The visuals of hot lava exploding, overrunning communities, and belching towards the ocean are striking. It’s the stuff of disaster movies, and real people’s lives and property are being destroyed.
The big eruptions on the island of Hawaii have already had a huge negative impact on the economy. It’s estimated that Volcanoes National Park has lost over $6 million since the violent eruptions began on May 3, and the park will remain closed indefinitely until conditions change. By some estimates, this closure has cost the island as a whole more than $166 million so far.
One Big Island business owner, Gary Morrow, co-owner of Kapohokine Adventures reports that his business is down 30% and that many of his customers are canceling due to the reports of the eruptions. And tourism authorities have said that summer bookings for hotels have fallen almost 50% since the eruption.
Here are some important things to remember:
- Less than 1 percent of the Big Island is actually affected by the Kilauea volcano eruption according to Hawaii Gov. David Ige.
- Kilauea Volcano has been actively erupting since 1983 with varying degrees of severity and intensity.
- The erupting volcano is what has drawn visitors to the islands for decades.
- The vast majority of the island is open for business, the weather is beautiful, and Hawaii is an incredible destination for families and incentive trips.
- With all the cancellations, now might be the BEST time to enjoy the paradise of the Big Island!
Here are the Destinations Team’s Top 5 things to do all located far from the eruption:
- Kealakekua Bay—Best Snorkeling
- Kailua-Kona—Largest Town
- Kohala Coast—Stunning Beaches
- Diving with Giant Rays
- Golf, Golf and more Golf!
So, let’s get past the media hype and look past the drastic imagery and remember that there’s an element of danger we deal with every day, no matter the destination we choose or the location we live. We choose to live in Utah on a major fault line that experts predict will be the location of a future massive earthquake. We love living here, and we accept the potential risk. With so much of the island of Hawaii unaffected, the risk is minimal. In fact, it may make your trip even more memorable because you can say, “Remember when Kilauea was erupting? We were there!”
Here’s to keeping or making new vacation and incentive travel plans to the Land of Aloha!
