No wristbands or alcohol in public? How Maui is ruining its own tourism

redtiger53 said:There is certainly room for improvement regarding the quality of our tourism industry. Criticism is necessary, provided that anyone smart enough uses it to extract useful advice. However, simply claiming things are too expensive is a weak argument on its own. If we were looking at a scenario where prices are high while demand remains low—suggesting that lower prices would drive more traffic—then discussing price cuts might make sense. As it stands, I don't really see why everyone is so preoccupied with what others are charging.
I don't follow every single tourism report, but based on my own experience living here and talking to people from other major tourist destinations who work in the industry, most seem perfectly satisfied with the current visitor numbers.

And since you brought up Venice, the price of a cup of coffee in the center there is absolutely staggering. Are we really going to send them an email complaining they're too expensive? 😂 If people want to pay it, they will; I assume they have a good reason for maintaining those price points. In this discussion, "expensive" seems to be nothing more than a subjective opinion. I've noticed that around here, people tend to complain whenever there’s an entrance fee for something that should logically be inexpensive. A friend of mine was recently in Barcelona, and being a huge football fan, he went to visit the stadium. Just entering an empty stadium cost $10, a virtual photo with Lionel Messi was another $20, and if you wanted to step onto the pitch for five minutes, that was another $10... 🤣

Regarding quality and offering better value, we can talk all day about the lack of strategy or the failure to implement it, but there isn't much we can do about that. Besides, that isn't even the first or last thing that's broken in this country. There are also countless small details that individuals and local communities could handle themselves to improve the overall experience. Some improvements are happening, but of course, there is always room for more. If we want to be constructive, let's offer specific ideas and advice on what actually needs to change. What have you seen abroad that works perfectly but is missing from our domestic tourism? It's much easier to just criticize everything generally...

Robert Rodriguez11 said:You’re laughing like a maniac over some flour? Please. It’s like that massive crowd in Barcelona—everyone flocks there with one goal: get inside the stadium, drop another 20, 30, or even 50 bucks just to grab some cheap little trinkets. I've been there myself. Same exact vibe.

Nobody’s gonna trek all the way to our city just for a scoop of ice cream. I hit up that Vongol Restaurant in Newport last week—seriously, don't ever go there. We were starving after hanging out by the beach and figured, "Whatever, let's just head there." Big mistake.

First they serve you this appetizer—some kind of sardine pâté that tastes like absolute garbage—and then what? You’re just sitting there eating the main course thinking, "Man, I can't believe this guy actually brought this to my house."

Lunch was some kind of seafood platter—a couple of calamari, three shrimp, and a little piece of cod. For two people, it ended up being over $50. $100.

So, looking back, they basically just slapped an appetizer on the table without even asking if we wanted one. Total surprise move. But since that beach was right where we were hanging out, we ended up passing by that spot two or three times every single day. Honestly, they were just constantly bringing appetizers around to everyone. 🤣

Look, after seeing how things work around here, I gotta say the service is pretty much a disaster. The waiters move like they’re stuck in molasses, and honestly? Calling the prices "expensive" feels wrong. It’s more like they just aren't worth what you're paying. To give you an idea, back when we were vacationing in Newport—if you know that area, you'll know exactly which spot I'm talking about—we hit up Naiad and ended up paying a fortune for dinner. $1000But man, every single cent was worth it.

And it’s not like it was my first time heading out there, and honestly? It probably won't be my last either.

Everything about this place was spot on. Seriously—from the service and those genius servers to the food itself and the whole vibe. Just killer across the board.

Look, it’s not like we "tourists" are just sitting around whining that everything costs too much. That’s not it at all. It’s more like what I was saying earlier—it's just a total mismatch between what you're paying and what you actually get in return.

Sarah Stewart3 said:Nonsense? I happened to catch those news reports around 2:30 PM on ABC, and there was this chart from a study showing that America had the highest prices out of the five or six countries they were tracking—even higher than Spain.😁

wearytrucker22 said:(Take your pick of adjectives) that’s what they call a cover charge. A restaurant can dictate whatever they want; whether you actually intend to eat it or not doesn't matter, they're still going to bill you for it. If that bothers you, don't walk into the restaurant. End of story. A business has the right to set its own rules, provided they list them clearly at the bottom of the menu—just like a cover charge, or fees for table service, linen service, or different drink prices for sitting at the bar versus a table. I mean, in Italy, a standard coffee is always more expensive at a table than it is standing at the bar.

