The ongoing love-hate relationship between Islanders and the tourism industry was underlined this week in a new statewide opinion survey commissioned by the Hawai'i Tourism Authority.

For the first time since 1988, a majority (55 percent) of residents polled said they believe that their island is being run for tourists at the expense of local people. And the percentage of people saying tourism has been mostly good for them declined substantially.

This should be a sobering wake-up call for the visitor industry, which ultimately depends on the goodwill of local residents. It's now imperative that the industry act on what it has learned.

The survey offers a starting point: Despite the complaints, 71 percent of those polled said they believe tourism still brings more benefits than problems. Those benefits should be stressed by focusing on activities and programs that pay off for local residents as well as tourists.

The survey also suggests a growing belief that our visitor industry is approaching its capacity. If that's so, then we should focus on diversifying what we offer current visitors, rather than going after greater numbers. That includes new initiatives in ecological, agricultural and health tourism.

Visitors yearn to interact with local folks and experience a taste of their lives and aloha. That cannot happen if residents are apathetic or hostile about the visitor industry.

This was a lesson taught by Waikiki, where for years local people stayed away in droves and visitors complained they were experiencing little other than other tourists. Physical improvements and new events began attracting locals back to the resort.

Both in Waikiki and other tourist enclaves, the industry must pay attention to local sensitivities if the bond between residents and visitors is to be strengthened.

The people who run our visitor industry are smart enough to recognize all this. Their latest survey should give them fresh reason to have the courage of their convictions.