You can spend thousands on a Hawaii vacation and still wonder whether residents actually want you here. A new statewide survey shows most residents still support tourism, even as frustration with visitor behavior and industry management continues. But the survey was conducted before Hawaii’s latest tourism slowdown and Hurricane Lowell brought a sharp drop in arrivals, especially to Kauai, raising questions about how residents feel now.
Visitor disrespect now tops the list.
The state’s Spring 2026 Resident Sentiment Survey, conducted from March through June among 1,716 residents statewide, identifies disrespect for Hawaiian culture, traditions, and the land as the most frequently cited tourism problem among residents who believe the industry creates more problems than benefits. Seventy-five percent of that group identified disrespect, ahead of the high cost of living at 71% and overcrowding at 68%.
More than three-quarters of those surveyed were either born in Hawaii or had lived here for at least 20 years, giving the findings substantial grounding in long-term resident experience.
Across all respondents, 93% agreed that visitors need education about protecting Hawaii’s natural environment and cultural resources. Yet only 44% believe tourism helps perpetuate Native Hawaiian culture and language, down from 52% last year. Residents overwhelmingly favor protecting Hawaii’s culture and environment, but fewer believe the industry is doing its part.
The survey doesn’t ask whether residents welcome individual visitors, so it cannot tell us how many personally feel unwelcoming toward tourists. During our earlier travels across four Hawaiian islands, we encountered little evidence of widespread hostility toward visitors.
What we heard from residents.
What the survey describes sounds familiar to us. At the Hawaii Tourism Authority meeting we attended in Lihue a year ago, residents gathered to discuss tourism’s impact on their lives. to discuss tourism’s impact on their lives. We both watched as boards filled with notes about visitors climbing on heiau, disturbing turtles and seals, ignoring dangerous trails, and creating situations requiring rescues. There were plenty of complaints, but residents weren’t suggesting that tourists go home.
Some wanted stronger enforcement, while others preferred education that started with a welcome before covering the rules. Residents also talked about missing restrooms, unsafe sidewalks, crowded parking, and losing access to places their families had enjoyed for generations. They understood tourism’s economic importance but wanted improvements that reflected the enormous amount of visitor spending taking place around them.
The proposed fixes would have reached visitors before they even got to a beach or trail. Residents suggested short videos on incoming flights, cards at baggage claim, and QR codes to help hikers choose routes best suited to their abilities. They also worried that social media posts could lead people to fragile or unsafe locations. Some wanted warnings when users tried to tag restricted sites, while others favored posts promoting safer places. The suggestions put responsibility on airlines, social platforms, and tourism officials as well as on visitors themselves.
One message written on the boards captured another frustration: “We were never included.” Residents weren’t simply complaining about what visitors did. They questioned who made tourism decisions and whether anyone was listening to them.
What residents want changed.
Statewide, 60% still say tourism should be actively encouraged on their island, yet 66% believe their island is run for tourists at the expense of residents. Only 26% feel they have a voice in tourism development decisions, down from 31% last year.
The survey was completed before statewide visitor arrivals fell 5.6% and spending dropped 9.7% in August, compared with last year. Lowell subsequently brought a much sharper decline in direct domestic arrivals to Kauai. It remains unclear whether those developments have changed how residents feel about tourism, since the survey predates both.
Residents also distinguish between spending tax dollars to manage tourism’s impacts, which 64% support, and using those dollars to encourage tourism, which only 44% support. Individual visitors cannot make those decisions, even when they do everything right during their stay.
At the Lihue meeting, residents pointed to Haena’s reservation system as a model for protecting local access. Others suggested limiting commercial tours on the Wailua River during weekends so local families could enjoy it. The Wailua idea was a proposal, not an announced change, but it illustrates the type of visitor activity residents want to have a say in. Someone who follows every rule may still encounter limits, because space and access are all part of the disagreement.
When you visit Hawaii, do you feel welcome, or do you sometimes feel caught in residents’ frustration with tourism?
Photo Credit: © Beat of Hawaii at Hanalei Bay, Kauai, during Spring Break.
By Rob and Jeff, Beat of Hawaii.
Some of the most meaningful parts of Hawaii are the ones visitors walk right past without knowing they are there. We’ve spent nearly 20 years finding them firsthand for BOH as full-time Hawaii residents reporting on travel, culture, and island life, and telling you what they mean for your trip. Join us →
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