Hawaii Visitor Statistics Released for November 2020

HTA Release (20-189), December 28, 2020

HONOLULU – Hawaii’s visitor industry continues to feel significant impacts due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In November 2020, visitor arrivals decreased 77.3 percent compared to a year ago, according to preliminary statistics released by the Hawaii Tourism Authority’s (HTA) Tourism Research Division.

This past November, a total of 183,779 visitors traveled to Hawaii by air service, compared to 809,076 visitors who came by air service and cruise ships in November 2019. Most of the visitors were from the U.S. West (137,452, -63.4%) and U.S. East (40,205, -73.3%). In addition, 524 visitors came from Japan (-99.6%) and 802 came from Canada (-98.4%). There were 4,795 visitors from All Other International Markets (-94.3%). Many of these visitors were from Guam, and a small number of visitors were from the Philippines, Other Asia, Europe, Latin America, Oceania, and the Pacific Islands. Total visitor days declined 65.9 percent compared to November of last year.

Beginning October 15, passengers arriving from out-of-state and traveling inter-county could bypass the mandatory 14-day self-quarantine with a valid negative COVID-19 NAAT test result from a Trusted Testing and Travel Partner. Starting November 6, travelers from Japan could also bypass the mandatory quarantine in Hawai‘i with a negative test result from a trusted testing partner in Japan. However, upon returning to Japan, the travelers were subject to a 14-day quarantine.

A new state policy went into effect on November 24 requiring all trans-Pacific travelers participating in the pre-travel testing program to have a negative test result before their departure to Hawai‘i, and test results would no longer be accepted once a traveler arrives in the state. Kauai, Hawai‘i Island, Maui, and Molokai also had a partial quarantine in place in November. Lanai residents and visitors were under a stay-at-home order from October 27 to November 11. In addition, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) continued to enforce the “No Sail Order” on all cruise ships.

Spending statistics for November 2020 were all from U.S. visitors. Data by visitors from other markets were not available. U.S. West visitors spent $251.9 million (-55.3%) in November 2020, and their average daily spending was $156 per person (-12.8%). U.S. East visitors spent $86.5 million
(-71.8%) and $160 per person on an average daily basis.

A total of 440,846 trans-Pacific air seats serviced the Hawaiian Islands in November, down 58.9 percent from a year ago. There were no scheduled seats from Canada and Oceania, and considerably fewer scheduled seats from Other Asia (-99.2%), Japan (-98.4%), U.S. East (-56.5%), U.S. West (-43.5%), and Other countries (-50.5%) compared to a year ago.

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