Visitor Arrivals (4.4 Million), Expenditures ($7.7 Billion) Increased in First Half of 2016

June 2016 Arrivals Up 4.2 Percent, Expenditures Gained 4.3 Percent

News Release from HTA, July 28, 2016

HONOLULU – For the first half of 2016, total visitor arrivals to the Hawaiian Islands increased 3.3 percent to 4,415,801 visitors, while visitor expenditures rose 1.6 percent to $7.7 billion, according to preliminary statistics released today by the Hawai‘i Tourism Authority (HTA).

Through the first six months of 2016, growth in visitors from U.S. West (+4.3%), U.S. East (+4.1%), Japan (+1.6%) and All Other International markets (+9.7%) offset fewer visitors from Canada (-11.6%) compared to 2015. Visitor expenditures increased from U.S. West (+5% to $2.7 billion), U.S. East (+3.3% to $2 billion) and All Other International markets (+6% to $1.5 billion), but declined from Canada (-17.7% to $551.5 million) and Japan (-4.3% to $936.5 million).

For the four larger Hawaiian Islands in the first half of 2016, Maui (+3%), O‘ahu (+2.9%) and Hawai‘i Island (+0.9%) saw growth in visitor arrivals, while Kaua‘i (-0.1%) was similar to last year. Visitor expenditures increased on Maui (+4% to $2.3 billion) and Hawai‘i Island (+9.1% to $1 billion), showed no growth on Kaua‘i (-0.2% to $820.8 million), and declined on O‘ahu (-1.5% to $3.5 billion).

For the month of June 2016, total visitors rose 4.2 percent with growth in arrivals by airlines (+4.1% to 798,663) and cruise ships (+221.9% to 1,600) compared to June 2015. Total visitor days1 increased 3.9 percent. There were more visitors from U.S. West (+5.4%), Japan (+0.9%) and All Other International markets (+12.6%), no growth in visitors from U.S. East (-0.2%), and fewer visitors from Canada (-4.5%).

Total visitor expenditures for June 2016 rose 4.3 percent to $1.4 billion versus June 2015. Visitor spending increased from U.S. West (+10.3% to $566.9 million) and from All Other International markets (+6.3% to $250.2 million), but declined from U.S. East (-1.5% to $385 million), Japan (-2.2% to $166.3 million) and Canada (-2.2% to $31.4 million).

Statewide average daily spending of $193 per person (+0.4%) in June 2016 was similar to last year, as higher spending by visitors from U.S. West (+4.8%) and Canada (+4.5%) offset lower spending by visitors from U.S. East (-2.3%), Japan (-1.9%) and All Other International markets (-3.2%).

All four larger Hawaiian Islands recorded growth in visitor arrivals and visitor expenditures in June 2016 compared to June 2015.

Growth in total air seats to the Hawaiian Islands in June 2016 was flat (+0.1% to 1,047,738) versus June 2015. Growth from Other Asia markets (+26.6%), Oceania (+3.6%) and U.S. West (+1.2%) offset declines in scheduled seats from U.S. East (-10.5%) and Japan (-4.7%).

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