Maui Visitor Spending Up, Arrivals Down in March

ʻĪao Valley is one of Maui’s most visited destinations. Photo by Wendy Osher.

By Wendy Osher

Visitor arrivals to Maui fell in March, but higher average daily spending contributed to a 5.7% increase in Maui visitor expenditures, according to updated data released by the Hawaiʻi Tourism Authority.

According to the report, arrivals to Maui fell 2.7% to 215,485 visitors; daily average spending was up 8% to $193 per person per day; and visitor expenditures on Maui increased to $347.4 million in March.

The report also noted a nearly 3% increase in growth from US East Coast visitors to Maui; a decline of nearly 5% form the West Coast of the US; a 1.5% drop in visitors from Canada; and a 3.2% drop in visitors from Japan.

The outer islands of Molokaʻi saw an 7.5% increase in visitors, but a 7.9% decrease in visitor expenditures; and Lānaʻi showed a 22% drop in arrivals, and a 19.8% drop in expenditures over the same period, according to the HTA data.

Year-to-date, visitor expenditures were down across all islands in Maui County including: -2.2% on Maui, -6.4% on Molokaʻi, and -14.3% on Lānaʻi, according to data released by the Hawaiʻi Tourism Authority.

The report shows that year-to-date figures for visitor arrivals on Molokaʻi were up 2.7%; but down 2.8% on Maui and down 17.4% on Lānaʻi.

Statewide, visitor expenditures fell 3.5% in March, compared to the same time last year; visitor arrivals declined 5.2% to 728,814 visitors; and per person per day spending was up 1.8% to $189, according to the HTA.

File image by Wendy Osher.

Tourism officials say visitor expenditures for the first quarter of 2014 fell 3.1% to $3.8 billion and total arrivals dropped 3.2% to 2,058,207 visitors.

Statewide, HTA  data indicates arrivals by air for the first quarter included: a 7.1% drop from US West; 1.5% drop from the US East; 3.1% increase from Japan; 1.5% increase from Canada; 13.1% increase from other Asia locations; and a 5.1% increase from Oceania.

First quarter data from the HTA showed total visitor expenditures were higher on Kauaʻi (+1.4%), declined on Oʻahu (-5%) and Maui (-2.2%), and was about the same for Hawaiʻi Island (+0.7%) compared to year-to-date 2013 data.