Aerosmith singer Steven Tyler wants his fans to visit the Hawaiian island of Maui to help its economy recover from last month’s devastating wildfires.
Tyler, who has a home on Maui, told the audience at the opening night of the band’s farewell tour in Philadelphia on Saturday night not to be afraid to book a holiday on the island.
While fires destroyed the town of Lahaina, other tourist resort spots elsewhere on Maui were untouched and remain open.
But they are struggling with reduced bookings after Hawaiian officials initially told tourists to stay away.
Officials reversed that guidance after it became apparent how much the fires had impacted Maui’s tourist-based economy.
“When you think about Lahaina, think about south Maui,” Tyler told the audience at the Wells Fargo Centre shortly before performing the band’s biggest hit, Dream On.
“Paia and Hana – it’s still there,” he said of two other Maui resort towns unscathed by the fires.
“It’s a place to go and do, you know, the love thing. It’s still open, it’s still happening.
“Everything’s beautiful, except we gotta come there and make it more beautiful, OK?”
The number of people listed as missing from the fires stood at 385 on Friday, Hawaii officials said.
The flames turned Lahaina into rubble in a few short hours on August 8.
Wind gusts topping 60mph ripped through the town, causing the flames to spread exceptionally quickly.
Half the town’s 12,000 residents are now living in hotels and short-term holiday rentals.
Reconstruction is expected to take years and cost billions.
