Visitor Spending on Maui Reaches $2.7B for Year-to-Date

Front Street Lahaina. File photo.

By Sonia Isotov

Total expenditures by visitors who came to Maui for the first nine months of 2012 has reached $2.7 billion, 19.9% more than the same time last year, according to preliminary statistics released today by the Hawaii Tourism Authority.

In September 2012, increased daily spending (+9.8% to $203 per person) and arrivals (+2.4% to 161,721 visitors) elevated Maui’s total visitor expenditures (+13.3%) to $241.2 million. Growth in arrivals from US West (+1.7% to 81,249) and Japan (+13.1% to 6,860) offset lower arrivals from US East (-1.7% to 40,736) and Canada (-4.2% to 9,115).

Total visitors to Maui in September 2012 rose 2.4% to 161,721 and total visitors to Maui in 2012 through September 2012 rose 5.6%. Of the 1,730,468 visitors to Maui through September 2012, 61.9% stayed there exclusively.

File photo by Wendy Osher.

Statewide, total expenditures by visitors who came to Hawai‘i in September 2012 rose 15.6%  (or +$146.5 million1) compared to the previous year to $1.1 billion. Contributing to this increase was higher daily spending and a 6.1% growth in total arrivals (to 595,019 visitors).

“While arrivals increased at a slower rate than recent months, we were extremely pleased that the pace of expenditure growth has not weakened,” said Mike McCartney, the president and chief executive officer of the Hawaii Tourism Authority, in a written statement.

“As we head into the fourth quarter, we anticipate the momentum to continue with increases in airlift thanks to new routes by Hawaiian Airlines from Sapporo and Brisbane, Jetstar from Melbourne, and Allegiant from the West Coast, including a Bellingham to Kahului flight.”

“These new routes are all servicing secondary cities, which will provide greater ease of access for visitors to come to the Hawaiian Islands. Festivals and events, including the EA Sports Maui Invitational, will also help to draw visitors this quarter,” continued McCartney.