Hawaii Locals Shared What They’d Fix About Tourism First If They Could

I’ve lived on Oahu for over three decades. Watched tourism change from something we embraced to something that… well, it’s complicated. I’ve seen every island transform – some beautifully, some not so much. And after talking with locals across all the islands (because yes, I’ve spent time on every single one), there’s one answer that keeps coming up when I ask what they’d change about tourism first.

It’s not what you think.

Most visitors assume locals want fewer tourists. Or better-behaved tourists. Or maybe stricter rules about where you can and can’t go. Those things matter, sure. But there’s something bigger that almost every local agrees on – and it has nothing to do with limiting visitor numbers. It’s about where your money goes after you spend it.

The Answer Nobody Expects

Here’s what locals actually want fixed first: tourism revenue needs to flow back into the communities and infrastructure that support tourism.

Not into the state’s general fund. Not into projects hundreds of miles away. Right here, where tourists actually visit.

I know. You probably thought we’d say “stop coming” or “stay in Waikiki.” But here’s the thing – Hawaii collected over $20 billion in visitor spending in 2024. The state pulled in hundreds of millions through the Transient Accommodations Tax (that’s the hotel tax you pay). And you know where most of that money goes? Into the state’s general fund, where it can be spent on literally anything.

Meanwhile, the bathroom at Waimea Canyon on Kauai is filthy. Diamond Head’s trails are crumbling. Beach parks on the Big Island have been demolished because they deteriorated beyond repair. The state parks division operates on just $14 million annually, with only $2.8 million available for repairs, maintenance, and utilities across all state parks.

You’re paying. We’re suffering. And the money’s going… somewhere else.

When Paradise Shows Its Cracks

Last month I drove up to the North Shore. Stopped at a beach park I’ve been visiting since I was a kid. The bathroom looked like it hadn’t been cleaned in weeks. One toilet was broken. No soap. No paper towels. Just a sad little porta-potty outside that was somehow worse.

A family from California was trying to change their toddler in the parking lot. The mom looked frustrated. “We paid $10 just to park here,” she said. “Where does that money go?”

Great question. I didn’t have a good answer.

This isn’t just one park. It’s everywhere. Mahukona Beach Park on the Big Island? They demolished the bathrooms in January 2025 because they’d deteriorated beyond repair. Now there’s just porta-potties and no running water. The comfort station at Kuhio Beach in Waikiki gets repeatedly shut down for vandalism and broken plumbing. And these are places where thousands of tourists visit every single day.

Pro tip: Always carry your own toilet paper and hand sanitizer when visiting Hawaii beach parks. The facilities are hit or miss, and you don’t want to get caught unprepared.

What Locals Actually Think About Tourism

I asked around. Talked to friends who work in hospitality, others who avoid Waikiki entirely, some who’ve been here for generations. The responses might surprise you.

Nobody said “ban tourists.” A few mentioned limiting numbers, but not many. What came up again and again was frustration about seeing tourism money disappear while their neighborhoods crumble under the weight of visitors.

My friend Keoni works at a hotel in Ko Olina. He’s proud of his job. Loves sharing Hawaiian culture with guests. But he lives an hour away because he can’t afford anything closer – and 15% of Maui’s available housing is tied up in short-term rentals, many owned by non-residents. When he drives to work, he passes beach parks with overflowing trash cans and broken facilities. “We’re making all this money,” he told me. “Where’s it going?”

According to the most recent resident sentiment survey, 75% of locals who think tourism creates more problems than benefits cite high prices and cost of living as the top issue. Another 70% mentioned environmental damage. And 69% said lack of respect from visitors.

Education requires funding. Respect comes from resources. And resources come from… you guessed it… reinvesting tourism revenue locally.

Where Your Hawaii Vacation Dollars Actually Go

You book a hotel through a major chain. That money? It goes to corporate headquarters in New York or Los Angeles. You eat at chain restaurants. Rent from national car companies. Buy souvenirs that (surprise) were made in China.

Even when you pay local taxes and fees, most of that revenue gets absorbed into the state’s general fund. Since 2016, over half of Hawaii’s Transient Accommodations Tax revenue has been allocated to the general fund rather than tourism-specific uses. In fiscal year 2023, the state collected $865.3 million in TAT. The Hawaii Tourism Authority got a fixed appropriation of around $79-82 million. Counties received about $103 million. The rest? General fund.

That means your hotel tax is paying for road repairs in Hilo when you’re staying in Waikiki. Or funding programs that have nothing to do with tourism infrastructure.

