TOTAL VISITOR EXPENDITURES DECREASED 2.2 PERCENT IN APRIL 2014 AND 2.9 PERCENT IN THE FIRST FOUR MONTHS OF 2014

HONOLULU – Total expenditures by visitors who came to Hawai‘i in April 2014 decreased 2.2 percent (or $24 million) from last April to $1.1 billion1, according to preliminary statistics released today by the Hawai‘i Tourism Authority. For the first four months of 2014, total visitor expenditures fell 2.9 percent to $4.9 billion and total arrivals dropped 2.6 percent to 2,720,760 visitors. There has been negative growth in total visitor expenditures for the last eight months.

In April 2014, arrivals by air of 639,395 visitors (+0.3%) was comparable to the same month last year. However, fewer visitors came by cruise ships (-22.2%) which led to a slight drop in total arrivals (-0.7%) to 662,553 visitors. The average daily spending by all visitors (-1.6% to $188 per person) was lower than a year ago.

Arrivals by air from U.S. West visitors fell 1.4 percent to 274,656 visitors, despite an expected gain from Easter holiday travelers. This decline was offset by higher daily spending (+4.5% to $160 per person), which contributed to a 2.9 percent growth in U.S. West visitor expenditures to $394.1 million. Average daily spending by U.S. East visitors was less than last April (-8% to $193 per person), resulting in a 6.9 percent decline in U.S. East visitor expenditures to $238.4 million.

A drop in Japanese arrivals (-1.6% to 98,686 visitors) was balanced by increased daily spending (+3.4% to $271 per person), resulting in total expenditures of $154.6 million (+0.2%). Canadian visitors spent a total of $89.7 million in April 2014, up 10.2 percent from the same month last year.  Supported by increased air service, Canadian arrivals rose 16.3 percent to 49,548 visitors.

Arrivals from All Other markets totaled 87,608 visitors (-0.2%). Lower daily spending (-5.6% to $258 per person) and a shorter average length of stay led to a 10.7 percent drop in expenditures from All Other markets to $195.4 million.

There were more visitors to Kaua‘i (+4.2%) and Maui (+2.7%), but fewer visitors to Hawai‘i Island (-3.8%) compared to April 2013. Visitor expenditures rose on Kaua‘i (+8.5%) and Hawai‘i Island (+1.4%) but decreased on O‘ahu (-6.1%).

There were 898,448 total air seats (+0.7%) to Hawai‘i in April 2014. Scheduled seats from Other Asia (+19.3%), Canada (+16.8%) and Japan (+6.5%) grew, but scheduled seats from U.S. East (-8.4%) and Oceania (-6.3%) declined.  

Year-to-date 2014: Arrivals by air from U.S. West (-5.6%) and U.S. East (-1%) were down, while arrivals from Japan (+2.1%), Canada (+4%), Other Asia (+10.1%) and Oceania (+1.5%) increased compared to the first four months of 2013. Total visitor expenditures were higher on Kaua‘i (+3%) but declined on O‘ahu (-5.3%) and Maui (-1.7%).

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