Maui Snorkeling named a 2026 Tripadvisor Travelers’ Choice winner, crediting employees and automation

 

 

The recognition comes as Maui Snorkeling keeps growing: Roughly $1.1 million in gross sales and more than 1,800 bookings in its latest 90-day snapshot alone, all delivered by a single boat, the Lani Kai II, out of Māʻalaea Harbor, and a crew that has stayed largely the same size.

 

“With TripWorks, we improved our experience setups and learned over time how to more succinctly communicate what to expect with our guests. Over time, TripWorks helped us deliver 5 star experiences more frequently and consistently. ” says Mario Noble, Director at Maui Snorkeling. “As our experience improved, our guest satisfaction improved. As our guest satisfaction improved, the tone of our reviews improved to the point where many people today comment that they’ve found their snorkel company, or that they are returning guests.”

 

That same discipline is behind the award. Running a single-boat business means every guide and booking agent carries outsized weight, and Maui Snorkeling has made a point of paying above-average wages and offering steady schedules to keep its crew in place, rather than relying on seasonal hires. Automated communications, customizable setups and integrated waivers take the operational friction off that same crew’s plate, so their time goes toward guests instead of admin. Built-in reporting also connects bookings directly to the keywords and campaigns that drove them, giving a one-boat operator the kind of marketing visibility usually reserved for much larger businesses, without adding headcount to manage it.

 

Maui Snorkeling is preparing for agentic AI-assisted booking and 24/7 SMS support. The goal is to make it more convenient for guests to ask questions, book, and manage their reservation. This allows the crew to focus even more on building a loyal following.

 

“TripWork’s current investments in AI assisted capabilities is going to help us even more, because that trend of making the booking easier and more convenient will require agentic AI.” Noble continued. “TripWorks is aware that that’s where the industry is going and is investing in that direction. But ultimately, the investment must go back to improving the customer experience.”

 

“Consistent 5-star reviews aren’t won once, they’re won trip after trip, which is exactly why they’re so hard to manufacture,” said Aaron Fessler, CEO and founder of TripWorks. “Maui Snorkeling’s Travelers’ Choice award is proof of what happens when a crew is set up to focus entirely on the guest in front of them. Automating the admin protects that focus, and it’s letting Maui Snorkeling pay its crew well and keep them longer without losing the hospitality that earned them this award in the first place. That is exactly the direction we think this technology should be pushing the industry.”

 

That philosophy shapes Noble’s advice to other operators, too: work out what kind of experience you want to deliver first, then build the team and the technology around it.

 

“If you know what kind of experience you want to deliver, work backwards, then set up your people and your technology to help deliver on that experience,” Noble said. “Once you understand that, you can choose the platform that will help you realize that vision.”