Maui Visitors Down 52% Through February to 29,060 Per Day

For the first two months of 2021, visitors to Maui were down 58 percent to 29,060 visitors per day, compared to a census of 69,281 visitors per day at the same time in 2020. The preliminary statistics through February were released today by the Hawaiʻi Tourism Authority.

The report also showed a 62.6 percent drop in visitor spending to $5.9 million per day. Year to date through February, visitor spending was down 64.5 percent to $5.7 million per day.

Other Island Highlights include the following:

Oʻahu: In February, visitor spending averaged $4.8 million per day (-76.6 percent) and the average daily census showed 35,935 visitors per day (-67 percent) on O‘ahu. For the first two months of 2021, visitor spending (-79.3 percent to $4.5 million per day) and the average daily census (-69.3 percent to 34,973 visitors per day) were down significantly compared to a year ago.

Kaua‘i: In February, visitor spending averaged $565.1 thousand per day (-90.4 percent) and the average daily census showed 3,730 visitors per day (-87.2 percent) on Kaua‘i. For the first two months of 2021, visitor spending (-92.7 percent to $440.8 thousand per day) and the average daily census (-88.6 percent to 3,349 visitors per day) declined dramatically from a year ago.

Hawai‘i Island: In February, visitor spending averaged $2.5 million per day (-67.2 percent) and the average daily census showed 18,163 visitors per day (-54.8 percent) on Hawai‘i Island. For the first two months of 2021, visitor spending (-72.1 percent to $2.4 million per day) and the average daily census (-59.5 percent to 17,542 visitors per day) dropped substantially from a year ago.

The HTA reports that Hawaii’s visitor industry continues to be impacted by the global COVID-19 pandemic. Statewide, the average daily census showed that there were 90,776 visitors in Hawai‘i on any given day in February 2021, compared to 250,052 visitors per day in February 2020.

During February, most passengers arriving from out-of-state and traveling inter-county could bypass the state’s mandatory 10-day self-quarantine with a valid negative COVID-19 NAAT test result from a Trusted Testing Partner through the state’s Safe Travels program.

All trans-Pacific travelers participating in the pre-travel testing program were required to have a negative test result before their departure to Hawai‘i. Kaua‘i County continued to temporarily suspend its participation in the Safe Travels program for trans-Pacific travelers, but inter-island travelers who had been in Hawaii for more than three days could bypass the quarantine with a valid test result. Trans-Pacific travelers to Kauai were given the option of participating in a pre- and post-travel testing program at a “resort bubble” property as a way to shorten their time in quarantine. The counties of Hawai‘i and Maui also had a partial quarantine in place in February.

In addition, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention continued to enforce the “Conditional Sailing Order” on all cruise ships.

A total of 235,283 visitors traveled to Hawai‘i by air service in February 2021, compared to 828,056 visitors who came by air and cruise ships a year ago. Most of the visitors were from the US West (164,861, -53.6%) and U.S. East (63,899, -67.1%). Also, 695 visitors came from Japan (-99.4%) and 493 visitors came from Canada (-99.2%). There were 5,336 visitors from All Other International Markets (-93.2%). Many of these visitors were from Guam, and a small number of visitors were from Other Asia, Europe, Latin America, Oceania, Philippines and Pacific Islands.
In terms of average daily census, there were 60,249 visitors present in Hawai‘i on any given day during February from U.S. West (-42.7%), 26,996 visitors from U.S. East (-59.0%), 430 visitors from Japan (-98.2%), 488 visitors from Canada (-98.2%), and 2,613 visitors from All Other International Markets (-89.9%), down considerably compared to February 2020.

Total visitor spending in February 2021 was $385.3 million (-73.6%). This represented an average of $13.8 million per day, compared to $50.3 million per day in February 2020. U.S. West visitors spent $9.4 million per day (-52.2%). U.S. East visitors spent $4.1 million per day (-71.3%). Visitors from Japan spent $86.1 thousand per day (-98.5%). Visitors from Canada spent $80.6 thousand per day (-98.4%). Spending data for visitors from other markets were not available.

There were 2,556 trans-Pacific flights and 532,220 air seats that serviced the Hawaiian Islands in February 2021. This averaged out to 91 flights and 19,008 air seats per day, which is far less than the 172 flights and 38,186 seats per day in February 2020. There were no scheduled seats from Oceania, and considerably fewer scheduled seats from Other Asia, Japan, Canada, US East, US West, and other countries compared to a year ago.

Year-to-Date 2021

For the first two months of 2021, total visitor spending dropped to $768.7 million (-75.8%). This represented an average of $13.0 million per day compared to $52.9 million per day, year-over-year. The average daily census decreased to 85,519 total visitors compared to 260,059 visitors per day, year-to-date February 2020.