Visitor Spending Generated $1.69 Billion in January 2018, the Highest Monthly Total in Hawai‘i’s History

Air Service to Hawai‘i Increased 9.7 percent in January

News Release from HTA, February 28, 2018

HONOLULU – Visitors to the Hawaiian Islands spent a total of $1.69 billion in January 2018, an increase of 4.9 percent compared to January 2017, according to preliminary statistics released today by the Hawai‘i Tourism Authority (HTA). It was the highest statewide total for visitor spending ever recorded for a single month in Hawai‘i’s history.

Total arrivals to Hawai‘i grew 5.4 percent to 796,483 visitors in January, with total visitor days1 also increasing (+4.1%) versus a year ago. Growth in arrivals by air service (+6.2% to 784,237) offset fewer arrivals by cruise ships (-29.7% to 12,246). The average daily census2 , or number of visitors on any given day in January was 259,481, up 4.1 percent compared to January of last year.

Spending by visitors from the U.S. West market increased (+8.3% to $589.4 million) in January. Total visitor arrivals rose sharply (+14% to 304,091), supported by expanded air service to the neighbor islands. However, the average daily spending by each visitor (-3.7% to $190 per person) was lower compared to a year ago.

The U.S. East market reported a gain in visitor spending (+4% to $450.6 million) in January, boosted by increases in visitor arrivals (+3.1% to 177,962) and average daily spending (+4.1% to $215 per person).

The Japan market saw a decline in visitor spending (-4.2% to $191.9 million) in January. Visitor arrivals (-3.7% to 118,767) and average daily spending decreased (-1.7% to $268 per person) versus last year.

There was growth in visitor spending from the Canada market (+6.3% to $171.1 million) in January. Visitor arrivals (+6.5% to 69,163) and average daily spending (+1% to $176 per person) increased from a year ago.

Visitor spending increased on Maui (+18% to $548.5 million), the island of Hawai‘i (+1.8% to $268.2 million) and Kaua‘i (+2.3% to $191.2 million) in January, all of which were the highest monthly totals ever recorded for each island. Visitor spending on O‘ahu declined slightly (-1.9% to $662.0 million) in January compared to last year.

A total of 1,123,132 trans-Pacific air seats serviced the Hawaiian Islands in January, an increase of 9.7 percent from a year ago. Growth in air seats from Other Asia (+17.1%), U.S. West (+13.6%), U.S. East (+9.5%), Oceania (+5.4%) and Canada (+2.9%) offset a slight decline in seats from Japan (-1.3%).

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