For Immediate Release: March 27, 2008
DBEDT Release News 08-07

Spending by Air Visitors Increased $50.3 Million to $1 Billion

Note: February 2008 Visitor Research Data can be viewed here.

HONOLULU--Total visitor days for air and cruise visitors in February 2008 increased 6.5 percent compared to February 2007, thanks to a 5.9 percent growth in total visitor arrivals to 603,689 visitors, according to preliminary statistics released today by the Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism (DBEDT).

A leap-year day in February 2008 partially contributed to the overall increase in visitors to the state. Moreover, real growth in visitors was evident by the average daily census which showed 197,936 air and cruise visitors present on any given day this February, up 2.8 percent from February 2007.

Of the total visitor arrivals in the month of February 2008, 592,889 arrived by air, 5.6 percent more than in the same month last year.

Growth in visitor arrivals boosted total air visitor expenditures by $50.3 million or 5.2 percent to $1 billion. The average daily spending was down slightly from $180.9 per person last February to $179.5 per person (see Technical Notes).

Among the top four visitor markets, arrivals from Canada climbed 31.5 percent and the average daily census grew 27.9 percent from February 2007. U.S. East visitor arrivals for the month rose 4.3 percent while the average daily census increased 1.6 percent. Average daily census for U.S. West visitors decreased 1.7 even though arrivals were up 1.9 percent. Average daily census (-6.3%) and arrivals (-3.2%) from Japanese visitors were lower compared to February 2007.

"We are very pleased by the continued growth in total visitor spending and the increase in Canadian visitors to the State," said Tourism Liaison, Marsha Wienert. "January and February 2008 marked the first time since the early 1980s that Canadian visitor days surpassed Japanese visitor days."

For the first two months of 2008, total visitor days by air and cruise rose 7 percent boosted by a 5 percent increase in total visitor arrivals from year-to-date 2007. Total spending by air visitors rose 6.8 percent to $2.1 billion. Contributing to the increase was a 6.7 percent growth in visitor days boosted by a 4.8 percent increase in arrivals to 1,177,283 visitors. The average daily spending was unchanged at $179 per person.

Other Highlights:

• The 31.5 percent growth in arrivals from Canada was the seventh consecutive month of increases since August 2007. Year-to-date, Canadian arrivals rose 29.6 percent to 89,116 visitors.
• Canadian visitors who planned to stay in condominiums in Hawai'i climbed 71.1 percent in February 2008 and 61.4 percent year-to-date.
• For the month of February 2008, except for a 3.3 percent decrease from New England, all other regions reported higher visitor arrivals compared to the same month last year.
• For the first two months of 2008, visitor arrivals were higher for the Pacific (+2.6%), Mountain (+4.1%), West North Central (+7.2%), West South Central (+9%), East North Central (+3.7%), East South Central (+7.7%), Mid-Atlantic (+.9%) and South Atlantic (+.9%) regions, but declined in New England (-2.8%) compared to year-to-date 2007.
• The number of Japanese visitors who honeymooned in the islands rose 13.4 percent in February 2008 and 8.6 percent year-to-date. Japanese visitors who came to get married also increased 4.5 percent from last February and 2.8 percent compared to the first two months of 2007.

• Spending by visitors on O'ahu for February 2008 rose 6 percent to $447.4 million, when compared to last February. Visitor spending on Maui was the second highest at $308.8 million, up 8 percent. Spending on Hawai'i Island decreased 3.5 percent to $141 million and visitor expenditures on Kaua'i increased 6.3 percent to $102.9 million. For the first two months of 2008, visitor spending on all islands increased compared to the same period last year.
• Total visitor arrivals in February 2008 rose for O'ahu (+4.5%), Maui (+5.1%), Lana'i (+8.3%) and Moloka'i (+22.7%) but decreased for Hawai'i Island (-2.4%) and Kaua'i (-1.5%) compared to February 2007.
• Visitor arrivals to Kaua'i were down largely due to a drop in cruise visitors to this island. Actually, visitor days for Kaua'i were up 11.5 percent from last February.
• For the first two months of 2008, arrivals increased for O'ahu (+4%), Maui (+3.5%), Moloka'i (+21%) Lana'i (+7.4%) and Hawai'i Island (+1.3%) but declined 2.4 percent on Kaua'i.
• Maui reported very strong growth in arrivals from Canada (+37.5%) in February 2008 compared to the same month last year.

February 2008 Cruise Ship Visitors

• Visitors who came by cruise ship increased 22.5 percent to 10,800 visitors, resulting in a 38.3 percent growth in total visitor days by ship compared to the same month last year. See "Arrivals at a Glance" Table on page 2. Year-to-date, 23,532 visitors came by cruise ships, up 14.4 percent from the first two months in 2007, while total visitor days by ship rose 25 percent.
• For February 2008 a total of 25,635 visitors came by ship or arrived by air and boarded a cruise ship, down 33.7 from last February. The average length of stay by all cruise visitors during the month was 10.54 days, up from 9.61 days in February 2007.
• The decrease in total cruise visitors for February 2008 was largely due to the departure of the Pride of Hawai'i which discontinued its inter-island cruises in January 2008. In addition there was one less ship tour from the Pride of Aloha which changed itinerary from seven-day cruises to ten-day cruises.
• For the first two months of 2008, 63,334 visitors came by ship or by air to board cruise ships, 24.3 percent lower compared to the same period last year. Visitor days for all cruise visitors decreased 17.5 percent.

Technical Notes: Beginning with the January 2008 news release, total visitor days and total visitor arrivals will combine visitors who came by air and by cruise ships to more accurately reflect all visitors to Hawai'i. See "Arrivals at a Glance" Table on page 2. In previous monthly news releases, these statistics were reported separately.

All other statistics including visitor expenditures will continue to reflect spending of visitors who arrived by air only. Spending by visitors who came by cruise ships is not available at the time of the release. Supplemental Business Expenditures are also not included. Both of these statistics will be reported in the Annual Visitor Research Report.

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