HTA Releases Maui and State Visitor Statistics

This past September, 5.9 percent more visitors came to Maui compared to September of last year, according to preliminary statistics that the Hawai’i Tourism Authority (HTA) released on Tuesday. Visitor spending on Maui remained the same to a year ago at $334.4 million.

Visitors throughout all of the Hawaiian Islands spent a total of $1.28 billion in September of this year, a 6.4 percent increase from last year.

The island of O’ahu recorded a 12 percent increase in visitor spending and a 3.1 percent increase in visitor arrivals in September compared to a year ago. Kaua’i saw a 21.5 percent increase in visitor spending and a 4.1 percent increase in visitor arrivals. Hawai’i island recorded a 14 percent decrease in both visitor spending and visitor arrivals.

Visitors from the US and all other international markets spent more in September of this year compared to last September. By contrast, Canadian visitors spent about the same while Japanese visitors spent less.

Total visitor arrivals for the state grew 3.5 percent in September compared to a year ago, while the total number of days that visitors spent during their stay increased by 5.8 percent. The average daily census, or number of visitors on any given day in September, also grew by 5.8 percent compared to last year.

Visitors from US East increased by 12 percent, while visitors from US West increased by 5 percent. Visitors from all other international markets increased by 1.9 percent, while 6.2 percent fewer visitors arrived from Canada and 4 percent less visitors came from Japan compared to last year.

Over one million trans-Pacific air seats served the Hawaiian Islands in September, up 10.3 percent year-over-year. Growth in scheduled seats from Oceania, US West, Japan, US East, and Canada offset fewer seats from other Asia.

Visitors to the Hawaiian Islands spent a total of $13.62 billion in the first three quarters of 2018, an increase of 9.8 percent compared to the same period last year.

Hawai’i’s four largest visitor markets, US West, US East, Japan, and Canada all reported growth in visitor spending in the first three quarters of this year compared to the same period last year. Combined visitor spending from all other international markets also increased.

Total visitor arrivals, which is comprised of arrivals by air service and cruise ships, rose 6.5 percent in the first three quarters compared to a year ago. Visitor arrivals by air increased 9.6 percent from from US West, 8.4 percent from US East, 4 percent from Canada, and 6.8 percent from all other international markets, but declined by 1.9 percent from Japan.

Over 10 million trans-Pacific air seats served the Hawaiian Islands in the first three quarters, a 9.2 percent increase year-over-year.

All of the Hawaiian islands saw growth in visitor spending and visitor arrivals in the first three quarters of this year compared to last year.

The full HTA report can be found online.