For Immediate Release: March 28, 2006
DBEDT Release News 06-10

Note: February 2006 Visitor Research Data can be viewed here.

Domestic Arrivals Set New February Record

HONOLULU--Total visitor expenditures for February 2006 increased 5.7 percent to $924.1 million. The average daily spending also rose to $172 per person compared to $165 per person in February 2005, while total visitor days were 1.4 percent higher compared to the same month last year, according to preliminary statistics released today by the Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism (DBEDT).

Domestic arrivals rose to a new record for the month of February to 415,435 visitors. Total arrivals were virtually unchanged from last February at 573,412 visitors. A 6.9 percent drop in international visitors due to lower arrivals from Japan (-12.6%) was offset by increases from the Canadian (+7.8%) and domestic (+2.9%) visitor markets.

Of the 573,412 visitors who came in February 2006, 67,061 visitors either flew to the state to board Hawaii home-ported cruise ships or arrived on foreign cruise ships visiting the islands, up 57.3 percent from last February. Cruise visitor days climbed 73.6 percent over February 2005.

"We are encouraged to see a positive trend in both visitor days and spending," said Tourism Liaison Marsha Wienert. "The domestic market continues to out perform previously stated goals. Our visitor industry is clearly meeting the challenge of higher expectations and is successfully marketing Hawaii as one of the world's premiere destinations."

Year-to-date February 2006 preliminary visitor statistics:

Total Air Visitors: Air visitors spent a total of $2 billion in the first two months of 2006, up 7.8 percent compared to the same period last year with increases from the U.S. West, U.S. East and Canadian visitor markets. Total visitor spending by Japanese visitors decreased 5.5 percent.

Year-to-date visitor spending on Oahu totaled $872.6 million (-1%), followed by Maui at $594.3 million (+24.9%), the Big Island at $267.6 million (+2.6%) and Kauai at $199.9 million (+11.1%).

Contributing to the growth in total visitor expenditures was a 3 percent increase in total visitor days. A total of 1,169,165 visitors came to the islands during the first two months of 2006, up 2 percent from the same time last year. The average length of stay by these visitors was slightly longer at 9.83 days.

Visitor arrivals rose on Kauai (+11.5%), Maui (+8.1%), Molokai (+18.1%), Lanai (+21.5%) and the Big Island (+7.2%) compared to year-to-date 2005.

A greater number of visitors came to vacation (+0.8%), for meetings, conventions and incentives (+9.8%) and to visit friends or relatives (+3.6%).

Year-to-date, repeat visitors accounted for 65.5 percent of the total visitors to Hawaii, similar to the same period last year.

• Domestic air visitors: Domestic visitor days increased 4.7 percent as arrivals also rose by 4.7 percent to 825,386 visitors, a new record for the first two months of any year. The average length of stay was 10.85 days.

  The number of U.S. visitors, which accounted for 91.5 percent of total domestic arrivals to date, was 4.7 percent higher compared to the same period last year with increases from the Pacific, Mountain, West North Central, West South Central, East North Central, East South Central and South Atlantic regions. Total domestic arrivals include U.S. residents and international visitors who came to Hawaii on domestic flights.

• International air visitors: International visitor days declined 2.4 percent due to a 4 percent drop in arrivals to 343,779 visitors. The average length of stay was 7.38 days.

• Air visitors from the top four major market areas (MMAs):

  U.S. East: Total spending by U.S. East visitors increased 9.4 percent compared to the first two months of 2005, to $692.6 million, the highest among the four major visitor markets. The average daily spending was $177 per person, the second highest among the top four visitor markets.

  U.S. East visitor days rose 3.9 percent compared to year-to-date 2005. Contributing to the increase was a 4.3 percent growth in arrivals to 346,883 visitors. The average length of stay was 11.28 days. A higher number of U.S. East visitors came to vacation, visit friends or relatives and for conventions, corporate meetings and incentives.

  U.S. West: Total spending by U.S. West visitors reached $637.4 million, 10.3 percent higher than year-to-date 2005. This group of visitors spent an average of $149 per person per day.

  Visitor days for the U.S. West grew 3.8 percent, as arrivals rose 5.3 percent to 421,970 visitors for the first two months of 2006. The average length of stay was 10.17 days. More of these visitors came to vacation, honeymoon, visit friends or relatives, and for conventions and corporate meetings.

  Japan: Japanese visitors spent a total of $332.5 million in the first two months of 2006, 5.5 percent lower compared to the same period last year. While ranking third in total expenditures, Japanese visitors continued to spend the most on a daily basis at $262 per person.

  Japanese visitor days declined 11.1 percent, due to a 9.9 percent decrease in visitor arrivals to 229,220 visitors. The average length of stay by these visitors was 5.54 days.

Canada: Year-to-date, total expenditures and average daily spending by Canadian visitors ranked fourth among the top four major visitor markets at $123.6 million (+12.7%) and $132 per person, respectively. Canadian visitor days increased 8.4 percent, boosted by a 12 percent growth in arrivals to 69,210 visitors. The average length of stay was 13.58 days.


• Per person per trip expenditures by MMA:

  U.S. East visitors spent the most per trip in during the first two months of 2006, at $1,997 per person, followed by visitors from Canada ($1,786 per person), All Other markets ($1,650 per person), U.S. West ($1,511 per person) and Japan ($1,450 per person).

Total cruise visitor days climbed 80.7 percent in the first two months of 2006. Contributing to this increase was a 57.3 percent growth in cruise visitors to 67,061 visitors, including those who arrived by air to board cruise ships and those who came on the ships. These visitors were aboard 16 international cruise ships including the foreign-flagged Norwegian Wind. In addition, there were two U.S. flagged ships home ported in Hawaii, the Pride of Aloha and the Pride of America, an increase of one ship as compared to last year.

Repeat visitors to Hawaii comprised 57.8 percent of out-of-state cruise visitors, compared to 59.6 percent in year-to-date 2005. These cruise visitors stayed an average of 9.81 days in Hawaii, of which 5.85 days were spent on their cruise and another 3.96 days were spent before and after their cruise.

For more information, contact:
Marsha Wienert, Tourism Liaison
Phone: (808) 586-2362
Email: marsha.wienert@hawaii.gov

Dave Young
Communications
Phone: (808) 587-1212
Email: dyoung@dbedt.hawaii.gov