Visitor arrivals to Maui up after 2023 wildfires, but down from pre-pandemic levels

Eighteen months after the Aug. 8, 2023, wildfires, there were 202,738 visitors to Maui in January 2025. The information was compiled by the state Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism.

• The number of visitors to Maui in January 2025 was higher than January 2024 (175,005 visitors, +15.8%), but below January 2019 (233,422 visitors, -13.1%).
• Visitor spending on Maui increased to $531.1 million in January 2025, compared to $503.8 million (+5.4%) in January 2024 and $474.2 million (+12.0%) in January 2019.
• The average daily census on Maui was 57,778 visitors in January 2025, compared to 53,377 visitors (+8.2%) in January 2024 and 69,854 visitors (-17.3%) in January 2019.

“Hawaiʻi’s tourism industry had a positive start to the new year with growth in both total visitor arrivals and visitor spending in January 2025, which marked the sixth consecutive month of increases in these key indicators,” said DBEDT Director James Kunane Tokioka.

“January is usually a slow month for tourism. The 19,028 visitors who came by cruise ships this January marked the second-highest January number (January 2014 had 19,321 visitors who came by cruise ships) since the cruise visitor data was collected in January 1999. According to the current cruise port call schedules, we anticipate that 2025 will be a great year for cruise visitors,” Tokioka said.

According to preliminary DBEDT statistics, there were 792,177 visitors to the Hawaiian Islands in January 2025, a 3.8% increase compared to the same month last year. Total visitor spending measured in nominal dollars was $1.89 billion, up 4.7% from January 2024. Total visitor arrivals in January 2025 represent a 96.9% recovery rate from pre-pandemic January 2019 (817,600, -3.1%) and total nominal visitor spending increased compared to January 2019 ($1.62 billion, +17.2%).

In January 2025, 773,149 visitors arrived by air service, mainly from the US West and US East. Additionally, 19,028 visitors arrived via out-of-state cruise ships. In comparison, 745,644 visitors (+3.7%) arrived by air and 17,836 visitors (+6.7%) came by cruise ships in January 2024, and 805,567 visitors (-4.0%) came by air and 12,033 visitors (+58.1%) came by cruise ships in January 2019.

The average length of stay by all visitors in January 2025 was 9.67 days, which was shorter than January 2024 (9.85 days, -1.8%) and January 2019 (9.94 days, -2.7%). The statewide average daily census was 247,179 visitors in January 2025, compared to 242,700 visitors (+1.8%) in January 2024 and 262,235 visitors (-5.7%) in January 2019.

In January 2025, 368,123 visitors arrived from the US West, an increase from January 2024 (356,174 visitors, +3.4%) and from January 2019 (317,655 visitors, +15.9%). US West visitor spending of $812.0 million grew compared to January 2024 ($768.2 million, +5.7%) and was much higher than January 2019 ($556.7 million, +45.9%). Daily spending by US West visitors in January 2025 ($240 per person) increased compared to January 2024 ($231 per person, +3.6%) and was significantly more than January 2019 ($180 per person, +33.1%).

In January 2025, 207,519 visitors arrived from the US East, up from January 2024 (192,490 visitors, +7.8%) and from January 2019 (185,253 visitors, +12.0%). U.S. East visitor spending of $601.8 million increased from January 2024 ($579.0 million, +3.9%) and January 2019 ($462.9 million, +30.0%). Daily spending by U.S. East visitors in January 2025 ($264 per person) was higher than January 2024 ($261 per person, +1.2%) and January 2019 ($216 per person, +22.2%).

There were 54,296 visitors from Japan in January 2025, an increase from January 2024 (52,911 visitors, +2.6%), but significantly fewer than January 2019 (120,418 visitors, -54.9%). Visitors from Japan spent $83.2 million in January 2025, compared to $78.8 million (+5.6%) in January 2024 and $173.4 million (-52.0%) in January 2019. Daily spending by Japanese visitors in January 2025 ($248 per person) increased compared to January 2024 ($240 per person, +3.5%) and January 2019 ($240 per person, +3.5%).

In January 2025, 54,333 visitors arrived from Canada, up from January 2024 (54,002 visitors, +0.6%), but much less than January 2019 (69,687 visitors, -22.0%). Although there were slightly more visitors in January 2025, their shorter average length of stay (12.28 days, -4.1%) resulted in decreased total Canadian visitor spending ($150.0 million, -3.4%). Daily visitor spending ($225 per person, +0.2%) was similar to January 2024. Total Canadian visitor spending ($165.4 million, -9.3%) declined, but daily spending ($167 per person, +34.6%) was higher than January 2019.

There were 88,878 visitors from all other international markets in January 2025, comprising visitors from Oceania, Other Asia, Europe, Latin America, Guam, the Philippines, the Pacific Islands and other regions. In comparison, there were 90,068 visitors (-1.3%) from all other international markets in January 2024 and 112,554 visitors (-21.0%) in January 2019.

Air capacity to the Hawaiian Islands in January 2025 (5,032 transpacific flights with 1,122,877 seats) increased compared to January 2024 (4,889 flights, +2.9% with 1,101,952 seats, +1.9%), but declined from January 2019 (5,158 flights, -2.4% with 1,134,182 seats, -1.0%).