Hawaii Volcano Continues to Impact the Travel Industry

As new fissures tear through the ground near Hawaii’s Kilauea volcano, officials are considering additional evacuations that could impact travel to the popular tourist attraction. One of the fissures opened up around 25 miles east of Kilauea’s summit and could result in the closure of an important exit route, Highway 132. There are an estimated 2,000 residents in the southeast area of Hawaii’s Big Island who would be potentially trapped by the closure.
Another possible route closure that could cause mass evacuations would be Highway 137, which Hawaii National Guard spokesman Jeff Hickman told Reuters would be a worst-case scenario. Nearly 2,000 residents have evacuated the lower Puna district of the Big Island already, and the combination of noxious gas and lava on the ground has continued to create concerns about the safety of locals and tourists visiting the region.