In February 2026, visitor arrivals to Maui were up 11.5% and visitor spending was up nearly 7% compared to the year before, according to the latest figures from Hawai’i’s Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism. Hotel occupancy across Maui County climbed to 78%, up from 71.5% a year earlier. Two and a half years after the August 2023 wildfires that devastated Lahaina, the island’s tourism economy is doing something a lot of people weren’t sure it could do this fast: genuinely coming back.
That recovery matters beyond the spreadsheets. Tourism accounts for roughly 70% of every dollar generated on Maui and supports about three-quarters of the island’s private-sector jobs. Every trip booked, every dinner reservation, every excursion paid for is, in a very direct way, part of how the island rebuilds. If you’ve been holding off on a Maui trip out of an abundance of caution or uncertainty about whether it’s appropriate to visit, the message from residents and tourism officials alike has been consistent: Maui is open, and visitors are wanted.
Wailea specifically has weathered this well
Wailea sits on Maui’s sunny south shore, well outside the area directly affected by the Lahaina fires, and the resort community has continued operating much as it always has — golf courses, five crescent beaches, and a string of luxury resorts along the coastline. Maui’s share of statewide visitors has actually grown through the recovery period, rising from just 14% of all Hawai’i visitors right after the fires to about 25% by late 2025 — nearly back to its pre-fire share. That tells you something: travelers who are coming to Hawai’i are increasingly choosing Maui, and choosing to support the island directly.
What there is to do beyond the beach
Wailea’s five beaches — Wailea Beach, Ulua, Mokapu, Polo, and Keawakapu — are the obvious draw, and they’re genuinely some of the best swimming and snorkeling water on the island. But the area has plenty beyond sand and sunscreen.
The Shops at Wailea is Maui’s premier shopping and dining destination, with more than 70 boutiques, galleries, and restaurants, plus a regular calendar of farmers markets and live music events.
Wailea Golf Club‘s three courses — Gold, Emerald, and Blue — have collectively earned more than 170 industry honors and offer some of the most scenic golf in Hawai’i, with sweeping ocean and mountain views from nearly every hole.
Maui Ocean Center, a short drive away in Ma’alaea, is the largest living tropical reef aquarium in the Western Hemisphere and one of TripAdvisor’s “Top 10 Aquariums in the World” — its newer Humpbacks of Hawai’i exhibit puts you eye-to-eye with life-sized whales in an immersive 3D sphere experience.
Beyond Wailea proper, the Hoapili Trail winds along ancient lava fields toward La Pérouse Bay, where you can see the most recent lava flow on Maui and spot Hawaiian monk seals resting on the shore. Whale-watching season runs November through May, and from a lounge chair on Wailea Beach you can often spot humpbacks breaching offshore without ever booking a tour.
Travel with intention, and consider giving back
One thing that’s become more visible since the fires is the island’s embrace of what Hawai’i calls regenerative tourism — visiting in a way that puts something back into the community, not just takes from it. The state’s official Mālama Hawai’i program connects visitors with volunteer opportunities — beach cleanups, native tree planting, cultural workshops — and many hotels offer incentives like a free night for guests who participate. Maui Ocean Center runs its own Honu Hero Beach Cleanup program that visitors can join directly. None of this requires sacrificing vacation time; most opportunities run a few hours and leave the rest of the day open.
Where you spend your money matters too. Eating at family-run restaurants, booking tours with local operators, and staying in locally managed properties all keep more of your trip’s economic impact on the island, rather than flowing to an offshore parent company.
Why Wailea works for a longer family stay
As Maui’s recovery has continued, demand has shifted noticeably toward fewer, longer, higher-value trips rather than quick one-off visits — by late 2024, visitor spending on Maui had actually exceeded pre-pandemic levels, even with fewer total visitors. That trend favors exactly the kind of trip Wailea is built for: families and groups settling in for a week or more, spreading out across a private condo or home rather than stacking into hotel rooms, and treating the visit as a meaningful trip rather than a quick stopover. With direct beach access, walkable proximity to The Shops at Wailea, and a coastline largely untouched by the events of 2023, Wailea remains one of the most turnkey, resort-quality bases on the island for exactly that kind of stay.
Maui has been through an enormous amount these past few years. The most direct way to support its recovery is also the simplest: come visit, spend thoughtfully, and see for yourself why this island has earned its reputation as one of the most beautiful places on Earth.
Planning a Maui trip and have questions about the island right now? Drop them in the comments — happy to help however I can.
About the author: Kyle Alfriend owns and manages a portfolio of vacation rental properties in Hocking Hills, Ohio, Clearwater & St. Pete Beaches, Florida, and Wailea, Maui. View available properties at alfriendgroup.com/vacation-rentals.
Kyle Alfriend
The Alfriend Group / ReMax Achievers
(614) 395-1776
Kyle@AlfriendGroup.com
www.AlfriendGroup.com