A family in Maui made a sign telling tourists to keep out of Lahaina while rescue efforts are ongoing.
The Lazo family has lived in Hawaii for about 10 generations and represents yet another group of locals unhappy with tourists visiting the island after the devastating wildfires, according to a report with ABC News.
Laihana, where the Lazo family lives, is located in West Maui. It was one of the areas most affected by the fires, destroying 80% of the land. Lahaina is a tourism hot spot — some two million people are said to visit the city every year.
One family member, Courtney, told ABC News that she found it inappropriate to see tourists in Hawaii vacationing while locals “haven’t even had the time to grieve on our own.”
“You have tourists taking pictures of the destruction in Lahaina while there’s still bodies there. They’re snorkeling off the waters while they’re pulling people out of the water,” Courtney said in the report, adding that the presence of tourists “feels like a slap in the face.”
The Lazo family has made a sign warning tourists to stay out of the neighborhood, per ABC News. Vance Dizon, Courtney’s uncle, helped make the sign that says: “Tourist Keep Out.”
Diznon has the sign attached to a fence near the border of their neighborhood, aiming to create an unofficial checkpoint and block out tourists, according to ABC News.
Dizon and his brother narrowly escaped being burned in a fire by hiding behind a seawall in the ocean, according to an Instagram post by his niece, Tiare Lawrence. Dizon suffered an injury to his arm while running to safety, per the post.
Over 100 people were killed in the wildfires in Maui, and more than 300 people were said to be missing. Hawaii is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the US, with over 10.4 million visitors in 2019. The Hawaii Tourism Authority said it “urges visitors to refrain from going to West Maui” but that tourists are welcome to visit other areas in Hawaii.
Courtney and Lawrence did not respond to Insider’s requests for comment.
Source : Insider
