For Immediate Release: April 26, 2005
DBEDT Release News 05-12

Note: March 2005 Visitor Research Data can be viewed here.

Visitor Spending Continues to Increase

HONOLULU--Total visitor days rose 15.6 percent in March 2005, fueled by record growth in domestic visitor arrivals and increases from the international visitor markets, according to data released today by the Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism (DBEDT).

Total arrivals increased 14.2 percent compared to the same month last year, to 663,693 visitors, setting a new record for the month of March. Domestic arrivals continue to be exceptionally strong, up 15.6 percent to a new March high of 480,329 visitors. U.S. West arrivals surged 20.5 percent while U.S. East arrivals rose 9.6 percent. International arrivals also exceeded March 2004 results by 10.7 percent with increases from Japan and Canada.

Total expenditures by air visitors increased 19.1 percent compared to the same month last year resulting in $959.7 million being spent in our islands by visitors who arrived by air.

Additionally, the number of cruise passengers touring the islands increased 34.3 percent compared to March 2004.

"March was another excellent month for Hawaii's visitors industry," said State Tourism Liaison Marsha Wienert. "We are very pleased to see continuing recovery from the international market and outstanding growth in domestic arrivals to the State. Contributing to the surge in domestic arrivals was the

Spring Break vacation which came earlier this year, occurring in March instead of April in 2004.

An increase in domestic and international air seats of 10.4 percent so far this year has contributed to the unparalleled strength in the visitor industry," Wienert said.

• Total air visitors: Strong growth in total arrivals (+12.3%) contributed to an 11.8 percent increase in total visitor days. The average length of stay by these visitors was 9.51 days.
• Domestic air visitors: Domestic arrivals climbed 11.8 percent to 1,268,988 visitors, a new record for the first three months of the year. The average length of stay was relatively unchanged at 10.34 days. The number of U.S. visitors, which comprised 91.9 percent of total domestic arrivals, rose 12.5 percent compared to the same period last year with increases from all U.S. regions except for a slight drop from the West South Central region. California, which accounts for 19.6 percent of all visitors to Hawaii, also reported the largest growth year-to-date, up 17 percent compared to the same period last year. Total domestic arrivals include U.S. residents and international visitors who came to Hawaii on domestic flights.
• International air visitors: International arrivals grew 13.4 percent to 567,874 visitors and contributed to a 9.4 percent increase in international visitor days. The average length of stay was 7.67 days.

• Total repeat/first-time visitors: Repeat visitors comprised 64.4 percent of the total visitors to Hawaii versus 63.2 percent in year-to-date 2004.
• Arrivals by Island: Visitor arrivals increased on Oahu (+11.5%), Kauai (+4.5%), Maui (+6.9%) and the Big Island (+25.2%) compared to the same period last year.

• Purpose of trip: A greater number of visitors came to vacation (+13.8%), honeymoon (+16.4%), visit friends or relatives (+13%) and for meetings, conventions and incentives (+14.5%).
• Air visitors from the top four major market areas (MMAs):

  U.S. West: U.S. West visitor days climbed 14.2 percent, due to a 14 percent growth in arrivals to 655,801 visitors. The average length of stay was 9.85 days. More of these visitors came to vacation, visit friends or relatives, attend corporate meetings and for incentives compared to the same period last year.

  U.S. East: U.S. East visitor days rose 9.8 percent compared to year-to-date 2004. Contributing to the increase was a 9.2 percent growth in arrivals to 529,396 visitors. The average length of stay was 10.75 days. Similar to their U.S. West counterpart, more U.S. East visitors came to vacation, visit friends or relatives and attend corporate meetings.

Japan: Japanese visitor days grew 9.2 percent as total arrivals climbed 11 percent to 378,450 visitors year-to-date. The average length of stay by these visitors was 5.69 days. More Japanese visitors came to vacation, honeymoon, for meetings, conventions and incentives, and to visit friends and relatives compared to the same period last year.

Canada: Canadian visitor days exceeded the same period last year by 9.8 percent. Canadian arrivals totaled 99,217 visitors for the first three months of the year. The average length of stay was 14.39 days.

A total of 67,043 out-of-state visitors, including those who arrived by air to board cruise ships and those who came with the ships, toured the islands so far this year. These visitors were passengers of two Hawaii-home ported ships, the Norwegian Wind and the Pride of Aloha, as well as eighteen out-of-state cruise ships. The number of visitors soared 33.2 percent compared to year-to-date 2004 when twenty-one out-of-state cruise ships and one Hawaii home-ported ship, the Norwegian Star, carried 50,349 out-of-state visitors around the islands.

Repeat visitors to Hawaii comprised 57.1 percent of the out-of-state cruise visitors, compared to 60 percent in year-to-date 2004. These cruise visitors stayed an average of 8.35 days in Hawaii, of which 5.61 days were spent on their cruise and another 2.74 days were spent before and after their cruise.

• Total visitor expenditures: Total expenditures by visitors who came by air in March 2005 increased 19.1 percent to $959.7 million. Total spending by U.S. East visitors was the highest at $326.1 million (+27.1%), followed by visitors from the U.S. West at $312.6 million (+24.5%), Japan at $165.2 million (+0.4%) and Canada at $71.1 million (+59%). By island, visitor spending on Oahu totaled $459.3 million. Spending by visitors on Maui was second at $267.4 million, followed by visitor spending on the Big Island ($127.7 million) and Kauai ($97.3 million).

  Year-to-date, air visitors spent a total of $2.8 billion while in Hawaii. U.S. East visitors spent $937.9 million, followed by visitors from the U.S. West ($886.3 million), Japan ($516.9 million), Canada ($179.9 million) and visitors from All Other MMAs ($263.7 million).

  For the first three months of 2005, visitor spending on Oahu totaled $1.4 billion. Visitor spending on Maui was $743.9 million, followed by the Big Island at $387.7 million and Kauai at $275.1 million.

• Per person per day expenditures: Japanese visitors continued to spend the most on a daily basis at $227 per person in March 2005, followed by those from the U.S. East ($170 per person), from All Other markets ($167 per person), from the U.S. West ($135 per person) and from Canada ($127 per person).

  The average daily spending by Japanese visitors was $240 per person during the first three months of 2005. Daily spending by U.S. East visitors year-to-date was the next highest ($165), followed by visitors from All Other markets ($150 per person), from the U.S. West ($137 per person) and from Canada ($126 per person).

• Per person per trip expenditures: Canadian visitors spent the most per trip at $1,900 per person in March 2005, followed by those from the U.S. East at $1,658 per person, from All Other markets at $1,652 per person, from Japan at $1,331 per person and from the U.S. West at $1,230 per person. Year-to-date Canadian visitors spent $1,813 per person per trip, followed by visitors from the U.S. East ($1,772, per person), from All Other markets ($1,509 per person), Japan ($1,366 per person) and the U.S. West ($1,353 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