At the end of April, I visited the Westin Maui Resort & Spa on the sunny coast of Kaanapali, about 3 miles north of Lahaina. The high-end hotel had just wrapped up a $160 million transformation and invited media to tour the property.

And it was everything you’d expect a multimillion-dollar renovation would look like: an infinity-edged cocktail pool in one of its renovated towers, spacious cabanas complete with chaise lounges and flat-screen TVs, gorgeous suites with sweeping views of the ocean.

And yet, even now, at the beginning of what should be the busiest season for travel to the islands, the property — and the surrounding beach and shops — weren’t busy at all. Let’s just say there weren’t any long lines at Ulu Kitchen, the new restaurant by chef Peter Merriman at the hotel, and finding a secluded spot on the typically busy Kaanapali Beach was surprisingly easy.

Travel to Maui was down 25.5% in March compared to last year, according to the Hawaii Tourism Authority. Visitor spending and hotel occupancy on Maui are down, too. While U.S. visitor arrivals to Maui were the highest it’s been since the deadly August 2023 wildfires — in the wake of the fire, arrivals by air to Maui had dropped to as much as 51.4% — the numbers are significantly down from where they should be.

Honestly, I had mixed feelings about visiting West Maui. At the time it had been about nine months since the wildfires destroyed the oceanfront town of Lahaina, killing at least 101 people and displacing thousands more. Right outside the hotel, the Lahaina Strong group had been occupying Kaanapali Beach as part of its Fishing for Housing initiative, urging government officials to find long-term “dignified housing” for fire survivors. (The group ended its occupation of the beach after I left.)

And here I was, enjoying a mai tai steps from their encampment. To say I was conflicted was an understatement.

But the folks at the hotel, many of them personally affected by the wildfires, assured me my visit was wanted — and needed.

“It’s personal, sacred, spiritual to people,” explained Jared Kahaialii, the hotel’s assistant spa director whose family home was destroyed. He ran the donation hub at the hotel, which provided housing to more than 250 displaced residents. He understands the importance of visitors returning to Maui to strengthen the county’s economy. “Just come back and be.”

Last month HTA launched Makaukau Maui, a campaign to revitalize Maui’s economy by signaling that the island is ready to welcome visitors back. (Kahaialii is featured in this campaign.) But I’ll be honest, I found it difficult to make the 50-minute drive from Kahului to Kaanapali along the Lahaina Bypass, past more than 100 white crosses and Hawaiian flags erected along the hillside overlooking the leveled town, each one representing a life lost. You know Lahaina is there, the once-vibrant and culturally significant place, with homes and schools and people, and it’s gone. It’s a weird feeling.

I waited for the online hate to come at me. I follow an account that recently reposted Instagram photos taken at off-limit sites on Maui, including Kaihalulu Beach (aka Red Sand Beach) and Honomanu Bay, and shamed the violators. Another IG friend, Lisa Deniz, got hate for posting a photo at the Kahului location of Krispy Kreme, a mainland-based franchise and not a locally owned bakery. And I was hanging out in a fancy cabana within view of the Fishing for Housing tents. I wondered what people would say.

Turns out, I didn’t get any comments or DMs attacking my decision to spend a day in Kaanapali. In fact, I had more questions about my visit. People wanted to know what the area was like (great), were places still closed (yes) and if visitors were welcome (for sure).

West Maui is getting a lot of help, from the passage of Senate Bill 2919 that could lead to the county phasing out short-term rentals in apartment districts as soon as 2026 to Gov. Josh Green allocating $362 million in emergency appropriations to support Maui relief efforts. Visiting Maui — and spending money, even at Krispy Kreme — helps a lot, too. As one hotel employee told me, “I already lost my home. I can’t lose my job, too.”

But I wonder about the rest of the island. So much attention is focused on West Maui — understandably so — but what about Hana, Wailuku and Makawao? With much of the county’s proposed budget funding projects associated with the wildfires — housing, infrastructure, roads, personnel — other Maui towns may be getting sidelined.

I don’t disagree that West Maui needs the support right now. But the island operates as a whole; someone who lost their home in Lahaina could now be living in Haiku and working in Paia. If visitors aren’t coming to Maui, they’re not buying banana bread at Halfway to Hana in Keanae or tasting wine at MauiWine in Ulupalakua. They’re not staying in hotels where residents work or shopping in boutiques that residents own — anywhere.

Deniz posted the negative comment she got about Krispy Kreme — from a non-resident, strangely enough — on Instagram, responding with a list of all the other Maui businesses she patronized, including Takamiya Market, Kula Country Farms, Wailuku Distillery and Alii Kula Lavender.

“I’m sorry you feel this way,” she wrote. “I’m proud to spend my money in a franchise that employs local residents who live on Maui. I’m sure the locals who work at Krispy Kreme are grateful that us locals still spend our money there.”

In the comments section, a user, @itsfayebulous, responded: “Thanks for this! My mom works at Krispy Kreme Maui as a food processor and the whole store is locally operated despite being a national franchise.”

“When I got that comment,” Deniz said to me, “my heart was literally full.”

Maui — not just West Maui — could use the economic boost, period. So spend — or vacation — wisely.

Civil Beat’s coverage of Maui County is supported in part by a grant from the Nuestro Futuro Foundation.