Spring bookings to
isles are down

Despite an increase in airline seat capacity to Hawaii, an early Easter has softened tourism bookings for spring, with many hoteliers expecting their lowest occupancy of the year between April and June.

The state's visitor arrivals reached record levels last April and May as tourists booked spring travel to Hawaii at a frenetic pace to satisfy pent-up vacation demands, but this year many travelers appear to be holding out for summer.

The change, which has caught the attention of the Hawaii Tourism Authority, is expected to temporarily reduce passengers on flights and suspend the state's run-up in hotel occupancy.

It's better for Hawaii's visitor industry if Easter falls in April, which is typically a softer travel period, than in March, which is normally so strong that the increased benefit is negligible, said Kelvin Bloom, president of Aston Hotels & Resorts.

"The concern is that advance bookings are running generally behind," Bloom said, adding that Aston could see spring occupancy rates fall in the high single digits unless there's a sudden increase in travelers who book closer to their departure dates.

While March travel results are expected to finish 5 percent to 6 percent above last year because of the Easter holiday, travel results for April and May are expected to fall 3 percent to 4 percent below last year, said Ken Phillips, staff vice president for Pleasant Holidays LLC, Hawaii's largest package tour company.

Last year, more people from the U.S. mainland visited Hawaii - 405,833 - than in any other April, according to the state Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism. Domestic visitors set records again last May, when 392,335 arrived.

Total scheduled air seats to Hawaii for February through April are forecast to increase to 2.5 million, a 12.4 percent rise from the same time last year, according to the department.

"This year, it looks like many travelers have decided to put off their spring break vacations until summer," Phillips said.

Bookings for April and May are probably the weakest that Outrigger Hotels & Resorts has seen in more than a year, said Barry Wallace, senior vice president of operations.

"We're hoping to hit 80 percent occupancy," Wallace said. "We've basically gone from a run of fabulous months to only good ones. That's not a bad position to be in, but we're still concerned."

Most major hoteliers, with the exception of Marriott - whose performance has been buoyed by group and cruise markets, expect decreases in occupancy as the number of travelers coming to Hawaii drops for the next few months. The Tourism Authority has offered them the opportunity to pool marketing forces with the state, the airlines and wholesalers to launch late marketing campaigns, said Marsha Wienert, state tourism liaison.

"It's too late to do anything about April, but we could still change May and June," Wienert said, adding that the authority recently approved a $400,000 appropriation for cooperative marketing to increase travel during the softer travel periods in the spring and fall.

The industry typically markets heavier for the spring and fall when school schedules interfere with holidays and travelers need more of a reason to come to Hawaii, said Frank Haas, vice president of marketing for the authority.

This season, because of the early Easter and spring break, travelers appear to need a few more reasons to visit the islands, Haas said.

"I wouldn't in any way characterize this spring as a disappointment or a disaster; it's more of an opportunity to fill in travel," Haas said. "In a different time or place, we'd be celebrating."

A trend toward late bookings could help turn things around, Phillips said.

"April is beginning to fill in with last-minute travelers who are booking short trips from the West Coast," Phillips said. "We're feeling more confident. May is still a little suspect, but it looks like everyone is waiting to get the best deals."

An increase in cheap air fares and tour packages could also entice travelers, he said.

"There are some great deals out there, especially from the West Coast, - we've got one $309 package that

includes roundtrip air fare and three nights in a hotel," Phillips said.

A number of airlines have also begun offering reduced airfares for spring travelers, with some prices falling below $200.

"The airlines have added a lot of seats to Hawaii's market and they are anxious to fill them, Haas said.