Tourism numbers
improving

Number of tourists,
length of stays up in June

By Russ Lynch
Star-Bulletin

Tourism statistics for June and the first half of 1999 were strong, as the booming mainland economy encouraged a significant increase in westbound travel.

Total visitor arrivals last month were up 4.1 percent, according to figures issued yesterday by the state Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism.

Department officials said they were pleased that the overall number of visitor days was up more than the number of arrivals, because tourists stayed longer. Economists say an increase in visitor days (the number of tourists multiplied by the days they stayed) should mean more spending and more taxes collected in Hawaii.

"This is the largest increase in total visitor days and arrivals so far this year," said Pearl Imada Iboshi, the department's director of research and analysis.

In June, Hawaii hosted 586,740 tourists who stayed an average of 8.74 days. In the previous June, 563,460 tourists came to the islands, staying an average of 8.68 days.

Westbound arrivals in June, mostly from the mainland but including travelers from Canada and Europe, were up 7.7 percent at 389,440, compared with 361,740 in the previous June.

That growth was strong enough to more than counter a continuing lag in arrivals from Japan and the rest of the Asia-Pacific region. Eastbound arrivals last month totaled 197,300, a 2.2 percent decrease from 201,720 in the previous June.

Through the first six months of 1999, Hawaii had 3.37 million visitors, up 0.6 percent from 3.35 million in the first half of 1998. First-half westbound arrivals were up 5.4 percent at 2.2 million but eastbound arrivals through the six months were down 7.7 percent at 1.14 million.

Iboshi said the strong numbers at midyear suggest an improved outlook for all of 1999.

---

Hawaii Visitors and Convention Bureau