Since the 1970s Maui has seen a rapid increase in the number of visitors to this sleepy, agrarian community, which found itself suddenly designated the "in" place to visit. The islanders spent the 1970s trying to adjust not only to this sudden influx of visitors but also to the fact that the visitors liked what they saw and wanted to stay. Seemingly overnight a massive building campaign began, with condominiums mushrooming along the coastline.
By the 1980s the furious pace of building had slowed, but the new visitors to the island were no longer content to just sit on the beach. They wanted snorkeling and sailing trips, bike rides down Haleakala, and guided tours to Hana. A new industry developed to serve these action-oriented vacationers.
In the 1990s Hawaii's state economy went into a tailspin following a series of events: First, the Gulf War severely curtailed air travel to the island; then, Hurricane Iniki slammed into Kauai, crippling its infrastructure; and finally, sugar-cane companies across the state began shutting down, laying off thousands of workers. Maui, however, seemed to be able to weather this turbulent economic storm. As the rest of the state struggled with the stormy economy, the outlook remained sunny and clear on Maui.
What did Maui have that the other islands didn't? According to experts, the farsightedness to build up the island's name recognition in the fickle tourism industry, coupled with a diversified economy. Not only had Maui started planning "destination resort areas" in the 1960s, with Kaanapali the first planned resort area outside of Waikiki, but the island's tourism industry also knew that a reputation for the ability to deliver was the key to success. Or as one expert put it: "Maui has been unbelievably successful at name recognition. You'd be hard-pressed to find someone in the U.S. or Canada over 20 years old who has not heard of Maui."
In addition, Maui did not put all its eggs into the visitor-industry basket. Island leaders continued to nurture Maui's agricultural roots, but instead of wooing giant agribusiness, they courted small-niche farming: organic farmers, the flower industry, and herb growers. The island also branched out into various high-tech fields, including the Internet industry. It's no coincidence that just as the World Wide Web was starting to become a household word, Maui's visitor industry -- from tiny, two-bedroom B&Bs to megaresorts -- had one of the highest rates of websites per capita in the United States.
Maui has seen centuries of change since Captain Cook first cruised by. The island, once populated only by Hawaiians, is today home to a diverse mix of Asians, Pacific Islanders, Caucasians, and African Americans. L.A.-style traffic jams and strip malls have arrived, but the island still maintains its natural beauty, with golden beaches, tropical waterfalls, and misty upcountry hills. The population continues to learn lessons in balance: how to nurture the visitor industry without destroying the very product that visitors come to see.
