According to a recent survey by the State of Hawaii Department of Business, Economic Development & Tourism (DBEDT), Hawaii residents feel that more efforts are being made to balance the economic benefits of tourism with their quality of life. The results of the Fall 2022 Resident Sentiment Survey revealed that 44% of residents believe tourism is being better managed on their island and 67% believe tax dollars should be spent to manage tourism’s impact on their community.
The survey showed that residents who were aware of the Hawaii Tourism Authority’s (HTA) Destination Management Action Plans and efforts to manage tourism had a more favourable view. John De Fries, the HTA President and CEO, commented on the results, “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.”
Resident attitudes toward tourism are now being shaped by the balance between economic benefits and quality of life, along with tourism management efforts to 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.
The survey results indicate that 67% of residents have a favourable opinion of tourism as an industry in Hawaii. More residents in this wave compared to the prior wave said tourism has brought more benefits than problems (57%), nearing the 2019 mark (58%). Of those who disagreed that tourism has brought more benefits than problems, opportunities for improvement include addressing overcrowding, environmental damage, and respect for culture/tradition/’aina.
The survey also found that 55% of residents feel that tourism has had a mostly positive impact on the state, while 37% felt that tourism has been mostly positive for them and their families. Despite this, 67% agreed with the statement that their island is being run for tourists at the expense of local people.
Resident satisfaction is a key performance indicator (KPI) of HTA’s 2020-2025 Strategic Plan, along with average daily visitor spending, visitor satisfaction, and total visitor spending. The Fall 2022 Resident Sentiment Survey was conducted by Omnitrak Group, Inc. and was fielded from October 19th to December 3rd, 2022. The results of the survey are compared to the Spring 2022 Resident Sentiment Survey, which was conducted from May 7th to July 30th, 2022. The report can be found on the HTA website: Hawaii Tourism Authority.
Written by: Stephen Morton
