GEORGE F. LEE / GLEE@STARBULLETIN.COM Hula dancer Yoko Gullikson leads a group of visitors from South Dakota in a rendition of the Hukilau during an informal gathering at Kapiolani Park in Waikiki.

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Visitor industry
has record May

Hawaii's visitor industry enjoyed its best May ever, posting increases in most major categories tracked by the state.

Growth in domestic and Japanese arrivals led to a 4 percent increase in total visitors in May from a year ago. In all, 567,476 visitors came to the state in May and spent $845.5 million.

More people from the U.S. mainland visited Hawaii -- 409,316 -- than in any other May on record, according to the state Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism, which released the data yesterday.

Sales at Marriott hotels in Hawaii improved 15 percent to 20 percent in the month, said Stan Brown, Marriott International's vice president for the Pacific and Japan.

"May, which is usually a shoulder month, in general terms was very strong," Brown said.

Brown said he expects to see continued increases.

"Everybody is full for summer," he said.

Steven Kolt, managing director for VIP Trans Inc., a transportation company that runs vans, shuttles and cars, said the company had the best May since 2001.

"My industry was very happy with May, but we are thrilled with summer," Kolt said.

The transportation industry expects continued growth with the launch of Norwegian Cruise Line's Pride of America, which begins its Honolulu-based schedule July 23.

"We're all sold out for summer," Kolt said. "I'm getting 15 to 20 calls a day from people that my competitors have recommended (call us)."

Peter Fithian, owner of Greeters of Hawaii, which has operated a flower and greeting concession at the airport for about 40 years, said he's seen an uptick in business for May.

"The airport concessionaires were generally pleased," Fithian said. "We've had some great days. It was up from the year before."

Although visitors from the western United States, Hawaii's largest visitor group, contributed the most to the state's economy in May, the U.S. East market is also showing strong growth.

According to state data, U.S. West visitors were the highest overall spenders in May, at $325.3 million. U.S. East visitors, though fewer in number than U.S. West visitors, followed closely behind, spending $255.2 million.

Arrivals from Japan were boosted by the Golden Week holidays, which began in late April and ran through the first week of May.

"Marriott had a strong Golden Week," Brown said.

The islands hosted 122,831 visitors from Japan in May, an 8.3 percent increase from a year earlier. While the Japan market ranked third in overall state spending in May, these visitors were still the largest daily spenders, at an average of $245 per person per day.

May's visitor performance, especially on Oahu, continued a recovery that began in late 2003, said Les Enderton, executive director of the Oahu Visitors Bureau. Oahu received 359,534 visitors during May, a 2.9 percent increase from May 2004.

Visitor growth will continue, Enderton said, but cautioned, "we're approaching the ceiling of our carrying capacity."

Aston Hotels & Resorts had 10 percent growth in May revenue per available room as rates advanced by double digits, said Kelvin Bloom, president of Aston Hotels & Resorts.

"May was a very good month," Bloom said. "We were quite pleased with our performance throughout the state, especially in Waikiki."

During the first five months of 2005, more than 2.9 million visitors came to the islands, up 7.4 percent compared with the same period last year.