In Hawai’i, each island has their own rules when it comes to vacation rentals. During the pandemic, the rules on vacation rentals varied. They couldn’t be used for quarantine locations, and were shut down all together for a while. With the spike in hospitality during the last six months, hotels and vacation rentals are seeing higher occupancy rates. However, people are starting to lean more towards booking or buying vacation rentals. “The average unit occupancy at a vacation rental in Hawaii in March was more than 62%, compared with just 43% for Hawaii hotels, according to a report released Thursday by the Hawaii Tourism Authority using data compiled from Transparent Intelligence.”(Honolulu-Star Advertiser). Here’s some of the reasons why. 

One of the biggest reasons vacation rental occupancy rates are so much higher is because the supply of them is taking longer to bounce back. There has been a recent crackdown on illegal vacation rental operations here in Hawai’i. Gov. David Ige was concerned that illegal vacation rentals could end up causing more clusters of the virus to pop up. Therefore the normal supply pre pandemic has been cut short. People are still erroring on the side of caution when it comes to travel and their safety. Since vacation rentals are a little more private, people feel more comfortable. There has also been a recent change in what people desire for their vacation. They would rather be able to cook on their own, or want a bigger place, but still be able to socially distance. 

Overall, our tourism here in Hawai’i is starting to increase very rapidly. People want to get away from the chaos on the mainland and get a taste of paradise. We would love to help you find a vacation rental here on Maui so you can enjoy our island as much as we do! 

 

Article for reference: Honolulu Star Advertiser “Vacation rental occupancy in March tops hotels again” By Allison Schaefers