(CNN) — The Hawaii Tourism Authority announced Friday it approved more than $2 million to help rebuild Hawaii’s struggling tourism industry. The agency said West Maui accounts for 15% of Hawaii’s total tourism revenue, and since the deadly wildfires, the state has lost roughly $9 million per day because of the resulting drop in travel and tourism. Josh Green declared a “tourism emergency” as visitors to the island have dropped significantly in the wake of the devastating wildfires. While the Hawaii Tourism Authority is still trying to get a count of total job losses, Gionson said anecdotally, a small sample size of a dozen businesses informed the agency of about 200 layoffs. Gionson said if people want to help, they should keep their trips, as long as they are not staying in West Maui.

Source: CNN September 02, 2023 23:03 UTC