Hawaii Tourism officials released a statement over the weekend asking tourists to cancel or reschedule any planned travel to Maui as recovery from the wildfires continues.

“In the weeks ahead, the collective resources and attention of the federal, state, and county government, the West Maui community, and the travel industry must be focused on the recovery of residents who were forced to evacuate their homes and businesses,” the Hawaii Tourism Authority said in a statement. “Visitors with plans to stay in West Maui in the coming weeks and months are urged to consider rescheduling their travel plans for a later time when the overall situation has improved for area residents.”

The tourism authority says hotels in West Maui have temporarily stopped accepting bookings for future reservations and are currently serving as housing for hotel employees and families. Many of these hotels will also be housing evacuees and first responders working on disaster recovery.

Want to help?

The Hawaii Tourism Authority is directing donations to the Maui Strong Fund being administered by the Hawaii Community Foundation.

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