Hawai‘i Visitor Arrivals Set All-Time Monthly Record in July 2016

Visitor Expenditures Gained 1.5 Percent to $1.4 Billion

News Release from HTA, August 29, 2016

HONOLULU – A total of 835,417 visitors came to the Hawaiian Islands in July 2016, making it the best month ever for visitor arrivals on record, according to preliminary statistics released today by the Hawai‘i Tourism Authority (HTA). This represented a 2.1 percent growth from the previous record of 818,454 visitors in July 2015. Total visitor days1 increased by 1 percent.

Visitor arrivals on airlines rose (+2.3% to 834,465) in July 2016, with the balance arriving by cruise ship (952 visitors).

Arrivals by air in July 2016 grew from U.S. West (+5.3% to 365,497) and All Other International Markets (+4.6% to 127,935), while U.S. East arrivals were similar (+0.2% to 187,838) to last year. This more than offset the decreases from Japan (-3.6% to 127,373) and Canada (-3.1% to 25,822).

Total visitor expenditures increased (+1.5% to $1.4 billion) in July 2016 compared to the year prior. Visitor spending increased from U.S. West (+4.8% to $546.7 million), All Other International Markets (+1.8% to $292.5 million), and Canada (+8.5% to $51.1 million), with Japan remaining flat (-0.2% to $182.3 million). Spending declined from U.S. East (-3.3% to $371.9 million).

The statewide average daily spending of $190 per person (+0.5%) in July 2016 was similar to a year ago. Visitors from U.S. West (+1.7%), Japan (+4%) and Canada (+10.9%) spent more on a daily basis, while visitors from All Other International Markets (-1.5%) spent less.

In July 2016, growth in visitor arrivals to O‘ahu was flat (+0.5%) and visitor expenditures were down slightly (-0.6%) year-over-year. Maui recorded increases in both arrivals (+4.7%) and expenditures (+2.3%), as did Kaua‘i with gains in arrivals (+3.2%) and expenditures (+10.1%). The island of Hawai‘i recorded no growth in arrivals (-0.2%) and a slight drop in expenditures (-0.7%).

Total air capacity to the Hawaiian Islands grew slightly (+0.7% to 1,105,181 seats) in July 2016 versus last year. Increases in scheduled seats from U.S. West (+2.8%), Oceania (+9%) and Other Asia (+17%) offset declines from U.S. East (-9.7%), Japan (-8.6%) and Canada (-1.6%).

Year-to-Date 2016

Through the first seven months of 2016, total visitor arrivals (+2.5% to 5,251,218) and visitor expenditures (+2.9% to $9.15 billion) exceeded the same period last year. There were more visitors from U.S. West (+4.2%), U.S. East (+2.1%), Japan (+0.8%), and All Other International markets (+7.1%), but fewer visitors from Canada (-10%) compared to year-to-date 2015.

Gains in visitor expenditures from U.S. West (+5.5% to $3.3 billion), U.S. East (+3.4% to $2.4 billion), and All Other International markets (+7.5% to $1.8 billion) offset losses from Japan (-0.7% to $1.1 billion) and Canada (-15.1% to $602.6 million). 

Year-to-date, visitor arrivals increased on O‘ahu (+1.9%) and Maui (+2.7%) while growth in arrivals to the island of Hawai‘i (+0.1%) and Kaua‘i (-0.4%) were flat compared to the same period last year. Through July 2016, visitor expenditures increased for Maui (+8.2% to $2.7 billion), the island of Hawai‘i (+9.2% to $1.2 billion), and Kaua‘i (+6.3% to $993.5 million), but declined for O‘ahu (-2.9% to $4.2 billion).

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