Hawai‘i Visitor Arrivals Set New Record for Month of August; Extends Streak to 19 Consecutive Months of Growth in Arrivals

Visitor Expenditures Gained 5.1 Percent to $1.3 Billion

News Release from HTA, September 30, 2016

HONOLULU – A total of 780,723 visitors came to the Hawaiian Islands in August 2016, the most ever recorded for the month of August, according to preliminary statistics released today by the Hawai‘i Tourism Authority (HTA). This represented an increase of 3.1 percent from last August and also extended Hawai‘i’s streak to 19 consecutive months of year-over-year growth in arrivals, dating back to February 2015. Total visitor days1 increased by 2.3 percent.

There were 778,840 visitors who arrived on airlines (+2.8%) in August 2016, while 1,883 visitors came to Hawai‘i via cruise ship. Arrivals by air rose from U.S. West (+4.8% to 329,951), U.S. East (+2.8% to 149,705) and All Other International Markets (+2.5% to 118,864), while Japan (-0.4% to 152,438) and Canada (-0.4% to 27,881) reported no growth in arrivals compared to August 2015.

While visitor volumes have increased over the last 19 months, total visitor expenditures have seen gains and losses largely due to fluctuations in daily visitors spending. In August 2016, total visitor expenditures2 rose (+5.2% to $1.3 billion), the third straight month of increases. Visitor spending rose from U.S. West (+7.1% to $482.8 million), U.S. East (+6.6% to $294 million), Japan (+2% to $211.5 million), and from All Other International Markets (+3.9% to $274.9 million), while spending by visitors from Canada ($48 million) was unchanged from August 2015.

In August 2016, the statewide average daily spending of $192 per person was higher (+2.9%) compared to a year ago. Visitors spent more on a daily basis from U.S. West (+3.4%), U.S. East (+5.4%), Japan (+4.8%), and Canada (+4.7%), while visitors from All Other International Markets spent less (-2.5%).

In August 2016, visitor arrivals to O‘ahu increased (+1.8%) but visitor expenditure growth was similar (+0.5%) to a year ago. The island of Hawai‘i recorded increases in both arrivals (+2.5%) and expenditures (+7.9%), as did Maui with gains in arrivals (+5.3%) and expenditures (+8%). While arrivals to Kaua‘i rose slightly (+0.9%), there was a substantial gain in expenditures (+13.2%) compared to August 2015.

Total air capacity to the Hawaiian Islands decreased (-1.3% to 1,061,887 seats) compared to August 2015. Growth in scheduled seats from Oceania (+3.6%) and U.S. West (+2%) were offset by declines from Japan (-11.6%), U.S. East (-5.6%), Canada (-2.9%) and Other Asia (-1%).

Year-to-Date 2016

Through the first eight months of 2016, total visitor arrivals (+2.6% to 6,031,940) and visitor expenditures (+3% to $10.4 billion) surpassed the same period last year….

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