An excerpt from restaurant etiquette:
In a restaurant, the man always enters first (to scout out the situation).
You failed because you didn't scout the situation properly. It's your own fault.
I once screwed up in Zurich and ended up paying forty bucks for two bottles of water for me and my wife. Who's to blame? I didn't read the menu posted at the entrance. Just pay it and shut up, otherwise, you just end up looking like a total jerk.

Robert Rodriguez11 said:If that's the case, my bad, but it definitely wasn't posted anywhere. Maybe at the bottom of the page? Should I file a lawsuit or something?

p.s. Never heard of that one. I've been to plenty of Vongol Restaurants and it never happened to me, but hey, maybe you're right.🤷

wearytrucker22 said:I bet it was at the bottom of the menu—the cover charge is mandatory. Usually, those fees are around $10-$$6.75 and they barely even cover the cost of the bread service and laundering the linens.
We used to serve a house-made herb butter with little pieces of toasted bread. To be honest, everyone would polish it off, and then half the tables would start grumbling when the bill hit $4.00 per person. Since running an upscale restaurant is such a massive, high-risk investment, we pivoted. We switched to cheap pizza flour, substitute cheese, and what they call "ham" for the pizzas (which is basically just pork scraps that are 30% to 69% water and 1% binding enzymes), plus some homemade ketchup (just a regular $0.67 kg tossed into boiling water for ten seconds, skin peeled off, then blended in a food processor with salt and oil).
The price is $12, and everyone is happy enough as long as they can wash it down with a half-liter of draft beer sitting at 3% alcohol.
For $5.00, while I ended up paying $1.25 for a liter.
There's also a pizza on the menu with organic farm-raised ham, buffalo mozzarella, and fresh mushrooms for $20. Nobody ever orders it except my family and friends when I'm footing the bill (treating them).
Seriously, not a single slice has been ordered by anyone else. You could get a similar pizza in Sicily for 12 bucks, whereas this same pizzeria has pizzas for 4 dollars. But even there, that cheap stuff doesn't sell like crazy, though it holds its own.

So, who’s really at fault here? Is it the owner, the customers, or should we just accept that organic food needs to be sold at the price of industrial waste—taking a loss on every single item—just to keep the guests satisfied?

It’s the same story if I tell you about the premium wine I ended up selling.$83 After tax, I was buying it for $25 per 0.7L bottle, and so far, the only people who've touched it were one Polish family who drank 35 bottles and grabbed another 24 on their way out. I still have about 900 liters left. It's madness, trying to sell wine where I pay $3.25 per liter but have to sell the bottles for $17 per 0.7L.
Next year, I might just start stocking some cheap domestic white or whatever swill the local vineyards mix together.

redtiger53 said:There is certainly room for improvement regarding the quality of our tourism industry. Criticism is necessary, provided that anyone smart enough uses it to extract useful advice. However, simply claiming things are too expensive is a weak argument on its own. If we were looking at a scenario where prices are high while demand remains low—suggesting that lower prices would drive more traffic—then discussing price cuts might make sense. As it stands, I don't really see why everyone is so preoccupied with what others are charging.
I don't follow every single tourism report, but based on my own experience living here and talking to people from other major tourist destinations who work in the industry, most seem perfectly satisfied with the current visitor numbers.

And since you brought up Venice, the price of a cup of coffee in the center there is absolutely staggering. Are we really going to send them an email complaining they're too expensive? 😂 If people want to pay it, they will; I assume they have a good reason for maintaining those price points. In this discussion, "expensive" seems to be nothing more than a subjective opinion. I've noticed that around here, people tend to complain whenever there’s an entrance fee for something that should logically be inexpensive. A friend of mine was recently in Barcelona, and being a huge football fan, he went to visit the stadium. Just entering an empty stadium cost $10, a virtual photo with Lionel Messi was another $20, and if you wanted to step onto the pitch for five minutes, that was another $10... 🤣

