Tour Operators: Hawaii Is Still Open for Business
by Jessica Montevago
The Pololu Valley in Big Island, Hawaii, located just over 100 miles north of Kilaeua. Photo: Shutterstock.com.
Dramatic pictures of the Kilauea volcano on the Big Island of Hawaii continue to dominate the news. Since the eruption on May 3, more than 20 fissures have opened and volcanic ash has spewed into the air repeatedly. According to the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory, the eruption of lava and ground cracking continues in the area of Leilani Estates and Lanipuna Gardens.
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The Hawaii Tourism Authority has stressed that this area is a remote part of the island, lower Puna, a great distance away from resort areas on the Kohala and Kona Coasts, and the other islands of Oahu, Maui, Molokai, Lanai and Kauai. With the message, “Hawaii is Open for Business,” the agency urged there is absolutely no reason for visitors planning a trip to the island of Hawaii, or the rest of the state, to change or alter their leisure or business travel plans.
Reassuring the public, Hawaii Governor David Ige said: “The experts are telling us there is no danger from the eruptions to anyone outside the areas that have been evacuated. There is no threat of a tsunami. Air quality is being closely studied and is of most concern in the immediate area inside where the volcanic activity is taking place.”
For travel agents fielding inquiries from concerned travelers, working with their tour operator partners is a good way to obtain reliable, on-the-ground information to relay back to their clients.
In a message to travel agents, United States Tour Operator Association (USTOA) President Terry Dale said, “USTOA tour operator members remain in constant contact with local representatives to assess the situation and make adjustments to travel itineraries as needed.”
Echoing the Hawaii Tourism Authority, Dale said, for the most part, “Planned trips are continuing with changes to itineraries away from Hawaii Volcanos National Park to other unaffected areas of the Big Island and, in some circumstances, to other Hawaiian Islands.
“Members have reported some cancellations and guests rebooking to other nearby islands, and our members, as well as suppliers and hotels on the island, have waived cancellation or change fees to accommodate those travelers.”
All flights into the Big Island are operating normally, and lodging and attractions remain unaffected.
Norwegian Cruise Lines’ Pride of America will make its call into Kona next Wednesday, May 30. However, the ship will skip its call into Hilo on Tuesday
