The odd sight of tourists enjoying the tropical beaches of Maui as search and rescue teams search the rubble of buildings and the sea for victims of the deadliest US wildfire in more than a century has angered some residents.

They took to social media, posting videos showing tourists enjoying activities such as diving, while the death toll at the Lahaina resort has topped 100 and is rising with each passing day.

“Our community needs time to heal, grieve and recovery,” Hawaiian actor Jason Momoa said on Instagram, urging tourists to cancel their trips.

Authorities and businesses welcomed the travelers, saying his arrival would lessen the blow to the island’s economy, which is heavily dependent on tourism. The tourism industry is Maui’s “economic engine,” generating 80 percent of its wealth, according to the island’s economic development board.

As Maui begins a long, painful recovery from the wildfires, officials struggle to strike a balance between residents’ immediate needs for housing and resources and the island’s long-term economic health.

Hawaii Gov. Josh Green recalled at a weekend news conference how the COVID-19 pandemic had similarly forced the state to weigh the risks of allowing tourists to come during a public health crisis against the damage it would do to Hawaii’s economy since their ban.

“All of our people will have to survive and we can’t afford not to have jobs or a future for our childrenGreen said. “When travel is restricted in an area, the residents themselves are damaged in far more ways than anyone else.».

Tourism has taken a hit after the fire ravaged Lahaina, a popular vacation destination that is also home to historic sites important to Hawaiians.

Air passenger numbers to Maui on Sunday were down nearly 81 percent compared to the same period last year, according to the Hawaii Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism.

In 2022, 2.9 million tourists visited Maui, which has a year-round population of 165,000, according to the latest federal census data. The state’s tourism department reported in February that visitors will spend $5.69 billion on Maui in 2022.

The Hawaii Tourism Authority is now asking visitors to avoid all non-essential travel to West Maui, the part of the island affected by the fires, so that resources can be used to help local residents recover.

“It is likely that a large proportion of the people affected, losing family members, losing family homes, it is likely that many of them were employed in the visitor industry“, said the representative of the tourist authority Ilihia Gionskon.

Hotels in West Maui have temporarily stopped accepting reservations. Many are sheltering their employees and preparing to receive evacuees and disaster recovery workers, according to the tourism authority.

The agency urged visitors to unburned areas of Maui — such as Kahului, Wailuku, Kihei, Wailea and Makena — to contact their hotels and ensure their hospitality can continue.

“Maui is not closedMaui Mayor Richard Bissen said at a weekend press conference alongside the governor. “Many residents make their living from tourism».

The Four Seasons at Wailea Beach in southern Maui, contacted by Reuters by phone, said all hotel operations were running as normal but that it was urging tourists with August reservations to cancel their trips through the rest of the month. island to fully recover.

Occupancy at the five-star hotel has decreased “dramatically” said an employee at the reception after the fire.

Hilton Worldwide Holdings, which owns 23 hotels across Hawaii, said it is waiving cancellation penalties for those traveling to, from or through all of the Hawaiian Islands through Aug. 31.

Jack Richards, CEO of Los Angeles-based travel company Pleasant Holidays, rushed to evacuate more than 400 customers who were on Maui during the fires. Dead phone lines and a loss of Internet connectivity hampered efforts, he said.

Most of the tourists were eventually transferred to other hotels in Hawaii. Another 1,400 customers with August travel plans to Maui had to reschedule their vacations, he said.

Tour operators that continued to offer service in or near West Maui after the fires came under fire.

A company that held a charity dive on Friday 18 kilometers from Lahaina later issued a statement apologizing and saying it was suspending operations for the time being.