Big Island’s Volcano town recovers slowly

VOLCANO, Hawaii — Tourism in Volcano town on the Big Island has been picking up slowly since Hawaii Volcanoes National Park reopened in September.

The national park is normally the most-visited tourist destination in the state.

However, business is a far cry from the booming days before the park closed in May amid explosive eruptions, earthquakes and the collapse of Kilauea volcano’s summit crater, said Pua Norris, the head innkeeper at Volcano Village Lodge, a bed-andbreakfast.

Several business managers said a lack of lava at the summit crater is one reason.

“There’s no visible lava now, there’s no glow,” said Janet Coney, general manager of Kilauea Lodge. “So we’re not seeing as many evening visitors.”

Bruce Taylor, deputy director of Kilauea Military Camp, which lies within the park, said the park and the island need to develop a new marketing strategy now that no active lava can be seen.

Ira Ono, president of tourism advocacy group Experience Volcano, said that the view of the crater, the trails and the steam vents are suitably “epic” to provide an incentive to visit.