For Immediate Release: June 27, 2004
DBEDT Release News 04-22

Note: June 2004 Visitor Research Data can be viewed here.

June domestic arrivals are all-time high

HONOLULU--Total visitor days for June 2004 rose 5.5 percent from the same month last year to 5.6 million, thanks to steady growth in domestic visitor arrivals and another monthly surge in international visitors, according to data released today by the Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism (DBEDT).

Domestic arrivals by air increased 4.8 percent to 451,369 visitors, the best June result on record. International visitor arrivals jumped 38.8 percent, largely due to a 46.2 percent surge in Japanese arrivals and a 14.5 percent jump in arrivals from Canada.

Additionally, total visitor expenditures rose to $943.4 million (+14.7%) in June 2004 and to $5 billion (+7.7%) for the first half of 2004, with increases from the top three markets - U.S. West, U.S. East and Japan.

"We are very excited about the performance of our visitor industry this year. The growth in arrivals and visitor expenditures is having a very positive impact on Hawaii's economy," said State Tourism Liaison Marsha Wienert. "Arrivals from the domestic market for the first half of 2004 is the best first half performance on record. This June also marks the fourth consecutive month of positive growth in international arrivals. Especially notable is the 14.5 percent growth in arrivals from Canada in June, " Wienert added.

Year-to-Date 2004 Visitor Statistics are presented below:

• Total air visitors: Total visitor days for the first half of 2004 rose 5.6 percent compared to the same period last year to 30.8 million. The increase was due to a 9.3 percent growth in total arrivals to 3,349,794 visitors. The average length of stay by these visitors was 9.18 days.
• Domestic air visitors: Domestic visitor days increased 4.2 percent due to a 7.5 percent growth in arrivals that offset a shorter length of stay (9.90 days, compared to 10.22 days in first half of 2003). The number of U.S. visitors, which comprised 92 percent of all domestic arrivals (U.S. residents and international visitors on domestic flights), was 6.3 percent higher compared to first half 2003.

• International air visitors: International visitor days grew 10.4 percent due to a 14.1 percent increase in international arrivals to 965,554 visitors. Those who came during the first half of 2004 stayed an average of 7.40 days.
• Total repeat/first-time visitors: Repeat visitors comprised 61.6 percent of the total visitors to Hawaii compared to 62.6 percent in first half 2003.
• Arrivals by Island: Visitor arrivals increased on Oahu, Kauai, Maui and the Big Island compared to the same period last year.
• Purpose of trip: More visitors came to vacation (+10.3%), honeymoon (+12.9%), get married (+16.1%), visit friends or relatives (+12.2%) and for other business (+13.6%) compared to first half 2003.
• Air visitors from the top four major market areas (MMAs):

  U.S. West: U.S. West visitor days rose 1.1 percent due to a 4.7 percent growth in arrivals to 1,297,760 visitors. The average length of stay was 9.55 days, compared to 9.89 days in first half 2003. More of these visitors came to vacation, honeymoon, get married, and visit friends or relatives compared to the same period last year.

U.S. East: U.S. East visitor days were 6.7 percent higher than first half 2003, due to a 9.8 percent increase in arrivals to 939,977 visitors. The average length of stay was 10.29 days. Similar to their U.S. West counterpart, more U.S. East visitors came to honeymoon, get married, vacation and visit friends or relatives.

Japan: Japanese visitor days rose 15.5 percent as a total of 680,040 visitors came during the first half of 2004, up 17.6 percent from the same period last year. The average length of stay by these visitors was 5.7 days. More Japanese visitors came to vacation, get married, honeymoon, for meetings, conventions and incentives, and to visit friends and relatives compared to year-to-date 2003. Repeat visitors comprised 52.5 percent of the total, unchanged from the same period last year.

Canada: Canadian visitor days were 2.3 percent lower compared to first half 2003. A total of 122,424 Canadian visitors came to the islands, down 3 percent. The average length of stay was 13.62 days.

