TOTAL VISITOR EXPENDITURES IN SEPTEMBER 2013 WAS DOWN 4.8 PERCENT WHILE ARRIVALS LOWERED BY 1 PERCENT

Year-to-Date Expenditures Still Up 4.1 Percent  

News Release from HTA October 31, 2013

HONOLULU – Visitors who came to Hawai‘i in September 2013 spent a total of $1 billion, down 4.8 percent from last September, according to preliminary statistics released today by the Hawai‘i Tourism Authority. Total arrivals, which have shown growth since September 2011, lowered by 1 percent to 594,181 visitors. The average daily visitor spending declined (-3.6% to $199 per person) compared to September 2012. For the first nine months of 2013, total visitor expenditures increased 4.1 percent to $11 billion and total arrivals rose 4.5 percent to 6,256,793 visitors.  

Arrivals by air from U.S. West fell 5.9 percent to 216,958 visitors in September 2013 while visitor days decreased 4.3 percent. Total U.S. West visitor expenditures dropped 5.5 percent to $322.6 million. For the U.S. East market, arrivals were virtually unchanged from last September at 109,794 visitors and total U.S. East visitor expenditures was $240.4 million, comparable to September 2012.

Japanese arrivals rose 2 percent to 136,052 visitors in September 2013. However, lower daily spending (-11% to $266 per person) and a shorter length of stay resulted in a 14.8 percent decrease in total Japanese visitor expenditures to $214.9 million. Total Canadian visitor expenditures grew 5.9 percent to $39.3 million, boosted by increased daily spending and stable arrivals (19,188 visitors).

Arrivals from All Other markets were up 4.8 percent to 100,282 visitors and combined total expenditures from All Other visitors rose 2.9 percent to $223.4 million. There was growth in arrivals from Oceania (+14.2%) and Other Asia (+13.2%) compared to September 2012 (see page 6).

In September 2013, 11,907 visitors came by cruise ships, up 3.2 percent (see page 6).

Among the larger Hawaiian Islands, total visitor expenditures in September 2013 declined on O‘ahu (-10.5%) and Maui (-5.2%), but rose on Kaua‘i (+16.3 %) and Hawai‘i Island (+13.3%) (see page 4).

There were 817,914 total air seats to Hawai‘i in September 2013, similar to a year ago. Growth in scheduled seats from Oceania (+49.2%), Other Asia (+10.1%) and Japan (+9.3%) offset declines from U.S. West (-5.6%) and U.S. East (-6.8%) (see page 5).

Year-to-Date 2013:

Total expenditures by U.S. West (+7.3% to $3.6 billion), U.S. East (+6.7% to $2.8 billion) and Canadian (+1.7% to $746.9 million) visitors increased, but total spending by Japanese visitors declined (-8.4% to $1.9 billion). Arrivals from U.S. West (+4.5%), U.S. East (+1.6%), Japan (+3.3%) and Canada (+2.9%) showed moderate growth, while arrivals from Oceania (+30.2%), Other Asia (+23.8%), Europe (+10.7%) and Latin America (+23.8%) rose by double-digits.

Maui (+5.2% to $2.7 billion; +3.6% to 1,800,186 visitors), Hawai‘i Island (+17.1% to $1.4 billion; +4.4% to 1,118,637 visitors) and Kaua‘i (+15.2% to $1.1 billion; +4.3% to 855,047 visitors) showed growth in total visitor expenditures and arrivals compared to the first nine months of 2012. Total visitor spending on O‘ahu decreased (-1.1% to $5.6 billion) despite growth in arrivals (+5.8% to 3,882,600 visitors), which was offset by lower daily spending and shorter length of stay.

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