Warnings, watches and worrying were part of the scene, naturally, as Hawaii battened down the hatches and awaited what the world saw a few years ago with the tsunami in Indonesia. Lessons learned from before made the difference in preparation this time. Damage and devastation from Japan’s earthquake was considerable and visitors already in Hawaii had an opportunity to take advantage of the advance notice.
Vertical evacuations and social media tools were not on the front lines in Indonesia, nor were they terms heard as much as they were the past few days. A smooth evacuation process involved moving current visitors not leaving the island to a higher floor of their hotels or resorts. Twitter and Facebook, among other social media sites, served as a news feed to media on the mainland trying to report on both Japan and Hawaii. Visitors at the Maui airport and other Hawaiian island airports reported a calm, but not a fearful one literally before the storm; rather, business seemed to be functioning very low-key without a sense of panic, which is exactly what travelers generally associate and seek when planning a visit to Hawaii—a mellow and no-fear attitude.
Their was no major damage to Hawaii’s six major islands. So if you were planning a trip to Honolulu take a look at our Kahala vacation rentals.
Fortunately, there was no major impact to Hawaii’s six major islands: Kauai, Oahu, Molokai, Lanai, Maui and Hawaii (except a section of Alii Drive in Kailua-Kona on Hawaii Island) and the mode is one of ‘business as usual.’ Japan is a major market for visitors to Hawaii, which has always embraced their international guests that have traveled throughout the islands extensively.
Still planning a trip to the Big Island? Check out our Kona vacation rentals.
While tourists to Hawaii may have spent the day at the hotel, watching nature through their windows, enjoying the comforts of room service and tweeting their adventure for others, the coordinators of the Honolulu Festival found that perhaps the ancient Hawaiian gods smiled upon the islands once again…the annual event will take place as planned this weekend, with a myriad of festivities, including an appearance from Japanese friend, Hello Kitty at the Ennichi Corner. Ennichi is a day of special meaning and is believed to have a special relation with a Japanese deity, appropriate as the people of Hawaii have heavy and hopeful thoughts of those in the midst of recovery in Japan.