NEW YORK CITY — Now two years removed from devastating wildfires in West Maui, Outrigger Hospitality Group President and CEO Jeff Wagoner believes Hawaii is fully back, driven in part by efforts of the state's tourism authority.
Speaking during the 2025 NYU International Hospitality Investment Forum, Wagoner said he remains optimistic for this summer despite weakening demand from Canadian travelers.
"You've got a situation right now related to tariffs in Canada, which has created a little bit of a downturn in Canadian business," he said. "But that's only about 5% of the total business in Hawaii. Mainland travel is still up, and when you look at the holidays the way they fell this year, so you've got a little bit of a different pattern this year than last year. But overall, Hawaii's performing well. Actually, Lahaina was clearly a very devastating situation that occurred there, but that West Maui market is starting to return now, and we expect a very strong summer in West Maui."
He pointed to efforts made by the Hawaii Tourism Authority and state officials as a big part of a rebound, including a marketing partnership with the NFL's Los Angeles Rams.
"What happened is the state of Hawaii and the Hawaii Tourism Authority actually worked with the Rams to bring the Rams and some of their OTAs into Maui," Wagoner said. "So it's an exciting partnership. The Rams have been amazing. They've been great supporters of Hawaii. They've been really sensitive to what occurred there, and clearly they had their own tragedy in [Los Angeles]. So for them to come into Hawaii to spend time there to help support the community has really been a big deal, and we truly appreciate it."
For more from Outrigger Hospitality Group's Jeff Wagoner, including the company's recent investment in Thailand and opportunities in other Asia-Pacific destinations, watch the video above.