acpme_IHB
New member
I'm in the process of planning a trip to the Big Island. Intra-island airlines going under, general air travel becoming more expensive and restrictive, and strapped mainlanders have created the perfect tsunami. Even Maui has seen hotel occupancy rates have dropped from 85% last yr to 63% this year. I expected tough times for the local economy and some good deals for travelers but I'm really surprised by how bad things seem to be there, esp on the BI where I'm headed.
I spent several days putting together an itinerary, then posted on TripAdvisors forums to get some input. Good thing I did because three restaurants, one spa, and one excursion operator I had found online and were planning to visit all went out of business. The locals say the slump is quite dramatic. I used this to my advantage and negotiated lower rates, esp since we're visiting off-peak season. I didn't find a single restaurant, tour, or hotel that was fully booked and all were willing to go significantly discount advertised prices without countering.
Vegas, which people previously said was immune to a downturn, is in near-depression. Friends who work for Disney said their summer attendance was disappointing. Anyone else notice their favorite tourist traps suffering?
I spent several days putting together an itinerary, then posted on TripAdvisors forums to get some input. Good thing I did because three restaurants, one spa, and one excursion operator I had found online and were planning to visit all went out of business. The locals say the slump is quite dramatic. I used this to my advantage and negotiated lower rates, esp since we're visiting off-peak season. I didn't find a single restaurant, tour, or hotel that was fully booked and all were willing to go significantly discount advertised prices without countering.
Vegas, which people previously said was immune to a downturn, is in near-depression. Friends who work for Disney said their summer attendance was disappointing. Anyone else notice their favorite tourist traps suffering?