KILAUEA, Hawaii – Thousands of tourists have canceled reservations in Hawaii, costing business owners millions of dollars. But one Houston-area woman decided to be different.
“All my friends kept asking, ‘Are you still going? Isn’t it too dangerous?’” Katherine Taconi said. “But this is a big island.”
Taconi, who lives in The Woodlands, booked her Hawaii trip near Kilauea months ago. When the volcano erupted in early May, she considered rebooking elsewhere on the island.
“But I never considered canceling the entire trip,” Taconi said. “I know what tourism means for this place.”
While hundreds of additional homes have been swallowed by lava flows near Kilauea in the last 24 hours, the overwhelming majority of the island remains untouched by the volcano.
Taconi and her son, Nicolas, have zip lined and hiked to waterfalls and beautiful beaches. Business owners and tour guides have been profusely grateful.
“This is their livelihood,” Taconi said.
Kilauea is one of the Big Island’s main attractions. From the porch of her vacation home in Pahoa, Taconi can see the orange glow of the lava flows at night.
“I’ll be honest -- we booked this trip because we wanted to see lava,” Taconi said.
It was the vacation she always wanted, and she was the tourist Hawaii needed — and always needs.