I’m not saying those things don’t matter. But when the bathroom at one of the state’s most visited attractions is disgusting, and there’s literally no money to fix it, something’s broken.

The state parks administrator said it best: “There is so much more that we can do than just clean toilets and empty rubbish bins, which is where we are.” That’s all they can afford to do. With 80% of their $14 million budget going to salaries, there’s almost nothing left for the basics.

The Infrastructure Crisis You Don’t See

You come to Hawaii for pristine beaches and lush trails. What you don’t see is the infrastructure buckling under the weight of millions of visitors.

Lanikai, that gorgeous neighborhood on the windward side with the famous Pillbox hike? Residents are putting boulders in the street to block parking because emergency vehicles can’t get through. One resident told a reporter: “Our whole way of life has changed.” Instagram made Lanikai Beach famous, and now locals can’t even open their mailboxes because cars are parked in the way.

Pololu Valley on the Big Island was getting 2,000-3,000 visitors a day post-pandemic. That’s for a tiny valley with one narrow road in and out. The community reported parking congestion, illegal parking, disrespect for private property, trail degradation, and (here it is again) inadequate sanitation.

Diamond Head closed for 10 days during peak summer 2025 for trail repairs. The state couldn’t explain why the work wasn’t scheduled during off-season or at night. And while Diamond Head generates millions in admission fees, those funds don’t necessarily come back to maintain the monument.

I remember hiking Haiku Stairs illegally as a teenager (don’t judge – it wasn’t banned then). Now the state spends hundreds of thousands removing illegal campers from Diamond Head and dealing with trespassing. There’s no money for mental health beds or addiction treatment, so people camp there. And cleanup crews won’t remove human waste buckets because it’s a safety hazard.

This is what happens when tourism revenue doesn’t circle back to tourism infrastructure. The problems compound.

One Success Story That Proves It Works

Haena State Park on Kauai was drowning. Like, literally overwhelmed. Daily visitor counts hit 2,000-3,000 people. The single road through the residential area was packed with illegally parked cars. Emergency responders couldn’t get through. Residents felt edged out of their own neighborhood.

Then something remarkable happened. The community partnered with the state.

In 2019, Haena implemented a 900-person daily visitor cap, advance reservations, shuttle service, and increased parking enforcement. But here’s the key part: the state allowed a local nonprofit, Hui Maka’ainana o Makana, to manage the park.

The parking fees, entry fees, and shuttle revenues? They stay local. The hui uses that funding to actively manage the park and employ local people. Over 30 community members were involved in creating the master plan. The state earns revenue for the parks special fund, locals get jobs, and the community has a voice.

Annual visitation dropped from 768,000 to around 300,000. But here’s what visitors don’t always realize – the experience got better. Way better. Less crowding. Cleaner facilities. Actual parking. Emergency access restored.

This model has been replicated at Waianapanapa State Park on Maui, Diamond Head, and Iao Valley. The Big Island’s Kealakekua Bay is developing a similar system.

It works because the money stays where the impact happens.

Insider tip: If you’re visiting Haena, book your parking reservation well in advance (up to 30 days). The system actually makes your visit better – less stress, guaranteed parking, and a more enjoyable experience overall.

What Locals Want Isn’t Radical

Here’s the thing. Locals don’t want to shut down tourism. Most people here understand it’s a huge part of our economy – tourism supports about 197,000 jobs and generated $2.24 billion in state tax revenue in 2022.

What we want is simple: if tourists are using our beaches, hiking our trails, driving our roads, and generating billions in revenue, that money should improve those beaches, trails, and roads.

In 2024, Hawaii passed a green fee law that increases the TAT by 0.75% to fund climate resilience and environmental projects. It’s estimated to generate $100 million annually for coastal defense, natural buffer restoration, and infrastructure resilience. That’s a start. But locals are skeptical because we’ve heard promises before.

The Ripple Effect of Local Reinvestment

When tourism revenue stays local, everybody wins.

Cleaner facilities mean better visitor experiences. Better visitor experiences mean positive reviews and repeat visits. Repeat visits mean steady income for local businesses. Local businesses employ residents. Residents feel tourism is contributing positively to their community. Community support for tourism increases.

It’s not complicated. It’s just… circular. In the good way.

Compare Hawaii to Florida, which sees 145 million tourists annually. One commenter asked: “How come in FL we have 145 million tourists a year, and our beach parks, facilities, bathrooms all look great compared to HI? It’s your govt and counties who aren’t keeping up, not tourists destroying your infrastructure.”

Harsh. But not entirely wrong.

