As citizens of Hawaii, as well as students at the University of Hawaii, it is our duty to keep our home beautiful and clean. We should also have the government’s help with funding and helping change our current conditions. Despite what many believe about the role the tourist industry plays in Hawaiʻi, tourism is extremely damaging to residents and the state only increases the problem by not supporting the people who actually live here. A common belief is that tourists support the economy, which is true in a way, considering the amount spent in October alone was 1.2 billion dollars.

There is a large sum of money that is spent on advertising mainly because the state has become extremely dependent on the tourist industry and in the income from taxes that it provides. The group in charge of attracting visitors is the Hawaiʻi Tourism Authority, which receives a high budget of $70.1 million dollars which is 44.4% higher than any other state.

Tourism has been viewed in Hawaii as THE most important factor on the island that will make us money, it has created job opportunities, and with huge amounts of funding has created a falsified paradise island. It has come at a cost of a housing crisis, poor education, and low job opportunities outside of the tourism industry. We have spent so much money on creating this false paradise that we are now overly focused on tourism and neglecting our own people. Shouldnʻt the money be invested in ways that can support the residents who take on the burden caused by the tourist industry? Let's make Hawaii a true paradise