Lee Cataluna's Aug. 26 column about her concerns over tourism seemed simply to rehash the same questions that people have expressed for decades about growth and the potential impact on Hawai'i.

And while it is important to ask the questions, it is also important to make sure we understand that the relationship between our community and tourism is complex and should not be simplified into quick sound bites.

Tourism has become the lifeline of Hawai'i's economy since the downfall of our sugar and pineapple industries. When our hotels are doing well, Hawai'i's economy is doing well. As a state, we have benefited from tourism through jobs, tax dollars that help pay for our roads, schools, social services and infrastructural improvements that can be found all around our communities.

People may have short memories, but while things have improved, times have not always been the best for our industry and our state. The Gulf War, SARS, the war on Iraq and 9/11 all took their toll on our destination. The impact of those tourism down times could be felt throughout our economy, affecting employment, tax revenues and retail sales. A glaring statistic to look at is the increase in new bankruptcy filings during tourism down times.

It was during these tough times that we truly felt how integrated tourism is to the fabric of our community. And we responded as a community. The tourism industry, along with support from the state and many other sectors of our community, worked together to revive our economy. And we have been successful. But it has not been an overnight success.

Approximately 15 years ago, our visitor count hit the 7 million mark. It plummeted thereafter and only recently returning to that level in 2005 with an estimated 7.2 million visitors. To put this in perspective, this is still only 2.8 percent growth over our visitor count from 15 years ago.

And, believe it or not, this success has been appreciated by Hawai'i residents. Opinion studies have shown that a large percentage of our residents understand the positive impact of the tourism industry on our island economy.

But at the same time, the tourism industry and the state are acutely aware of the need to balance growth with community needs. To accomplish this, a tourism strategic plan for Hawai'i was developed with input from a broad range of people from the community. This plan will help industry officials put forward efforts to ensure sustainable growth through strategies such as focusing on visitors with higher spending potential.

The tourism industry has also continued to support programs that jointly benefit the local community and our visitors, such as the Sony Open, Aloha Festivals, Honolulu Festival, Sunset on the Beach and the Sheraton Hawai'i Bowl. And we should not overlook the contribution to the community through industry associates' contributions to Aloha United Way and the visitor industry Charity Walk, money raised and targeted to support many of Hawai'i's nonprofit organizations.

These events have also helped attract local residents to Waikiki, despite Cataluna's claims to the contrary. Thousands of local residents enjoy all that Waikiki has to offer every day.

We all work, play and live in this community, and it would be a terrible injustice to suggest that members of the tourism industry do not understand or appreciate the need to preserve our beautiful state. It is easy to sit back and criticize. But the tougher challenge, and one that we will readily embrace, is the willingness to truly understand the role that tourism plays for our state and to work together to plan and build a healthy industry that is sensitive to community needs and continues to contribute to our economy.

Keith Vieira is senior vice president and director of operations for Hawai'i and French Polynesia for Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. He wrote this commentary for The Advertiser.