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When Ilihia Gionson found out one of his favorite Maui restaurants, Tin Roof, was cutting hours in the wake of the deadly wildfires, which halted tourism to the island, he ordered two mochiko chicken plates.

“I thought, ʻBrah, I better eat double lunch,’” he says.

Gionson is more than just a fan of chef Sheldon Simeon. He’s the public affairs officer for the Hawaii Tourism Authority, which is pushing hard on a new initiative: getting visitors back to Maui STAT.

“In Hawaii when people are in need, you help. When somebody selling sweet bread fundraiser, you going buy five,” he says. “This is the time to go and support Maui businesses.”

More than three weeks after deadly wildfires killed at least 115 people and destroyed hundreds of homes and buildings in Lahaina, visitors to Maui have plummeted. That, according to state economist Eugene Tian, has resulted in West Maui losing $9 million a day, both in business sales and visitor spending. And University of Hawaii economists say the island as a whole is losing $10 million to $15 million a day.

While it may seem insensitive to visit an island razed by wildfires and mourning the loss of lives, it’s actually imperative we help.

In the first six months of 2023, Maui welcomed 1.5 million visitors who spent $3.5 billion, Gionson says. That’s gone. And the island’s economic devastation, fueled by the sudden halt of tourism, is going to affect all of us.

“The restaurant in Lahaina may source tomatoes from Waimea (on Hawaii island) and sweet potatoes from Molokai. The impact spreads out,” Gionson says.

It’s a tricky balance. How do you enjoy a bowl of dry mein at Sam Sato’s when, just 20 miles away, hundreds of people remain missing and families are grieving in hotel rooms?

“It feels like Covid but worse, worse than you can imagine,” says Graeme Swain, owner of Gather Restaurant Group, which operates two restaurants, Haliimaile General Store and Gather on Maui. He temporarily closed Haliimaile General Store and cut his staff at Gather on Maui by 80%.

He says encouraging people to visit Maui isn’t that simple: “It’s the juggle of it being too soon — and then being too late.”

Already, this is what‘s happening:

About 80 restaurants across Maui have closed, either permanently or temporarily. (This includes nearly 60 in Lahaina alone.) Many others — like Tin Roof — have reduced their hours and cut staff.

West Maui — which includes Lahaina, Kaanapali, Kapalua and Napili-Honokowai — has about half of the visitor lodging inventory on Maui. Some — like Hotel Lahaina and Pioneer Inn — were destroyed by the wildfires; others, like the Royal Lahaina Resort and Hyatt Regency Maui, are housing displaced families and relief workers.

Visitor numbers dropped off immediately following the wildfires. There were about 8,000 people arriving at Kahului Airport each day last August; that number plummeted to around 2,000 now.

Rental cars are parked in the grassy field outside the airport, reminiscent of the pandemic. “It’s jarring to see,” Gionson says.

Visitors are staying away for a variety of reasons: out of respect, out of concern, feeling uncomfortable vacationing in a place that’s mourning the loss of lives.

But canceling trips is only making the situation worse on Maui.

Julie Stone, who owns Holoholo Surf in Makawao, about 34 miles from Lahaina, has seen a 25% to 35% drop in sales this month. She has been able to retain her staff and keep the same hours for her shop on Baldwin Avenue, thanks to online sales. Like other small business owners on Maui, though, she‘s grappling with the need for visitors to return with the need for residents to heal.

“The ʻMaui is closedʻ comment, which took off immediately following the fires, was strong but also warranted. So much sadness and shock,” she says. “We wanted to support in any way and, at the time, it meant pausing our daily routine and for visitors to pause or reschedule their trips, at least while those displaced found basic necessities and a roof over their heads.”

But now, she says, Maui — just not West Maui — is ready to welcome visitors.

“Shopping, eating and supporting local will make a difference for all of us here,” Stone says.

It may seem inconsiderate to book a vacation to Maui right now, to sip strawberry lemonade at Kula Country Farms or bask on the black-sand beach at Waianapanapa State Park, to scream down the 262-foot pool slide at the Grand Wailea or stop for banana bread on the Road to Hana.

But this is how we can show our support. Instead of spending the upcoming fall break in Legoland or Tokyo, fly to Maui instead. Eat at a family-run restaurant, shop at a local boutique, volunteer if you can, donate if you can’t.

Because if we don’t help now, your favorite restaurants, bakeries and shops may not be around later.

“If you can come, come,” Gionson says. “But pack your patience, pack your grace, and be a part of what helps Maui recover.”

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