WATCH: Maui Locals and Business Owners Invite Visitors to Mālama Maui

Maui is still open for visitors, and it needs your help more than ever.

It’s been almost three months since the ferocious Maui wildfires swept through Valley Isle communities like Lahaina and Kula—and while the news has began shining its spotlight elsewhere, we have not forgotten the tragedy that is still affecting Maui and its people.

That tragedy, however, has only continued to grow as many visitors rerouted travel plans away from Maui after the fires, which has in-turn caused an array of economic issues for the Valley Isle, which relies heavily on the dollars brought in by visitors.

To combat this new threat of raising unemployment, historically low visitors numbers and vacant hotels, a hui (group) of passionate Maui locals—from big wave surfer Kai Lenny to kumu hula (hula teacher) Kauʻi Kanakaʻole and more—shared a few words urging visitors to return to the island in this all-new video series called Malama Maui: Nui. “It is so important to support our local businesses,” says Royal Lahaina Resort & Bungalows Cultural Director Makalapua Kanuha. “They are a part of our community. They are a part of Maui […] and they in turn support the livelihood of our people so it’s very important that we support our small businesses, the mom and pop shops, and that helps to support our families in Lahaina as well.”

Part of a multi-video campaign produced in partnership with the Hawai‘i Tourism Authority and Kilohana by the Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement, numerous local businesses and organizations—such as Maui Diver’s Jewelry, Mana Up, Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines have also assisted in this mālama Maui collaboration. Other voices heard in the video, as well as in the upcoming shorter installments called “Mālama Maui: Li‘i,” include Makalapua Kanuha, the director of culture at The Royal Lahaina Resort & Bungalows, Kimi Werner, free diver and champion spear fisher, singer-songwriter Amy Hānaiali’i, chef Sheldon Simeon, and Brit Alejo-Fishell, owner of Haku Maui.

Visitors can learn more about Mālama Maui: Nui and how to respectfully travel to Maui while still enjoying their vacations to the fullest by following the Hawaiʻi Tourism Authority on its Instagram or by keeping up with any of the aforementioned Maui voices heard in the video.