HONOLULU, April 11 (UPI) -- A Hawaiian poll finds that resentment of tourism is growing in the islands.
More than half of those surveyed in 2005 answered yes when asked if Hawaii is being run for tourists, the Honolulu Star Bulletin reported. That is an increase of 7 percent since the last time the poll was taken in 2002.
"People do have the aloha spirit. People don't dislike tourists," said John Knox, head of one of the companies that conducted the survey. "This is more about people being resentful that decision-makers aren't keeping up with the growth."
Knox presented the findings to the Hawaii Tourism Authority on Monday.
People with relatives working in the tourism industry were more likely to have a favorable view, the poll found. Among the many ethnic groups in Hawaii, Filipinos were most favorable to tourism while Hawaiians were the least favorable.
Many of those surveyed recognized that the industry provides thousands of jobs but believe that most are poorly paying.
