanne:

We have a great website for that, go hawaii.com/maui, and you’ll see there's a Maui travel updates banner. It'll give you all the information that you need about what's open and how to travel here. Tourism is a big support for the islands and our community as it supplies a lot of jobs. We're just asking visitors to travel with compassion and support local businesses. We're using the term mālama, which means to take care of, and in that sense, to maybe look at a volunteer opportunity. We're working with a number of the local businesses to help get the message out there that yes, do please come and be a part of this recovery effort and support these folks.

It's our hope too that a lot of these visitors will go to the unaffected parts of the island, like South Maui, Wailea, Kīhei, upcountry, East Maui—including Hāna—and upcountrys like Ha'iku and Pāʻia.

Angie:

When you come visit, it's going to be a different kind of a visit, right? You're going to be encountering people who have really been through something. How do you recommend travelers interact with the locals? What's a respectful and compassionate way for people to behave?

Leanne:

Just show compassion to anyone who you come in contact with, be patient with them. Just that aloha, showing that love and respect is important.

Angie:

For anyone who has never been there before, can you walk us through the geography of the island of Maui?

Leanne:

The shape of kind of unusual, so it's a little hard to describe. Someone said it looks like a shoulder and a woman's head. So, the shoulder part is where you would find central Maui, which is Kahului, Wailuku; and then we have South Maui, which is Wailea and Kīhei; and West Maui is Kapalua, Kahana, Kāʻanapali, and Lahaina. West Maui and South Maui have the warmer temperatures, whereas if you go upcountry toward Hāna, you're going to have more rain and cooler temperatures going up toward Haleakalā National Park. There's a lot more vegetation because of the higher elevations. There's Kula, Makawao, these small towns that are great to go visit. On the way up, there's Pāʻia, which is a beach town.

Angie:

It's West Maui that was affected, right?

Leanne:

Yeah, so it was West Maui, specifically the Lahaina area that was affected.

Angie:

Most of those in West Maui have been closed up until now. Are they still closed?

Leanne:

A lot of them have been open, but they've been helping to accommodate everyone who's here for the efforts, as well as the residents who have been displaced.

Angie:

People who have been to Maui, haven't been to Maui just once. They go and then they keep going because it's that special of a place. What is it that makes it special? Why do people keep coming back?

Leanne:

The people here show so much aloha, the variety of experiences—if you want to go to a winery or a brewery, we have that, but if you'd rather be at the beach and enjoy the amazing Pacific Ocean—whether it's surfing or snorkeling—there's that option. There are also the small towns to explore and all of our events. There are so many things that you need to come several times to be able to capture all the different experiences.

Angie:

Tell me about some of the food and drinks people can expect when they come to Maui. What's special? What's unique?

Leanne:

We have so many amazing farmers and farms here on the island, and in the past few years, there's been a big movement toward using those locally sourced ingredients. We also have had a real food truck explosion since COVID, and just a lot of talent here on the island. Everyone from Sheldon Simeon—who is on Top Chef—to Peter Merriman, the one who actually instigated the whole farm-to-table movement. We have a wide range of amazing culinary talent on the island. There's a lot of great food, everything from your local fare, from loco moco to Pacific fusion. The fresh fish here is amazing.

Angie:

It's making my mouth water a little bit just thinking about it. I'm a big fan of shaved ice with ice cream. That is just my favorite thing in the world. I eat it at least once a day when I'm in Hawai‘i. Oh my gosh, it doesn't get better than that.

I want to talk about Hawaiian culture specifically, this concept of aloha. I was reading an article from a Lahaina local and they were flying to Honolulu after they lost their home, and he saw a tourist taking photos on the flight of the damage. After the flight, he approached them and asked them to delete the photos, saying, “That's not aloha, we just don't do that here.” What do you think he meant by aloha in this situation? How do we show up with aloha in our hearts and in our suitcases before we even land?

Leanne:

What he meant by that is we're trying to treat every guest as ‘ohana or family. You need to reciprocate and show our community that aloha to protect Hawai‘i and the people of Hawai‘i.

