NASHVILLE, Tennessee — There perhaps isn't a U.S. state that has dealt with more headwinds in travel demand this decade than Hawaii.
Inbound demand from key Asia-Pacific feeder markets remains well-below pre-pandemic levels, and Maui is still recovering from wildfires that ravaged the island three years ago.
"It's been an interesting story over the course of the last six years," Jenna Villalobos, senior vice president and chief revenue officer at Outrigger Hospitality Group, said on the latest episode of the "CoStar News Hotels" podcast, recorded at the 2026 Hotel Data Conference.
Outrigger is a privately held hospitality company that owns and operates 16 hotels and resorts in Hawaii, Thailand, Fiji, Mauritius and the Maldives.
Villalobos said Asia-Pacific travel, specifically from Japan, is only 60% recovered from its past peak at its eight Hawaiian properties.
The Maui market is running occupancy percentages in the mid-60s compared to mid-80s prior to the fires, she said.
"We're still not completely recovered because Lahaina as a destination hasn't been completely rebuilt. Things do take a little longer in Hawaii at times," she said. "But we're definitely seeing the Maui people are very committed to that destination's return."
Guest behavior has changed as well. Villalobos said booking windows and lengths of stay have shrunk in recent years, leading to overall occupancy dipping a bit across Hawaii.
"We're just seeing a little more North America seasonality happen, where international used to buffer those slower parts from domestic," she said.
As for the future of Outrigger, Villalobos said her company looks for one aspect when it starts its search for portfolio additions: a top-end beach.
"We want to be the premier beach destination resort company, so anywhere there's a premier beach, I think we're looking at (it)," she said.
For more from Outrigger's Jenna Villalobos, watch the video embedded above or listen to the podcast below.