Expedia is still offering package holidays to Maui, marketing them as a “tropical island fantasy come true” while wildfires are devastating the area, despite a rising death toll reaching almost 100.
The company’s Destination Travel Guide is at the time of writing still billing the area as a location holiday-makers can “stay on incredible beaches, watch gorgeous ocean sunsets, and climb a soaring volcano to watch the sunrise above the clouds.”
The company’s top deal is offering 36 percent off accommodation and free fights for a trip from September 19 to September 23. The trip to the five-star Ho‘olei Villas at Grand Wailea is reduced from $5,261 (£4,132.46) to $3,354 (£2,634.53).
But travellers can visit Maui even sooner than that. When searching the travel provider for deals available over the rest of the month, there are options to stay at the Four Seasons Resort Maui, and an offer to get over $2,000 (£1,570.98) off a trip to the Grand Wailea Maui, a respot operated by Waldorf Astoria.
This is despite the fact that locals and travel officials are advising people not to travel to Maui for a holiday any time soon.
Josh Green, the Governor of Hawaii, discourages travel to West Maui. He said: “All nonessential travel to West Maui is strongly discouraged for the duration of this proclamation. Visitors in West Maui have largely heeded the call to leave the island, and hotels and other accommodations are needed for displaced residents and emergency workers.”
A Maui snorkelling company faced backlash after it continued trips for tourists amid the devastation.
A video of one of the company’s snorkelling boats was shared on Instagram, causing social media users to condemn the company.
“Shame on this company right here,” the person taking the video says. “Look at all these tourists frolicking in the water…unreal!”
In a statement posted to its website, the company stated: “We’d like to apologize to the community of Maui for running our snorkelling tour on the morning of August 11th. Our intent was to donate 100 percent of the profits to the Maui Food Bank in order to support those affected by the fires, which will provide thousands of meals.
“We also offered our vessel throughout the week to deliver supplies and rescue people but its design wasn’t appropriate for the task.”
A flight attendant posted a video of herself sobbing as she detailed how customers had demanded to fly to the island, even after their flights had been canceled due to the terrible fires.
Almost 100 people have been killed in the fires, and yet the flight attendant has experienced “entitled” tourists demanding to have their flights to Maui.
The TikToker filmed a tearful video, in which she said: “I work for an airline and I’ve literally seen the worst in people now. Demanding tickets to Maui because their flight got canceled.
“Demanding tickets that don’t exist. Complaining to me about how their wedding is ruined, how their vacation is ruined.”
Daily Express US contacted Expedia for comment.
This story originally appeared on Express.co.uk