Regarding quality and offering better value, we can talk all day about the lack of strategy or the failure to implement it, but there isn't much we can do about that. Besides, that isn't even the first or last thing that's broken in this country. There are also countless small details that individuals and local communities could handle themselves to improve the overall experience. Some improvements are happening, but of course, there is always room for more. If we want to be constructive, let's offer specific ideas and advice on what actually needs to change. What have you seen abroad that works perfectly but is missing from our domestic tourism? It's much easier to just criticize everything generally...

hollowmason64 said:Well, maybe that’s true for you, since you’re clearly part of the "tourist attraction" crowd.
Personally, I couldn't care less who I spend my vacation money on—whether it's you, some kid down south, or someone like Jose... all I care about is who actually gives me the best 🤷
for what I'm paying. I haven't spent much time on the coast near Mexico, but I've stayed at plenty of other decent spots, and I can tell you honestly: what you get here for a certain price compared to what you get abroad is, if you'll excuse the language, absolute garbage.
When you travel abroad, there's a basic respect for the fact that you're there to spend your money, rather than just being an annoyance to locals or dealing with the constant chaos and noise caused by ☕
people.

wearytrucker22 said:Where exactly were you staying? And please, don't give me Tunis, Egypt, or Turkey.
You could suggest even worse places, if you're willing to accept that the maximum salary for you and every single citizen in America would be maybe 100 bucks a month.
Honestly, it's embarrassing to admit that current wages in hospitality venues along the Gulf of Mexico are around $4,000$1667 for seasonal workers who get food and a place to sleep while working 10 to 12 hours a day. And sometimes those shifts run crazy long, from 18 to 24 hours.

Charles Ramos7 said:What does Turkey have to do with $100 a month? Do you have any idea what wages are actually like in Turkey? An average server there makes about $1333/month, and they aren't just seasonal workers since so many hotels operate year-round—plus, the purchasing power is much higher.

Sarah Stewart3 said:Nonsense? I happened to catch those news reports around 2:30 PM on ABC, and there was this chart from a study showing that America had the highest prices out of the five or six countries they were tracking—even higher than Spain.😁

Aaron Gonzalez4 said:Total nonsense.

I swear, I’m sick of these journalists and their "calculations"... Not long ago, they were trying to argue that it’s just as cost-effective to drive down to Split via the interstate or take an AT&T connection because you can pick up a few pounds of lamb along the way. 🙏 😁

Cheap "all-inclusive" resort tourism simply doesn't exist here—and honestly, thank God for that. If someone wants to drop $500+ just to lounge by a pool and hunt for some boytoy, they can easily head across the Mediterranean with a bunch of tacky German tourists. Besides, visiting during the peak summer season is basically like shooting yourself in the foot.

Comparing any other coastline to ours is borderline blasphemy.

Service and restaurant prices fluctuate wildly; the real "best buy" will probably be the Albanian coast for a long time, though their tourism industry is stuck in the 60s, dreaming of looking like a cheap knockoff of Lloret.

If people have a problem with fast food along the coast, they should try actually interacting with the locals—then they might find a decent meal for a few bucks on Maui (where you can still find great apartments for two for maybe $50-$60), let alone in the less hyped destinations.

Edit: I just remembered those "brilliant" investigative reporters mentioned Malta and Cyprus as our competition. Please. By the time you actually get there, you've blown through a huge chunk of your annual budget, and don't even get me started on how expensive things are over there.🤣

Charles Ramos7 said:Why would anyone waste all that time and money on Malta? 🤷 Plus, you can grab an Italian budget airline flight and be there in two hours. Hotel prices are pretty reasonable too.

wearytrucker22 said:Where exactly were you staying? And please, don't give me Tunis, Egypt, or Turkey.
You could suggest even worse places, if you're willing to accept that the maximum salary for you and every single citizen in America would be maybe 100 bucks a month.
Honestly, it's embarrassing to admit that current wages in hospitality venues along the Gulf of Mexico are around $4,000$1667 for seasonal workers who get food and a place to sleep while working 10 to 12 hours a day. And sometimes those shifts run crazy long, from 18 to 24 hours.

