Hawaii’s visitor count declined in April, but not as sharply as it has fallen in the last 12 months.

A total of 541,610 visitors arrived last month, down 1.3 percent from April 2008, state tourism officials announced today. The decline compares with 12 straight months of double-digit percentage declines in tourism arrivals.

“Beginning this month (April), statistical comparisons between 2009 and 2008 will better reflect the health of the visitor industry in Hawaii.  Visitor data from April forward reflects the data collected in 2008 with the departure of Aloha and ATA airlines,” Marsha Wienert, the state’s tourism liaison, said in a news release.

“Easter and Spring Break in 2009 fell in April which helped with visitor arrivals as did an increase in visitors who came to attend a convention,” she said.

For the year through April, arrivals are down 11 percent at 2.15 million, state officials said.

 Spending by visitors who arrived by air in April, fell 12.3 percent or $108.1 million, from April 2008, to $773.4 million.

Total visitor days for air and cruise visitors in April grew 1.8 percent from April 2008, thanks to a longer average length of stay by these visitors — 9.13 days, compared to 8.85 days in the same month last year, according to the state’s monthly visitor count report.

The average daily spending was $168 a person through April, down from $181 a person for the same period of 2008.