DENNIS ODA / DODA@STARBULLETIN.COM
Long lines were in evidence at Honolulu Airport yesterday,
traditionally among the busiest travel days of the year.
They didn't bother Barbie Accordino and her new
groom, Len Holyk, who eloped to Kauai after
carrying on a long-distance relationship (he's
from Edmonton, Canada and she is from
San Diego). They've enjoyed their time in
the state so much the couple plans to
return for their anniversary.

November arrivals
slightly stronger
than last month

Tourism officials are optimistic
about the industry's recovery

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By Russ Lynch
rlynch@starbulletin.com

Tourist travel to Hawaii is picking up and while arrivals are still well below year-ago levels, there are some signs of recovery. Passenger arrivals at Honolulu Airport are running 27 percent behind what they were at this time last year, still hurting the Hawaii economy but better than the 50 percent-plus declines that followed the Sept. 11 attacks on New York and Washington, DC.

As of Monday, 293,184 people had arrived in Hawaii in November, compared to 401,378 in the equivalent period last year, according to figures put together by the state Department of Business, Economic Development & Tourism. It is a rough figure that does not separate out Hawaii residents returning from off-island trips and it doesn't include Canadians because that country's airline officials and authorities have chosen not to disclose information.

But the passenger-arrivals number has proven to be consistent with month-end official figures, DBEDT said. Its formal detailed report for October, based on airline information, survey cards filled in by Hawaii-bound travelers, immigration information and input from other sources, showed a 30.3 percent decline in visitor arrivals for last month, compared to October 2000.

DBEDT's airport arrivals numbers showed a year-over-year decline of 27.1 percent in October passenger arrivals, not far off from the formal figures, DBEDT says, when you take into account the fact that the simple passenger-arrivals numbers include returning Hawaii residents. In that calculation, DBEDT made its own estimate of Canadian travel, based on earlier experience.

The formal survey figures showed 387,163 visitors coming to Hawaii last month, down from 555,581 in October last year. Visitors from the mainland were down 19.4 percent, at 289,416 last month compared to 358,855 in the previous October. International visitors totaled 97,747 last month, down 50.3 percent from 196,726 in the year-earlier month, due mostly to the reluctance of Japanese people to travel after Sept. 11.

October arrivals from Japan were down 54.1 percent from the previous October, a total of 67,400 compared to a year-earlier 146,880.

Visitor industry officials have said emergency marketing programs, helped in part by a $10 million allocation from the Legislature last month, are helping.