I feel a little awkward even bringing this up, but honestly, seeing what people are making right now in service jobs along the Gulf Coast is pretty rough. I was looking at some numbers recently, and hearing that wages in those coastal restaurants are hovering around $4,000... it just feels wrong. It’s tough to hear, especially when you see how hard everyone works during the peak season.$1667 I’ve been thinking about how to manage my nutrition and sleep cycles when I'm pulling 10 to 12-hour shifts. It’s tough enough as it is, but things get really dicey when those crazy stretches hit—you know, those marathons where you're working anywhere from 18 to 24 hours straight. When you're grinding like that, you can't just eat whatever is convenient. If I grab something heavy or greasy mid-shift, I'm basically dead in the water an hour later. I try to stick to stuff that keeps my energy steady without the massive crash, like protein bars or maybe some fruit if I can grab it quickly. When the shifts are that long, staying hydrated is half the battle, too. As for sleep, it becomes a total puzzle. When you finally get a break after a 20-hour stretch, your body doesn't always want to cooperate. I've learned the hard way that you have to be pretty disciplined with your environment—blackout curtains are a lifesaver—to make sure those few hours of rest actually count. It’s all about finding that balance so you don't completely burn out when the workload spikes.

wearytrucker22 said:Turkey doesn't belong in the group I just listed. Net salaries are maybe 5-10% lower than ours.

Aaron Gonzalez4 said:And what, you planning on swimming to Italy?

And then what happens when you actually reach the hotel? A taxi driver will charge you an arm and a leg—seriously, they'll treat you like a walking ATM. Public transit is a joke, and restaurant/cafe prices? They aren't exactly cheap either—nothing compared to the deals we get back home. I couldn't even find a stupid little souvenir magnet for less than five bucks. Honestly, the sights are pretty much the same level of excitement as what we have over in Vir.

Thankfully, the crowds are mostly retired folks from the UK, so the whole scene is just a total circus.

hollowmason64 said:Yeah, I’ve spent some time traveling through Turkey and Tunisia myself—though when I was in Tunisia, I wasn't really in the northern parts, just hanging out down by the Jersey Shore area. And honestly, believe me when I say you can find some seriously high-end, luxury resorts out there too.
So, you're looking for something a bit more refined for the comparison, right?
So, a few years back, I took a trip to this little island nation right on the edge of the Caribbean. We stayed at this really high-end luxury resort—total all-inclusive setup—and we were tucked away in these nice little bungalows. It ended up costing us about $110 per person.
It included 24-hour food and drink service, too. I mean, what kind of logic is that? It’s just ridiculous. You’re out there trying to relax while you're literally digging in the sand, and then some staff member comes trekking across the beach just to clean up after you. It felt totally unnecessary.
At that exact same time, staying over at the Excelsior with breakfast included was going to set you back about $240...
Look, I can be as patriotic as they come—I'll wear my flag on my sleeve any day—but let’s call a spade a spade. When things are truly, fundamentally broken, there's no point in sugarcoating it. Sometimes, you just have to admit when something is a total disaster. 😁

I feel a little awkward even bringing this up, but honestly, seeing what people are making right now in service jobs along the Gulf Coast is pretty rough. I was looking at some numbers recently, and hearing that wages in those coastal restaurants are hovering around $4,000... it just feels wrong. It’s tough to hear, especially when you see how hard everyone works during the peak season.$1667 I’ve been thinking about how to manage my nutrition and sleep cycles when I'm pulling 10 to 12-hour shifts. It’s tough enough as it is, but things get really dicey when those crazy stretches hit—you know, those marathons where you're working anywhere from 18 to 24 hours straight. When you're grinding like that, you can't just eat whatever is convenient. If I grab something heavy or greasy mid-shift, I'm basically dead in the water an hour later. I try to stick to stuff that keeps my energy steady without the massive crash, like protein bars or maybe some fruit if I can grab it quickly. When the shifts are that long, staying hydrated is half the battle, too. As for sleep, it becomes a total puzzle. When you finally get a break after a 20-hour stretch, your body doesn't always want to cooperate. I've learned the hard way that you have to be pretty disciplined with your environment—blackout curtains are a lifesaver—to make sure those few hours of rest actually count. It’s all about finding that balance so you don't completely burn out when the workload spikes.

So, what you're trying to say is that employers just don't have the wiggle room to bump up wages, right? 🤣

Not exactly... but honestly, he could have also mentioned just how much lower their prices are—starting with the food and everything else that comes after.