Angie:

And now the AAA Travel Minute presented by Hertz. Let's go. One of Maui's most famous attractions is the legendary Road to Hāna, a spectacular journey along Maui's Eastern coast. The road is only 52 miles long, but you'll want to plan a full day to navigate the route and savor the rainforest, waterfalls, and incredible island views. You can join a guided tour, but if you want to drive the Road to Hāna yourself, you'll want to keep a few key points in mind. For starters, drive as slowly and carefully as you like, but use pullouts to let faster drivers pass. Look ahead for one-lane, bridges, and tight areas and yield for oncoming traffic. Don't stop on bridges or park where you see no parking signs. East Maui weather and road conditions can be unpredictable. Great information is available at hamaui.com/makaalae. AAA Travel Advisors can help you explore the various options available to properly enjoy Maui and the Road to Hāna. This was AAA Travel Minute presented by Hertz. Let's go.

I've been to Hawai‘i and I think aloha is truly the backbone of what makes the people so genuinely hospitable. This is such a lovely sentiment to keep in mind anywhere we travel. Along with embracing aloha, what experiences would you recommend for visitors who want to engage more deeply in Hawaiian culture?

Leanne:

As far as Hawaiian cultural experiences, there are a number of opportunities. The resorts have cultural ambassadors and experiences, as well as centers where people can go. We do have an extraordinary number of different festivals—everything from food festivals to entertainment—and the Maui Arts & Cultural Center is a great venue for that, as well as a number of our resorts. We have a lot of cultural events, everything from Gathering of The Voyagers to … it just runs the whole gamut. Those are more unique experiences when visitors come for the events themselves.

One of the cultural experiences that's tied in with our Mālama Hawaiʻi volunteer experiences is Kipuka Olowalu. When you arrive, they go through the cultural protocol of being invited to the space. Then, once you get into the space, they'll go through a ceremony of everyone introducing each other, getting to know who you're with, and showing respect for the island. They teach about the cultural practices, and of harvesting the kalo, what it's used for. There's that on-the-ground experience that I think is the most valuable cultural lesson.

Another cultural and historical place is ʻĪao Valley State Monument Park in Wailuku; you need to make parking reservations for that, as well as Waiʻānapanapa State Park. Our 2 state parks require advanced reservations for parking now; you want to keep that in mind if you visit those spots. Waiʻānapanapa State Park is in East Maui, and it’s an incredible black sand beach. A number of our canoe clubs and resorts have these amazing outrigger paddling experiences when they go through the whole history of that experience and why it’s so important.

In a nutshell, the Hawaiian culture just shows a lot of aloha and it’s very welcoming. I think that’s a big reason why my husband and I moved to the islands. We had actually gotten married on the Island of Hawai‘i, and my first time there, I just felt that sense of aloha and welcome. If you let it resonate with you, it stays with you.

Angie:

I can attest to that. I remember my first visit and it got me good. It’s just a magical place. Is there a specific season people should visit Maui, or is it a year-round destination?

Leanne:

It’s pretty much a year-round destination. Certainly for the whale watchers, coming in in the winter months is best. We are a lot busier during the festive season—from Christmas through New Year’s. The summertime is actually quite busy with folks traveling from the West Coast for their summer vacation. Spring and fall tend to be a little quieter, but it’s amazing any time of year.

Angie:

What about temperature differences? How does it vary between night and day, for example, especially in the cooler months?

Leanne:

When folks do the sunrise or the sunset on Haleakalā, some people will go up there in shorts and T-shirts. I get it if you're from Minneapolis and you're used to 40-50 degrees, but the early morning hours can get low as 30 degrees.

We encourage folks to take guided tours to Hāna. That way, you can sit back and relax while someone else negotiates all the curves and the bridges, and they'll take you to those special spots and be able to explain the history and the culture behind all those locations along the way.

