Hawaii residents feel that more effort is being made to balance the economic benefits of tourism and quality of life for residents, according to the State of Hawaii Department of Business, Economic Development & Tourism’s Fall 2022 Resident Sentiment Survey.

The survey results showed that the concept of tourism management is resonating as 44% of residents agreed that tourism is being better managed on their island and 67% said that tax dollars should be spent to manage tourism’s impacts in their community. The survey also showed that residents who were aware of the Hawaii Tourism Authority’s (HTA) Destination Management Action Plans and the organization’s efforts to better manage tourism had a more favourable view.

“The tide is turning in the right direction due largely to our collective destination management efforts in partnership with community stakeholders, government agencies, and industry partners,” said John De Fries, HTA’s president and CEO. “We continue to reinvest funding directly into the community to effect meaningful change and mitigate tourism’s impacts in hotspot areas throughout the state.”

Resident attitudes toward tourism are now being shaped by the balance between economic benefits and quality of life, along with tourism management efforts that improve this balance. The top three drivers of resident sentiment in the fall were job opportunities, support of local businesses, and the creation of shopping, dining, and entertainment options for residents.

While close to seven in 10 residents stated they had a favourable opinion of tourism as an industry in Hawaii, those who disagreed that tourism has brought more benefits than problems said opportunities for improvement include addressing overcrowding, environmental damage, and lack of respect for culture/tradition/‘āina.

Fifty-five percent of residents said tourism has had a mostly positive impact on the state, while 37% felt that tourism has been mostly positive for them and their family. However, 67% agreed with the statement that their island is being run for tourists at the expense of local people.