Hawaii visitor
counts keep rising
A surge in the number of international tourists helped Oahu and the Big Island record double-digit percentage gains in visitor arrivals in June when compared with the same month last year, while other islands experienced a drop-off, according to state figures released yesterday.
The Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism also said total visitor days -- the number of visitors multiplied by the average length of stay -- statewide in June rose 5.5 percent to 5.6 million.
"We are very excited about the performance of our visitor industry this year," state Tourism Liaison Marsha Wienert said. "The growth in arrivals and visitor expenditures is having a very positive impact on Hawaii's economy."
Oahu experienced an 18.5 percent increase, to 408,656 in total arrivals, while the Big Island attracted 110,977 guests, up 10.4 percent, the department said.
Of the 110,977 visitors to the Big Island, 22,633 were international arrivals, a 44.5 percent increase over June 2003.
Lanai and Molokai, the smallest of the six Hawaiian Islands tracked by the state, experienced the largest drop. Visitor arrivals fell 24.5 percent to 6,112 on Lanai and 23.6 percent to 5,766 on Molokai.
Maui had a 4.5 percent drop-off to 184,607 and Kauai dipped 1.5 percent to 88,512.
Domestic arrivals by air increased 4.8 percent to 451,369 for the month, marking the best June on record. International arrivals soared 38.8 percent, largely due to a 46.2 percent surge in Japanese arrivals and a 14.5 percent increase in visitors from Canada.
Total visitor spending rose 14.7 percent to $943.4 million.
Occupancy at Hawaii hotels jumped to 80.4 percent in June from 70.4 percent in the year earlier, according to separate data released yesterday by consulting firm Hospitality Advisors LLC. Waikiki in particular had impressive gains, with 84.8 percent occupancy compared with 69.8 percent a year earlier.
The hotel industry generated an estimated record high $1.39 billion in room revenue in the first half of this year, beating revenue from the first half of the banner year 2000.
