We are still planning on trip on 10/2 to Oahu(3days), Maui(6days),BI(5days). How are bookings at hotels? are restaurants, luaus, boat trips pretty much operating or shutting selectively?
Barring any other problems we will go and will enjoy the natural beauty of Hawaii, contribute in our small way to the tourist economy but expect ,for the time being , the general feeling there to be less than happy.

John,

I have heard that some of the hotels here are operating at much lower than usual occupany rates. I haven't heard of any restaurants closing, luaus cancelled, etc. I know that Japanese tourism dropped off very sharply, but I think it is starting to come up a little again. I doubt that you will encounter major closings during your trip. Probably instead you'll find things a little less crowded and otherwise the reduction in tourism will have no impact on your trip. I don't think you have any more reason to expect 'the general feeling to be less than happy' then any place else in the US right now.

Enjoy your trip.

John, where are you staying? You may want to check with your hotels to see if they have closed any facilities or restaurants. For example, at the Waikiki Beach Marriott (former Hawaiian Regent), they closed the lobby bar and are talking about closing the Summery, which is a restaurant I enjoy there. However, I was at the Hilton Hawaiian Village last night for a hula competition and everything I saw seemed to be operating normally, and parking was packed to the gills. All hotels are operating at pretty low occupancy levels, though, so if you haven't booked your room yet, you can probably do it with no problem!

One thing about being a chain of islands in the middle of the Pacific--it's a blessing and a burden to be isolated from the rest of the country, especially during this period. I think we are no more sad or worried than the rest of the country, but I get the feeling we may also be more optimistic, as well. I spoke to a reporter on Wednesday and she seemed to think that at some point, we'd bottom out (if we haven't already) on the despair, and things would bounce back, even gradually. Try tell THAT to someone in Manhattan, though, and prepare to get chewed out!

I guess my long-winded point is, if you are looking to vacation in the U.S. in a place that will provide more pleasantness than others, Hawaii is a great choice.
And, as you say, the natural beauty can't be beat.....and that is free!

John, We've just returned from Oahu after ariving an hour after the terrible events of Sept 11 - things were very slow at first but most were back to a degree of normality by the end of the next week. Heard on the radio that hotel occupancies at this time of the year are typically 80% but were as low as 20% so hotels may close some areas I guess. We weren't able to go sailplaning as there were still restrictions on private air travel but everything else was available. Enjoy - Graham

Aloha John,
I think it's great that you are still planning your trip to our islands. Good for you! And yes, you will be contributing to our economy, more so now than ever. While it's true that the tragedy has affected us here in Hawaii just as it has in the rest of the U.S. and the world, our spirit, the aloha spirit, remains stronger than ever. Some of the services and activities have been modified, but not eliminated. I am sure you will have a great time, regardless. The weather has been beautiful and Waikiki beach not nearly as busy, which will be a definite plus for you. Enjoy all that the islands have to offer! I am sure you will have a wonderful trip. Aloha!

Hi, John - Walked around Waikiki today, and although the tourist count is way down it is by no means deserted. I think you'll probably like having more space on the beach, etc. The International Market Place and other moderately-priced stores were busy; the high-price stores were not.

The day was sunny and hot, and the beach was really gorgeous because it was a little rougher than normal and the breaking waves looked pretty. Lots of surfers, colorful sailboats, etc. What a life!

How has tourism been since? (Since the end of Sept. '01 when the last post was written)

How was it over the holiday period?

What was the lowest that rates got? It would be interesting to hear some examples.

Still wondering.

I was told today by the rental agents that on Maui business is good for the time we are booking which is Apr 8-14 the last week of high season. They are not reducing their prices.

Just got back on Sunday from Oahu and Maui. We've been to Maui twice before this trip and didn't notice any difference in the amount of people there. We stayed at the Marriott, which was packed! They told us they were at about 90% occupancy, and you could tell. It was our first time to Oahu, so I can't compare it, but there were a lot of people there, and, from the looks of things, the Japanese tourism is back!

I'm skeptical about trusting those in the industry on this matter; I think that they are trained to downplay and even deny any drop in tourism to potential customers so as not to scare them off or discourage them.

A few weeks ago I asked a reservations agent for one of the Hawaiian chains (either Aston, Marc or Castle- can't recall which one) if there has been a dropoff in bookings and she said that there hasn't been but hardly sounded sincere.

For the 2 1/2 weeks or so following this past January 04, I made a number of inquiries regarding dates in early February for Oahu and Kauai properties and almost all of them had availiblity- many even had the Entertainment rate still available. I suspect that this is not usual for this time which is high-season.