October earthquakes rattle the state's visitor numbers

Officials unshaken as October earthquakes stunt visitor count

It appears that the Oct. 15 earthquakes in Hawaii shook up visitor traffic for the month, according to state figures released yesterday.

Total arrivals dropped to 569,473 last month, down 4.2 percent compared with October 2005, while visitor days declined 5 percent and spending slipped 0.4 percent, the state Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism said in its monthly report.

VISITOR ARRIVALS The number of visitors arriving in Hawaii in October with the percentage change from the same month last year: VISITORS PCT. Domestic 415,577 +0.1% International 153,896 -14.1% Total 569,473 - 4.2% BY ISLAND Oahu 360,878 - 4.9% Kauai 99,981 +3.6% Lanai 7,839 +30.3% Maui 190,995 - 1.4% Molokai 6,440 +9.4% Big Island 128,345 +0.7% Source: Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism

It is the second-largest percentage drop so far this year in arrivals. Only March, which suffered a 4.6 percent drop in total arrivals due to a 42-day deluge of heavy rain, fared worse compared with the year-earlier month.

But the 6.7-magnitude temblor in October potentially could have made a bigger dent in visitor numbers than they did, according to state tourism liaison Marsha Wienert.

"The Oct. 15 earthquake may have had a short-term impact on visitor activity for the month, but we are optimistic that the visitor industry will continue to remain strong," she said.

Wienert said a state survey found that reservations for approximately 100 hotel rooms were canceled in the first two days after the earthquakes.

Although the earthquakes originated off the coast of Kona, the Big Island did not receive the brunt of cancellations. The annual Ford Ironman World Championship was still held the weekend after the quakes. October 2006 arrivals on the Big Island actually exceeded the 2005 tally by 0.7 percent.

Many visitors opted to postpone their vacations rather than cancel outright, Wienert said.

"We have not seen a long-term impact because of the October earthquake," Wienert said. "A lot of that was because we were able to get out there with our marketing messages and public relations."

The Hawaii Visitors and Convention Bureau issued a press release the day after the earthquakes, informing the media that everything was "business as usual" in the islands, to counteract extensive international coverage of the temblors.

A media blitz included a videotape of visitors sunning themselves and playing on the beach in Waikiki, as well as enjoying themselves on the Big Island. The news package was distributed via satellite feed to major news outlets and television stations in the United States.

Certainly, many visitors from California and Japan are familiar with earthquakes, and the news that there was minimal damage and no loss of life assuaged fears in other parts of the world.

Nevertheless, the number of international visitors as well as Japanese visitors continued to decline in October.

International visitors were down 6.8 percent through October, while Japanese arrivals were 9.4 percent lower compared with the same period last year.

Hoshino Akio, Jalpak's senior vice president, said a weaker yen, combined with competition from other destinations, has resulted in the drop in Japanese visitors. Jalpak it- self experienced a 13 percent drop in bookings for October compared with the same month last year.

The drop in international and Japanese visitors was not quite offset by a small increase in domestic arrivals, which rose 2.3 percent in the first 10 months of this year. Arrivals from Canada rose 9.1 percent during that period this year compared with last year.

The average daily spending by all visitors last month was $190 per person, up from $182 per person in October 2005. Per-person spending by the Japanese and Canadians increased the most last month, 12.8 percent and 15.4 percent respectively.

Total cruise visitor days rose 34.1 percent in the first 10 months of the year from last year.

"I don't think the earthquake made a big impact," said Frank Haas, vice president of marketing for the Hawaii Tourism Authority. "We're having a good year despite the fact the October numbers are soft, but it's relative to a very strong October last year. We continue to face some challenges in the Japanese market, but we're continuing to work on that."