Some residents have already organized protests near the Maui airport, holding signs that said: "TOURIST GO HOME," "LEAVE OUR AINA!," "TIME TO GO," and "GO HOME."

Now the Hawaii Tourism Authority has issued a $25,000 grant to nonprofit Visitor Aloha Society of Hawaii (VASH) to fund a program that will pay tourists who violate quarantine rules with a one-way ticket back to their home airport, reported The New York Times. 

Since the start of April, VASH has provided 20 tourists with one-way tickets away from Hawaii, sending travelers back to Guam, Alabama, and Colorado. Many of these folks were violating quarantine rules. 

"The majority of travelers we have sent back, in my opinion, have been irresponsible in traveling to Hawaii during the Covid-19 pandemic when they know we are trying to keep Hawaii safe from the spread of this disease," said Jessica Lani Rich, the president and chief executive of VASH.

With beaches closed and the tourism industry ground to a halt, new tourist arrivals have plunged 99%. Many locals are riding out the virus storm at their homes while tourists are playing on beaches and hiking trails.