Angie:

What kind of travelers would appreciate Maui? I know there's a luxury side, and then there's the adventurous side. What can people expect when they come?

Leanne:

At this point, we're really focusing on the mindful traveler, one who’s going to show compassion and want to give back and take care of the island. And we've been doing that, trying to focus on that experience for quite a few years now because we are an island, and our resources are limited. We need to make sure that we can serve it and also have it there for future generations of travelers, as well as people who live here. We're looking for that person who's willing to spend some time volunteering, and whether they're staying on the luxury side—which is the Wailea side and up in Kapalua, which has just truly beautiful experiences there—or if it's the adventure traveler, we have everything from hiking to ziplining to rappelling. There are water activities too, from snorkeling or deep sea diving.

For the people who want to come and eat their heart out here on Maui, you can go from the farmer's markets to the higher-end dining, so you can spend a whole trip just sampling all the different culinary experiences.

Angie:

What kind of activities do you have for an eco-traveler, somebody who's focused on sustainability and the outdoors?

Leanne:

A lot of our volunteer activities like the Kipuka Olowalu that I mentioned. Ka‘ehu, where you can do a beach cleanup as well as planting and harvesting kalo, and that's in central Maui. The Sierra Club does hikes and you get to help eradicate invasive species, or plant native plants and trees.

Maui County was one of the first to put through an ordinance where mineral-only sunscreen is all you can use on this island. We do have it available for purchase and about 20 of our county parks have dispensers with the mineral-only sunscreen for people to use.

We're also participating with a number of the condos and hotels with Rise Above Plastics, where you bring your own reusable container and there are water stations. Those are just a taste of the experiences for the eco-traveler.

Angie:

Are there any lesser-known experiences that you can have? Anything that maybe doesn't make it to the front page, but people just love it when they find it?

Leanne:

The lesser-known experiences are small towns. You can really spend a lot of time exploring Makawao and the paniolo culture—the cowboys that came in to help. There are a lot of ranches upcountry.

And then Wailuku in central Maui has an initiative through SMALL TOWN * BIG ART, and there are 30 or so murals throughout the whole town, and you can do a walking tour of the murals there. That's something very different, and a unique experience.

At the Maui Ocean Center, they have a whale movie at an amazing dome. So, the whale that you're looking at in the movie is actual size. Not everybody knows about that experience that you can have here, too. Those are just a sampling of those lesser-known experiences.

Angie:

Is there a whale season in Maui?

Leanne:

Yes, in fact, we're very well known for the whale season. It typically starts around December 15—although we have had quite a few years where the whales didn't get the memo and they show up a lot earlier—and it goes through April 15.

Angie:

Are these humpback whales?

Leanne:

Yes, humpback whales. They migrate from Alaska and when they come here, they give birth and so they don't eat when they're here. It's the mamas giving birth and then they're here from December through April, and then they head back to Alaska.

Angie:

Do you get to see the babies?

Leanne:

Yes, you do see babies on some of these excursions or even from the shorelines. You'll see the mama teaching the babies how to breach, which is truly incredible. What's nice is that companies like Pacific Whale Foundation will give you a full education on the importance of the whales, the whole migration from Alaska, and the breeding process when they take you out. So yes, it's pretty incredible.

Angie:

There's a quote I read that sums this up from the public affairs office of the Hawai‘i Tourism Authority, and it said, “The 2 most important things to pack on a trip to Maui at this time are patience and grace, understanding that people have lost a lot.”

Leanne:

I agree wholeheartedly with that comment. It's just so important to come here with compassion as we welcome visitors back. That's that aloha that is so precious here and extended; we would ask that you show that aloha back in terms of patience and compassion, and just being sensitive.

Angie:

Leanne, thank you so much for joining us. Thank you to our listeners for being with us.

If you're planning a trip, be sure to connect with a AAA Travel Advisor, check out AAA.com/travel, or visit your local branch. If you enjoyed this podcast, please subscribe and leave us a review. I'm Angie Orth, thank you for traveling with AAA.