TOTAL VISITOR ARRIVALS AND VISITOR SPENDING DECREASED FOR THE SECOND CONSECUTIVE MONTH COMPARED TO 2022

News Release from DBEDT, Oct 30, 2023

HONOLULU – According to preliminary statistics from the Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism (DBEDT), both visitor arrivals and visitor spending decreased for the second consecutive month compared to 2022, as Hawaiʻi’s tourism continued to be impacted by the aftermath of the August Lāhainā fires. A total of 651,286 visitors came to the Hawaiian Islands in September 2023, a decrease of 7.4 percent from September 2022. When compared to pre-pandemic 2019, this represents an 88.5 percent recovery in total visitor arrivals from September 2019. As measured in nominal dollars, total visitor spending was $1.37 billion in September 2023, down from September 2022 ($1.52 billion, -9.6%), but higher than September 2019 ($1.25 billion, +10.2%).

In September 2023, 643,106 visitors arrived by air service, mainly from the U.S. West and U.S. East. Additionally, 8,180 visitors came via four out-of-state cruise ships. In comparison, 692,205 visitors (-7.1%) arrived by air and 11,474 visitors (-28.7%) came by cruise ships in September 2022, and 718,042 visitors (-10.4%) arrived by air and 18,114 visitors (-54.8%) came by cruise ships in September 2019. The average length of stay by all visitors in September 2023 was 8.68 days, compared to 8.94 days (-2.9%) in September 2022 and 8.40 days (+3.3%) in September 2019. The statewide average daily census[1] was 188,429 visitors in September 2023, compared to 209,619 visitors (-10.1%) in September 2022 and 206,169 visitors (-8.6%) in September 2019.

In September 2023, 329,187 visitors arrived from the U.S. West, a decline from September 2022 (395,202 visitors, -16.7%), but an increase compared to September 2019 (305,808 visitors, +7.6%). U.S. West visitor spending of $606.0 million decreased from September 2022 ($775.3 million, -21.8%) but was higher than September 2019 ($466.0 million, +30.0%). Daily spending by U.S. West visitors in September 2023 ($224 per person) was less than September 2022 ($234 per person, -4.5%) but was considerably more than September 2019 ($179 per person, +25.0%).

In September 2023, arrivals from the U.S. East of 153,635 visitors were down compared to September 2022 (170,987 visitors, -10.1%) but increased from September 2019 (133,185 visitors, +15.4%). U.S. East visitor spending of $404.1 million declined from September 2022 ($420.5 million, -3.9%) but was higher than September 2019 ($288.9 million, +39.9%). Daily spending by U.S. East visitors in September 2023 ($274 per person) was more than September 2022 ($253 per person, +8.5%) and September 2019 ($229 per person, +20.1%).

There were 51,350 visitors from Japan in September 2023, which was an increase compared to September 2022 (27,332 visitors, +87.9%) but was considerably lower than September 2019 (143,928 visitors, -64.3%). Visitors from Japan spent $79.6 million in September 2023, compared to $47.8 million (+66.5%) in September 2022 and $196.5 million (-59.5%) in September 2019. Daily spending by Japanese visitors in September 2023 ($240 per person) was more than September 2022 ($231 per person, +3.9%) and September 2019 ($231 per person, +3.8%).

There were 17,495 visitors from Canada in September 2023, which was a decrease compared to September 2022 (22,158 visitors, -21.0%) and September 2019 (21,928 visitors, -20.2%). Visitors from Canada spent $45.3 million in September 2023, compared to $49.2 million
(-7.9%) in September 2022 and $40.5 million (+11.8%) in September 2019. Daily spending by Canadian visitors in September 2023 ($237 per person) was more than September 2022 ($201 per person, +17.5%) and September 2019 ($159 per person, +48.9%).

There were 91,438 visitors from all other international markets in September 2023, which included visitors from Oceania, Other Asia, Europe, Latin America, Guam, the Philippines, and the Pacific Islands. In comparison, there were 76,526 visitors (+19.5%) from all other international markets in September 2022 and 113,192 visitors (-19.2%) in September 2019.

In September 2023, a total of 4,374 transpacific flights with 964,132 seats serviced the Hawaiian Islands, compared to 4,501 flights (-2.8%) with 957,031 seats (+0.7%) in September 2022 and 4,533 flights (-3.5%) with 1,012,883 seats (-4.8%) in September 2019.

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Statement by DBEDT Director James Kunane Tokioka:

The impacts from the Maui wildfires were significant in September 2023 with both visitor arrivals and visitor expenditures down by more than 50 percent for Maui for the month compared to 2022. Visitor arrivals on Maui in September 2023 (94,221) recorded the lowest since February 2021 and visitor spending of $203.2 million on Maui in September 2023 was the lowest since March 2021.

With the reopening of West Maui that started in October, tourism on Maui is expected to improve over the next few months.

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