According to data released by the Tourism Authority (HTA) on February 8, Hawaii residents’ perception of the tourism industry has improved slightly.
The State Department of Tourism and Economic Development (DBEDT) conducted a survey of residents in the fall of 2022 with the question, “Do the benefits outweigh the problems caused by the tourism industry?”
Supervised by Omnitrak, a market research company, it was conducted over the phone and online from October 19th to December 3rd.
As a result, it was found that 57% of participating residents gave more than 6 points out of 10.
In the spring of 2022, the percentage of residents who gave 6 or more points to the same question was 54%, which is interpreted as a slight improvement in awareness in half a year.
In the fall of 2021, it was 49%. The peak is 80% in 2010.
In the fall 2022 survey, 58% of residents engaged in the tourism industry gave 6 points or more, and 55% of residents outside the tourism industry gave 6 points or more.
In an interview with Star Advertiser on February 8, HTA CEO John de Price pointed out that although there is still a long way to go, awareness is improving little by little and positive signs are showing, and he said that he is looking forward to what will happen to the tourism industry in the future.
Recalling the fact that 10.4 million tourists visited in 2019, a record high, De Price explained that residents were also tired from the unprecedented number of visitors.
He added that those feelings may have made him feel even more liberated during the 2020 pandemic.
HTA pointed out excessive tourism, environmental destruction, inflation, traffic congestion, and damage to traditional culture as reasons for having a negative perception of the tourism industry. Reasons for having a positive perception include job creation, support for local businesses, and commercial facilities for residents. magnification, etc.
On the other hand, 44% of residents gave 6 points or more in the survey tourist destination management item in the fall of 2022, showing a 3% increase from 41% in the spring of 2022.
When asked whether taxes should be used to manage tourist destinations, 67% of residents gave a score of 6 or higher, up 1% from 66% in spring 2022.
The proportion of residents who gave 6 points or higher in the familiarity evaluation of HTA’s tourist destination management planning was 21%, a decrease of 3% from 24% in the spring of 2022.