For Immediate Release: November 28, 2005
DBEDT Release News 05-33

Note: October 2005 Visitor Research Data can be viewed here.

Total Visitor Arrivals Continue on Record Pace

HONOLULU--Hawaii's visitor industry experienced another strong month in October 2005, with increases in total visitor spending and visitor days. Hawaii also continued to see record growth in total visitor arrivals to the islands, according to data released today by the Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism (DBEDT).

Total visitor expenditures increased 6.8 percent, compared to October 2004, to $940.6 million, while total visitor days increased 6.2 percent. The average daily spending also rose to $183 per person, compared to $182 per person for the same month last year.

Contributing to the higher total visitor spending and visitor days was a 5.1 percent growth in total arrivals to 591,503 visitors, a new benchmark for the month of October. A statistically slower month for Japanese arrivals was entirely offset by record growth in domestic arrivals and strong increases from the Canadian market.

Year-to-date, total visitor expenditures increased 8.3 percent from the same period last year to $9.5 billion, while the count of total visitor days was 7.1 percent higher. Boosted by increases from the U.S., Japanese and Canadian markets total arrivals rose 6.9 percent to 6,166,886 visitors, the best first ten months results of any year on record.

"We continue to be excited by the strong growth of Hawaii's visitor industry," said State Tourism Liaison, Marsha Wienert. "As 2005 becomes the new benchmark year for the visitor industry, our focus must be on maintaining the strength and vitality of Hawaii's core economic driver. This includes the private sector's efforts to improve our visitor industry plant, as well as the state's investments in upgrading infrastructure such as airports, harbors, parks and roads."

Of the 591,503 visitors who came in October 2005, 29,659 visitors flew to the state to board Hawaii home-ported cruise ships, up 35.6 percent from last October. In addition, another 13,811 visitors arrived on out-of-state cruise ships visiting the islands (+1.7%). Cruise visitor days jumped 38.1 percent for October 2005 and 50.6 percent on a year-to-date basis.

Year-to-Date 2005 preliminary visitor statistics:

Total Air Visitors: Air visitors spent a total of $9.5 billion during the first ten months of 2005, up 8.3 percent compared to the same period last year with increases from U.S. West, U.S. East and Canadian visitor markets.

Year-to-date visitor spending on Oahu totaled $4.7 billion (+5.5%), followed by Maui at $2.6 billion (+9.5%), the Big Island at $1.2 billion (+19.1%) and Kauai at $972.7 million (+6.8%).

Contributing to the growth in total visitor expenditures was a 7.1 percent increase in total visitor days, supported by record high total arrivals of 6,166,886 visitors to date. The average length of stay by these visitors was 9.05 days.

Visitor arrivals rose on the Big Island (+16.7%), Oahu (+7%), Maui (+4.3%), Molokai (+2.2%), Kauai (+4.3%) and Lanai (0.6%) compared to the same period last year.

A greater number of visitors came to vacation (+6.8%), honeymoon (+9.5%), visit friends or relatives (+7.1%) and for meetings, conventions and incentives (+26.5%).

Repeat visitors accounted for 62 percent of the total visitors to Hawaii, unchanged from year-to-date 2004.

• Domestic air visitors: Domestic visitor days grew 7.8 percent as arrivals rose 7.4 percent to 4,399,547 visitors, a new record for the first ten months of the year. The average length of stay was 9.87 days up from 9.83 days in year-to-date 2004.

  The number of U.S. visitors, which comprised 91.8 percent of total domestic arrivals, was 7.5 percent higher compared to the same period last year with increases from all U.S. regions. Total domestic arrivals include U.S. residents and international visitors who came to Hawaii on domestic flights.

• International air visitors: International visitor days rose 4.8 percent due to a 5.7 percent growth in arrivals to 1,767,339 visitors. The average length of stay was 7.01 days.

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

  U.S. West: Total spending by U.S. West visitors increased 9.9 percent compared to year-to-date 2004, to $3.5 billion, the highest among the four major visitor markets. The average daily spending was $149 per person.

  Visitor days for this group rose 7.7 percent, as arrivals increased 8 percent to 2,489,431 visitors. The average length of stay was 9.46 days. More of these visitors came to vacation, visit friends or relatives, and for conventions, corporate meetings and incentives compared to the same period last year.

  U.S. East: Total spending by U.S. East visitors reached $3 billion, 9.8 percent higher compared to the same period last year. This group of visitors spent an average of $177 per person per day, the second highest among the top four visitor markets.

  U.S. East visitor days grew 6.6 percent compared to the first ten months of 2004. Contributing to the increase was a 5.6 percent growth in arrivals to 1,619,145 visitors. The average length of stay was 10.29 days. Similar to their U.S. West counterpart, more U.S. East visitors came to vacation, visit friends or relatives and attend conventions and corporate meetings.

  Japan: Total spending by Japanese visitors dropped slightly by 0.3 percent over year-to-date 2004 levels to $1.8 billion. While ranking third in total expenditures, Japanese visitors spent the most on a daily basis at $245 per person. Japanese visitor days rose 1.6 percent, boosted by arrivals which increased 3.3 percent to 1,267,139 visitors. The average length of stay by these visitors was 5.71 days. More Japanese visitors came to vacation, honeymoon and for conventions and incentives compared to the same period last year.

Canada: Total expenditures and average daily spending by Canadian visitors ranked fourth among the top four major visitor markets at $312 million (+10.4%) and $128 per person, respectively. Canadian visitor days rose 10.8 percent due to a 10.1 percent growth in arrivals to 188,381 visitors in the first ten months of 2005. The average length of stay was 12.99 days.
• Per person per trip expenditures by MMA:

  Year-to-date U.S. East visitors spent the most per trip at $1,825 per person, followed by visitors from Canada ($1,656 per person), from All Other markets ($1,619 per person), the U.S. West ($1,408 per person) and Japan ($1,400 per person).

Total cruise visitor days climbed 50.6 percent during the first ten months of 2005. Contributing to this increase was a 32.8 percent growth in out-of-state visitors to 247,426 passengers, including those who arrived by air to board cruise ships and those who came with the ships. These visitors were aboard 42 out-of-state 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 recently added Pride of America which began inter-island cruises in mid July 2005.

In year-to-date 2004, there were 50 out-of-state cruise ships including the foreign flagged Norwegian Star which toured the islands from January to April 2004 and the Norwegian Wind which came in May 2004. In addition the U.S. flagged Pride of Aloha began touring the islands in July 2004.

Repeat visitors to Hawaii comprised 54.5 percent of the out-of-state cruise visitors, compared to 56.6 percent in year-to-date 2004. These cruise visitors stayed an average of 9.17 days in Hawaii, of which 6.01 days were spent on their cruise and another 3.16 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