Visitor Spending Increased 11.5 Percent in February 2017

News Release from HTA, March 29, 2017

HONOLULU – Visitors to the Hawaiian Islands spent a total of $47.8 million per day in February 2017, representing a gain of 11.5 percent from February 20161 , according to preliminary statistics released today by the Hawai‘i Tourism Authority (HTA). There were 230,544 total visitors in Hawai‘i on any given day in February 2017, up 5.8 percent from the same month last year.

Visitor spending increased from U.S. West (+17.4% to $16.8 million per day), U.S. East (+14.1% to $12.8 million per day), Japan (+14% to $6.3 million per day) and Canada (+11% to $4.4 million per day) in February 2017, but declined from All Other International Markets (-5.3% to $7.5 million per day) compared to February 2016.

Statewide per person daily spending was higher (+5.4% to $208) in February 2017 than a year ago. Visitors spent more per person from U.S. West (+12.6% to $194), U.S. East (+6.3% to $214) and Canada (+13.3% to $169), while visitors from All Other International Markets spent less (-8.7% to $243). Per person daily spending by Japanese visitors ($246) was unchanged from last year.

The average daily census2 in February 2017 showed growth in visitor arrivals from U.S. West (+4.2% to 86,313 visitors), U.S. East (+7.3% to 59,820 visitors) and Japan (+13.8% to 25,466 visitors), but fewer visitors from Canada (-2% to 26,217 visitors) compared to February 2016.

Contributing to the growth in visitor arrivals in February 2017 was a considerable increase by those who came by cruise ship, resulting in a gain of 8,583 visitors (or +178% to 13,404 visitors) versus last year. Furthermore, visitors flying to Hawai‘i and boarding the home-ported cruise ship added another 4,682 visitors (or +104.1% to 9,181 visitors).

The average daily census in February 2017 showed an increase in visitor arrivals on O‘ahu (+7.8% to 102,023 visitors), the island of Hawai‘i (+8.9% to 37,483 visitors) and Kaua‘i (+5.4% to 26,102 visitors), but slightly fewer on Maui (-0.9% to 61,385 visitors). Visitor spending increased on all of the Hawaiian Islands in February 2017 compared to the year prior.

The total number of air seats serving Hawai‘i in February 2017 declined 1.3 percent to an average of 32,582 seats per day.

Year-to-Date 2017

For the first two months of 2017, total visitor spending rose (+9% to $2.9 billion) representing an average of $49.9 million in visitor spending per day, up from $45.1 million per day last year. Total visitor arrivals grew 3.3 percent to 1,456,739 visitors, while the average daily census rose 4.9 percent to 240,382 visitors per day.

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