Meanwhile, for the entire state, year-to-date figures through August show total visitor arrivals at 4.7 million, running 5.6 percent ahead of last year's 4.4 million in the first eight months.
The HVCB is projecting that for the year, arrivals will rise 3 percent to 6 percent from 1995, with the mainland market up 2 percent to 4 percent, said Roberta Rinker-Ludloff, HVCB vice president of marketing.
Despite a decline in August, eastbound arrivals from the Asia-Pacific region, should be up 6 percent to 8 percent, Rinker-Ludloff said.
Overall for Hawaii last month, a lift in westbound arrivals raised the visitor total by 2.1 percent.
The Big Island gained from Japan Airlines' new service of three flights a week from Tokyo to Kona and increases in direct Kona flights by United Airlines from the West Coast.
The result was a 19.2 percent rise from a year earlier in Big Island arrivals, to a total of 109,870, from 92,140 in August of last year.
However, last month's Kauai traffic was virtually flat with 85,620 arrivals, compared with 84,840 in August 1995.
Maui, still far and away the most popular neighbor island, nevertheless showed a 4.3 percent decline in August arrivals, to 212,050 from 221,650 last year.
Molokai had the worst showing in the state with a 16.1 percent decline in August arrivals, 5,610 last month compared with 6.690 a year earlier.
Lanai's luxury image also paid off, bringing it a 14.8 percent increase in traffic for a total of 9,090, from 7,920.
Oahu had a 2.4 percent drop in August, with 465,750 visitors, down from 477,010 in August 1995.