Back in April, amid shutdowns to prevent the spread of COVID-19, the U.S. economy lost 20.5 million jobs and unemployment soared to Great Depression-era levels. Since then, a fairly steady recovery has reduced the national unemployment rate: Last month, it edged down to about half of a springtime high point that approached 15%.

In tourism-dependent Hawaii, however, our steep climb to recovery has been less steady. According to the latest federal figures, in November, our unemployment rate was 10.2%, making Hawaii was one of just three states still reporting double-digit totals.

Speaking on a recent “Spotlight Hawaii,” the Star-Advertiser’s webcast, University of Hawaii Economic Research Organization (UHERO) executive director Carl Bonham sensibly pointed out: “In the short run, the only thing that will make a significant difference in getting people back to work, really, is bringing back tourists, bringing back tourist dollars.”

While further diversifying Hawaii’s economy is a worthy goal, for now, our best shot at making much-needed economic strides is to gradually welcome back more tourists in a safe and reliably efficient manner. So, it’s concerning that a new survey shows resident sentiment toward Hawaii tourism dropping to its lowest level in decades.

About two-thirds of resident respondents to the statewide survey, conducted in the fall by Omnitrak for the Hawaii Tourism Authority (HTA), agreed with the statement that islands are being “run for tourists at the expense of local people.” A little more than half, 54%, agreed that “tourism has brought more benefits than problems.”

While the annual survey amounts to a relatively small sampling, limited to slightly more than 1,700 participants, it should serve as a red flag, indicating that the ongoing reopening effort should proceed with heightened sensitivity to resident concerns. Before the pandemic flatlined tourism here, the industry had marked several record-breaking years for arrivals, prompting worries and complaints about over-tourism.

In addition to the usual complaints about tourist traffic, strain on natural resources and infrastructure, this latest set of survey results shows a jump in perception that tourism creates a public health threat — even though state data suggests otherwise.

Current COVID-19 clusters and jumps in state case counts appear largely due to community spread and clusters in correctional facilities, mostly among inmates. In the two months that followed the bumpy mid-October launch of Safe Travels Hawaii, the program created to bypass quarantine screened about 618,000 interisland and trans-Pacific travelers — nearly 70% were visitors, with the vast majority meeting the state’s cautious pre-testing rules.

Safe Travels needs continual refinement to facilitate a healthy tourism market. It can start by expanding the program’s group of “trusted testing and travel partners.” There are now more than two dozen U.S. domestic partners, which include six airlines in addition to testing go-to options, such as CVS Health and Walgreens.

Given that the nearly $900 billion COVID-19 relief bill that Congress passed this week includes $15 billion for passenger air carriers, Hawaii should urge more carriers serving Hawaii to become Safe Travels partners. The partnership is mutually beneficial; more access to reliable screening will encourage more flight bookings, helping airlines rebuild their decimated workforces.

On the ground, the tourism industry should seize the opportunity to right-size its slow-moving rebound by better balancing HTA’s four-pillar tourism plan, which includes: natural resources, Hawaiian culture, community and brand marketing. An assertive move toward a more sustainable future likely will improve tourism’s reputation among local residents, making them more inclined to extend our fabled aloha spirit to our visitors.