HAWAI‘I TOURISM INDUSTRY SET NEW RECORDS IN 2016 $15.6 BILLION IN VISITOR SPENDING; 8.9 MILLION ARRIVALS
News Release from HTA, January 30, 2017
HONOLULU – Hawai‘i’s tourism industry established new records in total visitor spending and visitor arrivals in 2016, according to preliminary year-end statistics released today by the Hawai‘i Tourism Authority. This marked the fifth straight year of record growth in both categories.
Total spending by visitors to the Hawaiian Islands increased 4.2 percent in 2016 to a new high of $15.6 billion.
A total of 8,941,394 visitors came to Hawai‘i in 2016, representing a 3 percent increase compared to 2015. On average, there were 219,625 visitors in the Hawaiian Islands on any given day in 2016, an increase of 2 percent versus 2015.
Arrivals by air rose 3.1 percent to 8,832,598 visitors in 2016, driven by growth from U.S. West, U.S. East and Korea. However, arrivals by cruise ship decreased 6.6 percent to 108,976 visitors in 2016, due to eight fewer cruise ships servicing the islands compared to 2015.
O‘ahu had a record number of visitor arrivals (+2.3% to 5,461,880) in 2016, but average daily spending was lower resulting in a slight decline in total visitor spending (-1% to $7.3 billion) compared to 2015. Maui achieved growth in both visitor arrivals (+3.9% to 2,640,175) and spending (+8.4% to $4.5 billion) in 2016. For the island of Hawai‘i, growth in visitor arrivals (+2.3% to 1,550,046) and much higher daily spending contributed to a substantial gain in total visitor spending (+11.8% to $2.1 billion). Kaua‘i recorded growth in visitor spending (+6.3% to $1.6 billion) in 2016 boosted by a modest increase in arrivals (+1.2% to 1,187,476 visitors) and higher daily spending.
A record total of 12,020,545 air seats (+0.7%) served the Hawaiian Islands in 2016. Growth in airline seats from Other Asia (+19.9%), Oceania (+2.3%), U.S. West (+1.5%) and Canada (+0.7%) offset fewer seats from Japan (-5.8%).
For December 2016, Hawai‘i welcomed 828,473 visitors, a 3.6 percent increase year-over-year. Visitor spending in December 2016 totaled $1.7 billion, an increase of 5.1 percent (or $75 million) above December 2015. The statewide average daily spending was also higher (+3.1% to $198 per person) in December 2016 compared to the year prior.
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