Do you agree Hawaii is being run for tourists at the expense of locals?

HONOLULU (KHON2) — According to a recent state-commissioned survey, 67% of Hawaii residents agreed that their island is “being run for tourists at the expense of local people.”

The new data is from the Spring 2022 Resident Sentiment Survey released by the State of Hawai‘i Department of Business, Economic Development & Tourism.

The survey showed early signs of strengthening resident sentiment toward tourism. There was also support for regenerative tourism efforts and destination management.

OAHU

• 36% said tourism has been mostly positive for them and their family
• 66% agree that their island is being run for tourists at the expense of local people

MAUI COUNTY

• 35% said tourism has been mostly positive for them and their family
• 81% agree that their island is being run for tourists at the expense of local people

KAUAI

• 34% said tourism has been mostly positive for them and their family
• 75% agree that their island is being run for tourists at the expense of local people

BIG ISLAND

• 39% said tourism has been mostly positive for them and their family
• 61% agree that their island is being run for tourists at the expense of local people

SURVEY HIGHLIGHTS

• 92% of residents agreed that visitors need to be educated about protecting Hawaii’s natural environment and cultural resources
• 87% agreed that authentic presentation of the Native Hawaiian language is important
• 77% said it’s important to eliminate illegal vacation rentals on their island
• 73% support visitor access fees to state parks and trails
• 67% agreed that their island is “being run for tourists at the expense of local people”
• 66% expressed strong support for using tax dollars to manage the impacts of tourism in their community rather than encourage tourism in their community (42%)
• 66% said it’s important to not allow the building of more hotel/condo/timeshare units on their island
• 64% said it’s important to stop approval of additional legal vacation rentals
• 56% agreed that tourism helps fund the stewardship of Hawaii’s natural resources, parks and cultural sites
• 54% agreed that tourism brought more benefits than problems
• 46% felt that more effort is being made to balance economic benefits of tourism and residents’ quality of life
• 43% agreed that tourism contributes to the perpetuation of Native Hawaiian culture and language
• 41% said tourism is being better managed on their island
• 36% felt that tourism has been mostly positive for them and their families
• 27% agreed with this statement: “I have a voice in my island’s tourism development decisions.” 
• 27% were aware of the concepts “destination management” or “managed tourism”

To read the full report, click here.

The Spring 2022 Resident Sentiment Survey was fielded from May 7 through July 30, 2022. Residents in all four counties participated in the survey by phone and online.