Visitor Industry Expanded in March 2025

News Release from DBEDT, April 30, 2025

HONOLULU—According to preliminary statistics from the Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism (DBEDT), total visitor arrivals and total visitor spending in March 2025 increased in comparison to March 2024. There were 903,891 visitors to the Hawaiian Islands in March 2025, up 3.0 percent from the same month last year. Total visitor spending measured in nominal dollars was $1.99 billion, growth of 10.3 percent from March 2024. When compared to pre-pandemic 2019 levels, March 2025 total visitor arrivals represent a 97.3 percent recovery from March 2019 and total visitor spending was significantly higher than March 2019 ($1.49 billion, +33.8%).

In March 2025, 890,010 visitors arrived by air service, mainly from the U.S. West and U.S. East. Additionally, 13,882 visitors came via out-of-state cruise ships. In comparison, 865,832 visitors (+2.8%) arrived by air and 12,018 visitors (+15.5%) came by cruise ships in March 2024, and 917,026 visitors (-2.9%) arrived by air and 11,824 visitors (+17.4%) came by cruise ships in March 2019. The average length of stay by all visitors in March 2025 was 8.43 days, compared to 8.49 days (-0.7%) in March 2024 and 8.36 days (+0.9%) in March 2019. The statewide average daily census¹ was 245,918 visitors in March 2025, compared to 240,454 visitors (+2.3%) in March 2024 and 250,528 visitors (-1.8%) in March 2019.

In March 2025, 458,570 visitors arrived from the U.S. West, which was an increase in comparison to March 2024 (432,783 visitors, +6.0%) and March 2019 (399,049 visitors, +14.9%). U.S. West visitor spending of $931.1 million was up from March 2024 ($822.1 million, +13.3%) and much higher than March 2019 ($578.1 million, +61.1%). Daily spending by U.S. West visitors in March 2025 ($252 per person) increased compared to March 2024 ($232 per person, +8.5%) and was considerably more than March 2019 ($176 per person, +43.4%).

In March 2025, arrivals from the U.S. East of 238,163 visitors increased from March 2024 (229,351 visitors, +3.8%) and March 2019 (225,648 visitors, +5.5%). U.S. East visitor spending of $619.9 million was significantly greater than March 2024 ($540.3 million, +14.7%) and March 2019 ($404.5 million, +53.3%). Daily spending by U.S. East visitors in March 2025 ($289 per person) was up considerably compared to March 2024 ($261 per person, +10.8%) and March 2019 ($201 per person, +43.5%).

There were 61,605 visitors from Japan in March 2025, a decrease from March 2024 (64,641 visitors, -4.7%) and much lower than March 2019 (133,858 visitors, -54.0%). Visitors from Japan spent $91.9 million in March 2025, compared to $94.7 million (-2.9%) in March 2024 and $185.2 million (-50.4%) in March 2019. Daily spending by Japanese visitors in March 2025 ($248 per person) was more than March 2024 ($238 per person, +4.5%) and March 2019 ($238 per person, +4.5%).

In March 2025, 53,621 visitors arrived from Canada, a decrease compared to March 2024 (60,716 visitors, -11.7%) and March 2019 (76,913 visitors, -30.3%). Visitors from Canada spent $134.0 million in March 2025, down from March 2023 ($142.8 million, -6.2%) and March 2019 ($139.8 million, -4.2%). Daily spending by Canadian visitors in March 2025 ($222 per person) increased from March 2024 ($210 per person, +5.9%) and was much higher than March 2019 ($158 per person, +41.1%).

There were 78,052 visitors from all other international markets in March 2025, which included visitors from Oceania, Other Asia, Europe, Latin America, Guam, the Philippines, and the Pacific Islands. In comparison, there were 78,341 visitors (-0.4%) from all other international markets in March 2024 and 81,558 visitors (-4.3%) in March 2019.

In March 2025, a total of 5,443 transpacific flights with 1,198,274 seats serviced the Hawaiian Islands, up from 5,316 flights (+2.4%) with 1,181,869 seats (+1.4%) in March 2024, and 5,445 flights (0.0%) with 1,192,137 seats (+0.5%) in March 2019.

Year-to-Date 2025

A total of 2,455,747 visitors arrived in the first quarter of 2025, a 1.7 percent increase from 2,413,809 visitors in the first quarter of 2024. Total arrivals declined 2.8 percent when compared to 2,527,277 visitors in the first quarter of 2019.

In the first quarter of 2025, total visitor spending was $5.61 billion, which was an increase compared to the first quarter of 2024 ($5.27 billion, +6.5%) and first quarter of 2019 ($4.49 billion, +24.9%).