• Cruise visitors: There was a total of 37 cruise ship arrivals year-to-date, carrying 97,818 out-of-state visitors, including those who arrived by air to board these ships and those who came with the ships. This was 27.2 percent below the same period last year, which saw 43 cruise ship arrivals and 134,377 passengers. The decrease in cruise visitors was mainly due to a shift in scheduling, which brought fewer out-of-state cruise ships with less passenger capacity to the islands in the first half of 2004. Additionally, the Norwegian Star was the only Hawaii-home ported ship in the first four months of 2004, compared to the same period last year when both the Norwegian Star and the Norwegian Wind were based in Hawaii. In May 2004, the Norwegian Wind returned to Hawaii but the Norwegian Star departed.

  Included in this month's statistics is passenger count from the new Hawaii home based cruise ship the Pride of Aloha which began offering inter-island cruises in late June.

  Repeat visitors to the islands comprised 59 percent of the out-of-state cruise visitors during year-to-date 2004, compared to 58.8 percent in the same period last year. These cruise visitors stayed an average of 7.4 days in Hawaii, of which 4.80 days were spent on their cruise and another 2.70 days were spent before and after their cruise.

Preliminary June 2004 visitor expenditures data:

• Total visitor expenditures: Total expenditures by visitors who came by air in June 2004 rose 14.7 percent from the same month last year to $943.4 million. Total spending by U.S. West visitors was the highest at $375.6 million (+4.4%), followed by visitors from the U.S. East at $303.5 million (+20.5%), Japan at $176.7 million (+43.2%) and Canada at $10.2 million (-17.4%).

  By island, visitor spending on Oahu totaled $446.6 million (+18.4%). Spending by visitors on Maui was second at $268.2 million (+5.9%), followed by visitor spending on Kauai (+16.4% to $104.5 million), the Big Island (+23.6% to $117.2 million), Lanai (-12.0% to $4.8 million) and Molokai (-10.5% to $2.0 million).

  Year-to-date, air visitors spent a total of $5 billion while in Hawaii. U.S. West visitors spent $1.8 billion (+0.7%), followed by visitors from the U.S. East (+9.5% to $1.5 billion), Japan (+22.0% to $991.1 million) and Canada (-1.6% to $206.3 million). Visitors from All Other MMAs spent $492.8 million (+7.5%) so far this year.

  For the first half of 2004, visitor spending on Oahu totaled $2.3 billion (+9.4%). Visitor spending on Maui was $1.5 billion (+3.0%), followed by the Big Island at $580.9 million (+4.9%), Kauai at $554.4 million (+20.4%), Lanai at $32.4 million (-12.3%) and Molokai at $13.3 million (-17.0%).

• Per person per day expenditures: Japanese visitors continued to spend the most on a daily basis at $258 per person in June 2004, followed by those from the U.S. East ($169 per person), from All Other markets ($153 per person), from the U.S. West ($147 per person) and from Canada ($114 per person).

  The average daily spending by Japanese visitors was $256 per person during the first half of 2004. Visitors from the U.S. East spent $159 per person, followed by visitors from All Other markets ($156 per person), the U.S. West ($141 per person) and from Canada ($124 per person).

• Per person per trip expenditures: Visitors from U.S. East spent the most per trip at $1,755 per person in June 2004, followed by those from the U.S. West at $1,458 per person, from All Other markets at $1,452 per person, from Japan at $1,432 per person and from Canada at $1,167 per person.

  Year-to-date Canadian visitors spent $1,685 per person per trip, followed by visitors from the U.S. East ($1,636 per person), from All Other markets ($1,592 per person), Japan ($1,457 per person) and the U.S. West ($1,349 per person).

For more information, contact:
Marsha Wienert, Tourism Liaison
Phone: (808) 586-2362
Email: marsha.wienert@hawaii.gov

Dave Young
Communications
Phone: (808) 587-1212
Email: dyoung@dbedt.hawaii.gov