When you go with an all-inclusive package, they usually handle all the logistics, like getting you from the airport straight to the resort. Honestly, once you settle into one of those setups, you really don't feel the need to wander around looking for different restaurants or bars. It’s just easier that way. 🤣
It’s really not about how many landmarks you have on the map. It’s all about how you package that experience and actually sell the story, and honestly, our local tourism workers just don't seem to get it. Their entire pitch basically starts and ends with "fresh air and ocean views." 🙄🤣

Aaron Gonzalez4 said:And what, you planning on swimming to Italy?

And then what happens when you actually reach the hotel? A taxi driver will charge you an arm and a leg—seriously, they'll treat you like a walking ATM. Public transit is a joke, and restaurant/cafe prices? They aren't exactly cheap either—nothing compared to the deals we get back home. I couldn't even find a stupid little souvenir magnet for less than five bucks. Honestly, the sights are pretty much the same level of excitement as what we have over in Vir.

Thankfully, the crowds are mostly retired folks from the UK, so the whole scene is just a total circus.

Aaron Gonzalez4;45995284 said:
That kind of crowd is just peak hypocrisy—paying for an all-inclusive getaway in paradise, while exploiting people under the palm trees...QUOTE]
I'm not sure what you mean by "slaves." You can find all-inclusive resorts in Spain, Greece, or Malta... even here in the States, though it's not quite as common everywhere.

hollowmason64 said:Yeah, I’ve spent some time traveling through Turkey and Tunisia myself—though when I was in Tunisia, I wasn't really in the northern parts, just hanging out down by the Jersey Shore area. And honestly, believe me when I say you can find some seriously high-end, luxury resorts out there too.
So, you're looking for something a bit more refined for the comparison, right?
So, a few years back, I took a trip to this little island nation right on the edge of the Caribbean. We stayed at this really high-end luxury resort—total all-inclusive setup—and we were tucked away in these nice little bungalows. It ended up costing us about $110 per person.
It included 24-hour food and drink service, too. I mean, what kind of logic is that? It’s just ridiculous. You’re out there trying to relax while you're literally digging in the sand, and then some staff member comes trekking across the beach just to clean up after you. It felt totally unnecessary.
At that exact same time, staying over at the Excelsior with breakfast included was going to set you back about $240...
Look, I can be as patriotic as they come—I'll wear my flag on my sleeve any day—but let’s call a spade a spade. When things are truly, fundamentally broken, there's no point in sugarcoating it. Sometimes, you just have to admit when something is a total disaster. 😁

I feel a little awkward even bringing this up, but honestly, seeing what people are making right now in service jobs along the Gulf Coast is pretty rough. I was looking at some numbers recently, and hearing that wages in those coastal restaurants are hovering around $4,000... it just feels wrong. It’s tough to hear, especially when you see how hard everyone works during the peak season.$1667 I’ve been thinking about how to manage my nutrition and sleep cycles when I'm pulling 10 to 12-hour shifts. It’s tough enough as it is, but things get really dicey when those crazy stretches hit—you know, those marathons where you're working anywhere from 18 to 24 hours straight. When you're grinding like that, you can't just eat whatever is convenient. If I grab something heavy or greasy mid-shift, I'm basically dead in the water an hour later. I try to stick to stuff that keeps my energy steady without the massive crash, like protein bars or maybe some fruit if I can grab it quickly. When the shifts are that long, staying hydrated is half the battle, too. As for sleep, it becomes a total puzzle. When you finally get a break after a 20-hour stretch, your body doesn't always want to cooperate. I've learned the hard way that you have to be pretty disciplined with your environment—blackout curtains are a lifesaver—to make sure those few hours of rest actually count. It’s all about finding that balance so you don't completely burn out when the workload spikes.

So, what you're trying to say is that employers just don't have the wiggle room to bump up wages, right? 🤣

Not exactly... but honestly, he could have also mentioned just how much lower their prices are—starting with the food and everything else that comes after.

When you go with an all-inclusive package, they usually handle all the logistics, like getting you from the airport straight to the resort. Honestly, once you settle into one of those setups, you really don't feel the need to wander around looking for different restaurants or bars. It’s just easier that way. 🤣
It’s really not about how many landmarks you have on the map. It’s all about how you package that experience and actually sell the story, and honestly, our local tourism workers just don't seem to get it. Their entire pitch basically starts and ends with "fresh air and ocean views." 🙄🤣