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A study released by the Hawaii Tourism Authority reveals that a majority of residents statewide appreciate and understand the benefits that tourism brings to the state.
The report, titled “Tracking Surveys of Resident Sentiments on Tourism in Hawaii,” polled 1,644 residents on their attitudes towards Hawaii’s $12 billion-a-year visitor industry. Results showed that 73 percent of residents agree that benefits of tourism exceed any problems associated with it, a result that has remained stable for many years.
“From other research and anecdotally, we knew that traffic and housing are big issues for the community,” said Rex Johnson, president and chief executive officer of the Hawaii Tourism Authority. “However, residents did not believe tourism to be a ‘driver’ of those issues, with responding individuals attributing tourism to account for less than one percent of the problem.”
Additional results detailed in the report showed fairly positive ratings for the visitor industry in providing jobs for residents, helping other local businesses profit from tourist dollars, making local residents feel welcome in hotels and other visitor-oriented facilities, providing visitors with a good sense of Hawaii’s history and people, supporting local charities or community projects, and providing local residents with training needed for better jobs in the industry.
For more information, visit www.hawaiitourismauthority.org.