Volcanic activity on Hawaii’s Big Island is keeping many travelers and their money away from the island. Cruise ship operators have canceled planned stops on the Big Island. Hotels there expect many of their rooms to sit empty this summer, even with price cuts. Many people work in the island’s tourism industry. They depend on the 2 million visitors who travel each year to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. They are now wondering how long their families will survive without a way to earn money. Tourism officials say summer reservations for hotels on the Big Island have dropped almost 50 percent since Kilauea Volcano began erupting on May 3. Hawaii Volcanoes National Park is the state’s top stop for tourists. Its closure is costing the island $166 million.

What does erupt mean?
reservation
burst
center
flow
Where is the volcano activity?
on a cruise ship
on the mainland
the Big Island
all over the state
Many people work in the tourism industry.
tourism
state park
volcano
cruise ship