HONOLULU (KHON2) — The Care for ʻAina Coalition, an alliance of local leaders and organizations advocating for a dedicated environmental stewardship fee to rehabilitate and protect Hawaiʻi’s natural resources, found that a majority of visitors to the islands would support paying an environmental stewardship fee.

The poll of visitors was conducted by FM3 Research in January, and found that over 75 percent of visitors say that establishing the fee is acceptable. In addition, most visitors also said that an existing fee would not impact their likelihood of visiting the islands, with 25 percent saying the fee would increase the odds of them visiting.

Key findings of the survey include:

• 85 percent of repeat visitors who have visited two to three times support the fee
• 73 percent of visitors with family in Hawaiʻi support the fee
• 73 percent of frequent visitors who have visited more than four times support the fee
• 68 percent of first-time visitors or those planning their first trip support the fee

“Hawaiʻi welcomes 10 million visitors annually, yet faces a $560 million annual shortfall in critical funding needed to protect our lands, waters and communities,” said Kainan Miranda, director of External Affairs at The Nature Conservancy Hawaiʻi and Palmyra. “This polling confirms that visitors recognize their kuleana–their responsibility–to help protect the natural beauty that makes Hawaiʻi unique. We need the help of our legislators this session to act now to address the very real crisis Hawaiʻi is facing. The [Care for ʻAina] Coalition urges immediate support for environmental stewardship fee legislation to ensure a sustainable future for our islands.”

The survey was conducted amongst visitors spanning all demographics including age, gender, race, ethnicity, income, education and political affiliation.

For more information, visit the coalition’s website.