For Immediate Release: December 28, 2005
DBEDT Release News 05-34

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

Total Visitor Arrivals Continues to Break Records

HONOLULU--Hawaii's visitor industry continued to show strong increases in visitor spending and visitor days, boosted by record growth in visitor arrivals during November 2005, according to data released today by the Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism (DBEDT).

Total visitor expenditures increased 8.5 percent, compared to November 2004, to $891.9 million, while total visitor days rose 4.9 percent. The average daily spending also rose to $183 per person, compared to $177 per person for the same month last year.

Total visitor arrivals grew 6.5 percent to 562,243 visitors, a new high for the month of November. A traditionally slower month for Japanese arrivals was entirely offset by record growth in domestic arrivals and strong increases from the Canadian market.

Year-to-date, total visitor expenditures increased 8.3 percent from the same period last year to $10.4 billion, while total visitor days rose 6.9 percent. Increases from the U.S., Japanese and Canadian markets led to a 6.9 percent growth in total arrivals to 6,729,129 visitors, the best 11 months year-to-date results of any year on record.

"We are thrilled by the continued resurgence of our visitor industry," said State Tourism Liaison Marsha Wienert. "Among the highlights for the month was an 11.4 percent increase in honeymoon visitors in the islands. Visitors who attended conventions in Hawaii were also up by 84.1 percent, thanks largely to the International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans 2005 convention which brought 7,144 delegates to the State."

Of the 562,243 visitors who came in November 2005, 22,669 visitors flew to the state to board Hawaii home-ported cruise ships, up 41.5 percent from last November. In addition, another 9,235 visitors arrived on out-of-state cruise ships visiting the islands. Cruise visitor days jumped 21 percent for November 2005 and 46.4 percent on a year-to-date basis.

Year-to-Date 2005 preliminary visitor statistics:

Total Air Visitors: Air visitors spent a total of $10.4 billion during the first 11 months of 2005, up 8.3 percent compared to the same period last year with increases from U.S. West, U.S. East and Canadian visitor markets.

Year-to-date visitor spending on Oahu totaled $5.1 billion (+5.3%), followed by Maui at $2.8 billion (+10.6%), the Big Island at $1.3 billion (+16%) and Kauai at $1.1 billion (+8.3%).

Contributing to the growth in total visitor expenditures was a 6.9 percent increase in total visitor days, supported by record high total arrivals of 6,729,129 visitors to date. The average length of stay by these visitors was 9.02 days.

Visitor arrivals rose on the Big Island (+16%), Oahu (+6.7%), Kauai (+6.1%), Maui (+4.9%), Lanai (+3.9%) and Molokai (+2.9%) compared to the same period last year.

A greater number of visitors came to vacation (+6.6%), honeymoon (+9.7%), visit friends or relatives (+7.1%) and for meetings, conventions and incentives (+28.6%).

Repeat visitors accounted for 61.9 percent of the total visitors to Hawaii, virtually unchanged from year-to-date 2004.

• Domestic air visitors: Domestic visitor days grew 7.9 percent as arrivals rose 7.6 percent to 4,800,147 visitors, a new record for the first 11 months of the year. The average length of stay was 9.85 days up from 9.82 days in year-to-date 2004.

  The number of U.S. visitors, which comprised 91.7 percent of total domestic arrivals, was 7.6 percent higher compared to the same period last year with increases from all U.S. regions. Total domestic arrivals include U.S. residents and international visitors who came to Hawaii on domestic flights.

• International air visitors: International visitor days rose 3.6 percent due to a 5.2 percent growth in arrivals to 1,928,982 visitors. The average length of stay was 6.94 days.

• Air visitors from the top four major market areas (MMAs):

  U.S. West: Total spending by U.S. West visitors increased 9.4 percent compared to year-to-date 2004, to $3.85 billion, the highest among the four major visitor markets. The average daily spending was $150 per person. Visitor days for this group rose 7.7 percent, as arrivals increased 8.1 percent to 2,726,452 visitors. The average length of stay was 9.45 days. More of these visitors came to vacation, visit friends or relatives, and for conventions, corporate meetings and incentives compared to the same period last year.

  U.S. East: Total spending by U.S. East visitors reached $3.2 billion, 10.4 percent higher compared to the same period last year. This group of visitors spent an average of $178 per person per day, the second highest among the top four visitor markets.

  U.S. East visitor days grew 6.9 percent compared to the first 11 months of 2004. Contributing to the increase was a 6.1 percent growth in arrivals to 1,750,848 visitors. The average length of stay was 10.26 days. Similar to their U.S. West counterpart, more U.S. East visitors came to vacation, visit friends or relatives and attend conventions and corporate meetings.

  Japan: Total spending by Japanese visitors dropped slightly by 0.4 percent over year-to-date 2004 levels to $1.96 billion. While ranking third in total expenditures, Japanese visitors spent the most on a daily basis at $248 per person. Japanese visitor days rose 1.3 percent, boosted by arrivals which increased 2.8 percent to 1,384,733 visitors. The average length of stay by these visitors was 5.70 days. More Japanese visitors came to vacation, honeymoon and for conventions and incentives compared to the same period last year.

Canada: Total expenditures and average daily spending by Canadian visitors ranked fourth among the top four major visitor markets at $347.4 million (+10.4%) and $129 per person, respectively. Canadian visitor days rose 9.1 percent due to a 9.9 percent growth in arrivals to 209,063 visitors in the first 11 months of 2005. The average length of stay was 12.86 days.


• Per person per trip expenditures by MMA:

  Year-to-date U.S. East visitors spent the most per trip at $1,826 per person, followed by visitors from Canada ($1,662 per person) and then from All Other markets ($1,617 per person). Per trip spending by visitors from the U.S. West and Japan were tied at $1,412 per person.

Total cruise visitor days jumped 46.4 percent during the first 11 months of 2005. Contributing to this increase was a 32.8 percent growth in out-of-state visitors to 279,330 passengers, including those who arrived by air to board cruise ships and those who came with the ships. These visitors were aboard 47 out-of-state cruise ships including the foreign-flagged Norwegian Wind. In addition, there were two U.S.-flagged ships home ported in Hawaii, the Pride of Aloha and the recently added Pride of America, which began inter-island cruises in July 2005.

In the first 11 months of 2004, there were 60 out-of-state cruise ships, including the foreign-flagged Norwegian Star, which toured the islands from January to April 2004, and the Norwegian Wind, which came in May 2004. In addition, the U.S.-flagged Pride of Aloha began touring the islands in July 2004.

Repeat visitors to Hawaii comprised 54.8 percent of out-of-state cruise visitors, compared to 57 percent in year-to-date 2004. These cruise visitors stayed an average of 9.20 days in Hawaii, of which 6.03 days were spent on their cruise and another 3.16 days were spent before and after their cruise.

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