Other Highlights

U.S. West: In March 2025, 328,410 visitors arrived from the Pacific region and 129,965 visitors came from the Mountain region. Most U.S. West visitors in March 2025 had been to Hawaii before (82.1%) while 17.9 percent were first-time visitors. In terms of accommodations, 53.3 percent of U.S. West visitors in March 2025 stayed in hotels, 16.0 percent stayed in condominiums, 12.5 percent stayed with friends and relatives, 12.1 percent stayed in rental homes and 8.9 percent stayed in timeshares.

In the first quarter of 2025, there were 1,197,682 visitors from the U.S. West, compared to 1,162,187 visitors (+3.1%) in the first quarter of 2024 and 1,028,938 visitors (+16.4%) in the first quarter of 2019.

U.S. West visitors spent $2.54 billion in the first quarter of 2025 compared to $2.32 billion (+9.5%) in the first quarter of 2024 and $1.63 billion (+55.2%) in the first quarter of 2019. The average daily visitor spending in the first quarter of 2025 was $248 per person, higher than the first quarter of 2024 ($231 per person, +7.4%) and up considerably from the first quarter of 2019 ($180 per person, +38.3%).

U.S. East: In March 2025, the three largest U.S. East regions were the East North Central (56,149 visitors), South Atlantic (47,761 visitors) and West South Central (42,758 visitors). Six out of 10 U.S. East visitors in March 2025 had been to Hawaii before (61.9%) while 38.1 percent were first-time visitors. In terms of lodging, 61.6 percent of U.S. East visitors in March 2025 stayed in hotels, 12.4 percent stayed in condominiums, 11.9 percent stayed with friends and relatives, 11.2 percent stayed in rental homes and 7.5 percent stayed in timeshares.

In the first quarter of 2025, 644,667 visitors arrived from U.S. East, compared to 611,793 visitors (+5.4%) in the first quarter of 2024 and 587,678 visitors (+9.7%) in the first quarter of 2019.

U.S. East visitors spent $1.76 billion in the first quarter of 2025, compared to $1.61 billion (+9.6%) in the first quarter of 2024 and $1.24 billion (+42.1%) in the first quarter of 2019. Daily visitor spending in the first quarter of 2025 of $277 per person was higher than the first quarter of 2024 ($261 per person, +6.2%) and the first quarter of 2019 ($209 per person, +32.4%).

Japan: Of the 61,605 visitors in March 2025, 60,945 visitors arrived on international flights and 660 visitors came on domestic flights. Seven out of 10 Japanese visitors in March 2025 were repeat visitors (70.2%) while 29.8 percent were first-time visitors to the islands. In terms of lodging, 78.1 percent of Japanese visitors in March 2025 stayed in hotels, 13.4 percent stayed in condominiums, 8.2 percent stayed in timeshares and 2.0 percent stayed with friends and relatives.

In the first quarter of 2025, there were 163,932 visitors from Japan, compared to 173,268 visitors (-5.4%) in the first quarter of 2024 and 374,929 visitors (-56.3%) in the first quarter of 2019.

Visitors from Japan spent $243.3 million in the first quarter of 2025, compared to $255.5 million (-4.8%) in the first quarter of 2024 and $524.1 million (-53.6%) in the first quarter of 2019. Daily visitor spending in the first quarter of 2025 ($247 per person) increased compared to the first quarter of 2024 ($240 per person, +3.0%) and the first quarter of 2019 ($240 per person, +3.0%).

Canada: Of the 53,621 visitors in March 2025, 46,116 visitors arrived via direct air service from Canada and 7,505 visitors came on domestic flights. Seven out of 10 Canadian visitors in March 2025 had been to Hawaii before (70.4%) while 29.6 percent were first-time visitors. In terms of lodging, 54.6 percent of Canadian visitors in March 2025 stayed in hotels, 23.6 percent stayed in condominiums, 11.2 percent stayed in rental homes, 9.1 percent stayed in timeshares and 6.2 percent stayed with friends and relatives.

In the first quarter of 2025, there were 156,605 visitors from Canada, compared to 166,766 visitors (-6.1%) in the first quarter of 2024 and 213,190 visitors (-26.5%) in the first quarter of 2019.

Visitors from Canada spent $423.7 million in the first quarter of 2025, compared to $434.3 million (-2.4%) in the first quarter of 2024 and $458.3 million (-7.6%) in the first quarter of 2019. Daily visitor spending in the first quarter of 2025 of $229 per person was higher compared to the first quarter of 2024 ($219 per person, +4.5%) and the first quarter of 2019 ($169 per person, +35.5%).

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