For Immediate Release: April 26, 2007
DBEDT Release News 07-06

Note: March 2007 Visitor Research Data can be viewed here.

1st Quarter 2007 Visitor Expenditures Up 2.2 Percent

HONOLULU--Total visitor expenditures for March 2007 grew 4.1 percent from last March to $1 billion, boosted by growth in total visitor arrivals and higher daily visitor spending, according to preliminary statistics released today by the Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism (DBEDT).

Visitors who came during the month spent an average total of $175 per person per day, compared to $170 in March 2006. For the first three months of 2007, total visitor expenditures grew 2.2 percent from the same period last year, to $3 billion. Average daily spending rose 4.4 percent to $178 per person.

Total visitor days increased 1.1 percent as total arrivals grew 4.2 percent from last March to 659,478 visitors. The average length of stay was slightly shorter at 8.78 days. All islands reported increases in total visitors compared to the same month last year.

Among the top four visitor markets, visitors from the U.S. East (+.3%) increased but arrivals from Japan (-4%) and Canada (-1%) declined compared to March 2006. Arrivals from the U.S. West climbed 14.1 percent, partially the result of a lower than normal March 2006. U.S. West arrivals for last March were affected by the Easter Holiday and Spring Break which took place in mid April.

For the first three months of 2007, total visitor days decreased 2.1 percent compared to year-to-date 2006 while total arrivals were down 1.1 percent.

"An earlier Easter and spring break this year contributed to the strong growth in U.S. arrivals. Specifically, there was a phenomenal increase in U.S. West visitors for March 2007, with double digit growth across all islands," said State Tourism Liaison, Marsha Wienert. "Growth from the U.S. West market has been so strong that their total expenditures were the highest among the top four visitor markets.

Of the total number of visitors who came in March 2007, 48,162 visitors either flew to the state to board cruise ships or came by cruise ships visiting Hawai'i, an increase of 36.2 percent from last March. Cruise visitor days for the month rose 39.3 percent.

Year-to-date 2007 preliminary visitor statistics:

• Total visitor expenditures: Visitors spent a total of $3 billion in the first three months of 2007, 2.2 percent higher than the same period last year. Growth in total spending by the U.S. West market offset decreases from U.S. East, Canadian and Japanese visitors.

  Visitor spending on O'ahu totaled $1.3 billion (+.5%), followed by Maui at $881.4 million (-2.5%), the Big Island at $436 million (+12.1%) and Kaua'i at $316.6 million (+7.2%).

• Total air visitors: Total visitor days declined 2.1 percent due to a 1.1 percent decrease in total arrivals. The average length of stay by all visitors was 9.46 days, similar to year-to-date 2006.

  Visitor arrivals were higher on Kaua‘i (+11.2%), Lana'i (+5.4%), the Big Island (+3.8%) and Maui (+1.6%) compared to the same period last year.

  A greater number of visitors came to vacation (+2%), to honeymoon (+1%) and to visit with friends or relatives (+1.1%).

  Repeat visitors comprised 65.5 percent of the total visitors to Hawai‘i, versus 64.4 percent in year-to-date 2006.

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

  U.S. West: Year-to-date, total spending by U.S. West visitors rose 8.8 percent compared to the same period last year to $1 billion, the highest among the top four visitor markets. U.S. West visitor expenditures surpassed total spending by U.S. East visitors who were the highest in the first three months of 2006.

  U.S. West visitors in the first three months of 2007 spent an average of $154 per person per day, an increase of 3.3 percent from the same period last year.

  U.S. West visitor days rose 5.3 percent due to a 7.5 percent growth in arrivals to 705,365 visitors. The average length of stay by these visitors was 9.58 days, compared to 9.78 days in the same period last year. Arrivals from the Pacific region and the Mountain region rose by 8 percent and 5.2 percent, respectively.

  U.S. East: Total spending by U.S. East visitors year-to-date decreased 3.8 percent to $974.2 million, second highest among the four major visitor markets. Average daily spending by U.S. East visitors also ranked second at $182 per person.

  U.S. East visitor days declined 6.6 percent from year-to-date 2006, due to a 6 percent drop in visitor arrivals. The average length of stay was relatively unchanged from the same period last year at 10.65 days. Arrivals decreased for the East South Central (-10.1%), New England (-9.4%), East North Central (-8.8%), South Atlantic (-6.8%), West North Central (-5.4%) and West South Central (-2.4%) regions.

Japan: Japanese visitors spent a total of $499.2 million, 2.2 percent lower compared to the same period last year. Japanese visitors continued to spend the most on a daily basis at $277 per person, an increase of 5.6 percent.

Japanese visitor days were 7.4 percent lower compared to the first three months of 2006, due to a 7.3 percent decrease in visitor arrivals to 324,429 visitors. The average length of stay was stable at 5.56 days.

Canada: Total expenditures by Canadian visitors decreased slightly by -.3 percent to $210.3 million for the first three months of 2007.

Canadian visitor days decreased by 9.4 percent due to a shorter length of stay (13.37 days compared to 14.64 days for year-to-date 2006) and a .8 percent dip in visitor arrivals.

• Per person per trip expenditures by MMA:

  Canadian visitors spent the most per trip ($1,958 per person) in the first three months of 2007, followed by visitors from the U.S. East ($1,941 per person), Japan ($1,539 per person) and the U.S. West ($1,474 per person).

Year-to-date 2007 Preliminary Cruise Visitor Statistics:

Total cruise visitor days rose 30.2 percent for the first three months of 2007. Contributing to this increase was a 28.7 percent growth in cruise visitors to 131,829 visitors. These passengers include those who flew to the state to board cruise ships or came by cruise ships visiting Hawai‘i. Of the ships in Hawai‘i year-to-date, there were 22 cruise ship arrivals, compared to 23 in the same period last year. Cruise ship arrival is the number of times cruise ships enter the State of Hawai‘i. A cruise ship may be counted multiple times if it leaves Hawai‘i then returns with new passengers within the same month.

Repeat visitors to Hawai‘i accounted for 59.7 percent of out-of-state cruise visitors, compared to 57.6 percent in year-to-date 2006. These cruise visitors stayed an average of 9.76 days in Hawai‘i, of which 6.06 days were spent on their cruise.

Technical Notes: 2006 air visitor data presented in this news release are the preliminary numbers and are subject to change. Detailed final statistics will be published in the 2006 Annual Visitor Research Report, available by mid-year 2007.

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