Maui Visitor Arrivals Expenditures Up in April, Down for Year

Oneloa or Big Beach in Mākena, file photo by Wendy Osher.

By Wendy Osher

Visitor arrivals to Maui were up 2.7% for April 2014, compared to the same month last year, with a total of 195,659 people visiting Maui by air, according to new data released by the Hawaiʻi Tourism Authority.

The data included visitor increases to Maui of 1.6% from the US West, 4.9% from the US East, and 15.4% from Canada, offsetting a 24% decrease from Japan.

The data also showed an increase in visitor expenditures for the month with Maui air travelers spending $295.8 million in April 2014, up 0.1% from the same time last year.

While the April 2014 data was positive for arrivals and expenditures on Maui, there was actually a 1.5% drop in visitor arrivals to the island for the first four months of the year, and a 1.7% drop in visitor expenditures over the same period, according to the HTA.

Maui data also showed a 6.5% increase in visitor days to 1,555,830 days in April; and a 3.7% increase in the average length of stay, with Maui visitors staying 7.95 days, the longest in the state.

The HTA report notes that per person per day spending on Maui was down 6.1% in April from the same month last year to $190.10; and per person per trip spending was down 2.6% to $1,512 when compared to the same month last year.

HTA President and CEO Mike McCartney said some of the factors affecting visitor arrivals include growing competition, the strengthening of the US dollar against international currencies and other economic conditions.

In a statement issued on Thursday, McCartney said, “Visitor arrivals and expenditures will continue to plateau in 2014, in comparison to the past two record-breaking years. Through the strategic and collective efforts of our industry, marketing and other stakeholder partners, we will continue to work together to balance and strengthen Hawaii’s tourism economy.”

Molokaʻi Data: total expenditures were $2.5 million, up 19.6% from April of last year and down 1.8% year to date; visitors spent a total of 18,272 days on the island, up 5.4% from same month last year and up 1.4% YTD; a total of 4,055 people visited the island, down 8.3% from same month last year; and up 0.1% YTD; the average visitor stayed 4.51 days, up 14.9% from same month last year and up 1.3% YTD; per person per day spending was $135.40 (the lowest in the state), up 13.5% from same month last year and down 3.2% YTD; and per person per trip spending was $609.90 (also the lowest in the state), up 30.4% from same month last year and down 1.9% YTD.

Lānaʻi Data: total expenditures were $5.7 million, down 7% from April of last year and down 12.7% year to date; visitors spent a total of 16,737 days on the island, down 13.1% from same month last year, and down 16.8% YTD; a total of 5,315 people visited the island, down 6.3% from same month last year; and down 14.9% YTD; the average visitor stayed 3.15 days, down 7.3% from same month last year and down 2.3% YTD; per person per day spending was $341.20 (the highest in the state), up 7% from same month last year; and up 5% YTD; and per person per trip spending was $1,074.30, down 0.8% from same month last year and up 2.5% YTD.