The difference is how tourist revenue gets allocated. When it goes back into the places tourists actually visit, infrastructure keeps pace with demand. When it disappears into general funds and gets spent on unrelated projects, you get what Hawaii has now – crumbling infrastructure and frustrated residents.

What This Means For You As A Visitor

You’re probably thinking: “Great, but I’m just here for vacation. What do I do with this information?”

Support local. Like, actually local. Not chains pretending to be local. Ask where things are made. Eat at family-owned restaurants. Book tours with locally-owned companies. Stay at locally-owned accommodations when possible. When you spend money with Hawaii businesses, more of it stays here.

Shop at farmers markets. Buy handmade crafts from actual artisans (not mass-produced stuff from the Philippines sold in tourist shops). Choose restaurants that use locally-grown ingredients – and yes, they’re often more expensive, but there’s a reason.

One local business owner put it perfectly: “Purchasing from Hawaiian Based Companies and Farmer’s Markets directly put money into the hands of Hawaiians, it undoubtedly trickles down into the economy quickly and in more amounts.”

Respect the infrastructure you do find. Don’t trash bathrooms. Pack out what you pack in. Follow posted rules. If a trail is closed for maintenance, don’t go anyway. These closures aren’t meant to ruin your vacation – they’re trying to preserve places so they’ll still exist for your next visit.

Pay the fees without complaining. Yeah, it adds up. Parking fees, entry fees, reservation systems. But these fees are often the only funding source for maintaining the places you’re visiting. At Hanauma Bay, the $25 admission goes directly into the Hanauma Bay Nature Preserve Fund and pays for improvements like replacing broken audio-visual equipment and fixing deteriorated infrastructure.

Stay in designated tourist areas for accommodations. I know the off-the-beaten-path Airbnb in a residential neighborhood seems appealing. But locals are dealing with a housing crisis, and short-term rentals are a huge part of the problem. Staying in resort areas or legal vacation rental zones takes pressure off communities where locals actually live.

The Future We Could Have

Imagine Hawaii tourism where every dollar you spend on accommodations directly funds improvements to the places you’re visiting. Where parking fees actually fix parking lots. Where trail admission maintains trails. Where beach fees clean beaches.

Imagine bathroom facilities that are clean and functional. Trails that are safe and well-maintained. Parking that makes sense. Rangers and stewards who have time to educate visitors about Hawaiian culture and ecology, not just clean up after them.

This isn’t fantasy. Haena proved it works. Governor Josh Green signed Senate Bill 2659 into law in June 2024, establishing a framework for regenerative tourism that prioritizes community wellbeing and environmental restoration. The legislation aims to actively improve Hawaii’s social, cultural, and environmental systems through tourism, not just sustain them.

The shift is happening. Slowly. But it requires political will, community support, and tourists who understand that paying a little more – and insisting that money stays local – benefits everyone.

What Happens If We Don’t Fix This

The current path isn’t sustainable. Resident support for tourism hit its lowest level since 1988 in fall 2021, with only 49% reporting that tourism brought more benefits than problems. Areas like Wai’anae on Oahu show the most critical attitudes toward tourism.

When locals lose faith in tourism, you get protests. Calls for visitor caps. Residents putting boulders in streets. Communities actively trying to make tourists feel unwelcome.

Nobody wants that. Not locals who depend on tourism jobs. Not visitors who want to experience authentic Hawaii. Not businesses trying to operate.

But frustration grows when billions flow through the state and the bathroom at your local beach park has been broken for six months. When tourists clog your commute to get sunset photos. When housing becomes unaffordable because mainland investors are buying properties as vacation rentals.

The solution isn’t fewer tourists. It’s better management of tourism revenue.

The One Change That Would Transform Everything

So here’s the answer I wish every visitor understood: locals would fix how tourism revenue gets allocated first. Not visitor numbers. Not behavior (though that matters). Not resort development or cruise ships or anything else.

We’d demand that tourism dollars circle back to tourism infrastructure and communities.

Direct allocation. Transparent spending. Community input on priorities. Local management where it makes sense.

When the place where tourism happens actually benefits from tourism revenue, everything else gets easier. Infrastructure improves. Community resentment decreases. Visitor experiences get better. Local support increases. The whole system works better.

It’s not about punishing tourists or limiting access. It’s about accountability. About using money where it’s needed most. About respecting the places and people that make Hawaii special enough to visit in the first place.

That’s the change locals agree on. And honestly? It would transform Hawaii tourism more than any visitor cap or education campaign ever could.

Because when you take care of the land and the people, the aloha spirit isn’t just a marketing slogan. It’s something we can actually afford to maintain.​