For Immediate Release: February 28, 2006
DBEDT Release News 06-08

Note: January 2006 Visitor Research Data can be viewed here.

Visitor Arrivals Increased 3.9 Percent Setting New January Record

HONOLULU--Total visitor expenditure for January 2006 rose 9.8 percent to $1 billion. Average daily spending also increased to $169 per person compared to $160 per person in January 2005, while total visitor days were 4.5 percent higher compared to the same month last year, according to preliminary statistics released today by the Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism (DBEDT).

Total arrivals increased 3.9 percent to 595,753 visitors, setting a new record for the month of January. Strong growth from Canadian (+17%) and domestic (+6.5%) arrivals, which rose to a new January best of 409,951 visitors, offset a 1.4 percent decrease in international visitors, due to lower arrivals from Japan (-7.3%).

Of the 595,753 visitors who came in January 2006, 23,884 visitors flew to the state to board Hawaii home-ported cruise ships, up 59.4 percent from last January. In addition, another 13,907 visitors arrived on out-of-state cruise ships visiting the islands (+83.7%). Cruise visitor days jumped 86.8 percent over the same month last year.

"The continued record increase in visitor arrivals from the domestic market has been phenomenal. The cruise industry growth is adding to the diversity of our visitor market," said Tourism Liaison Marsha Wienert.

"We are especially pleased with the increase in daily and total expenditures by our visitors," Wienert added. "We are very optimistic that this trend will continue throughout the year."

January 2006 preliminary visitor statistics:

Total Air Visitors: Air visitors spent a total of $1 billion in January 2006, up 9.8 percent compared to the same month last year with increases from the U.S. West, U.S. East and Canadian visitor markets. Total visitor spending by Japanese visitors decreased 3.8 percent compared to last January.

Visitor spending on Oahu totaled $465.2 million (+1.5%), followed by Maui at $304 million (+28.2%), the Big Island at $141.7 million (-0.7%) and Kauai at $108.5 million (+17.4%).

Contributing to the growth in total visitor expenditures was a 4.5 percent increase in total visitor days, elevated by record total arrivals of 595,753 visitors for January 2006. The average length of stay was 10.26 days.

Visitor arrivals rose on Kauai (+14.6%), Maui (+14.1%), Molokai (+16%), Lanai (+20.7%) and the Big Island (+3.3%) compared to January 2005.

A greater number of visitors came to vacation (+2.9%), for meetings, conventions and incentives (+12.6%) and to visit friends or relatives (+1.9%).

Repeat visitors accounted for 66 percent of the total visitors to Hawaii, virtually unchanged from the same month last year.

• Domestic air visitors: Domestic visitor days grew 6.8 percent as arrivals rose 6.5 percent to 409,951 visitors, a new January record. The average length of stay was 11.65 days.

  The number of U.S. visitors, which comprised 90.8 percent of total domestic arrivals, was 6 percent higher compared to January 2005 with increases from the Pacific, Mountain, West North Central, West South Central, East North Central, East South Central and South Atlantic regions. Total domestic arrivals include U.S. residents and international visitors who came to Hawaii on domestic flights.

• International air visitors: International visitor days decreased 3.1 percent due to a 1.4 percent drop in arrivals to 185,802 visitors. The average length of stay was 7.18 days.

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

  U.S. East: Total spending by U.S. East visitors increased 13 percent compared to January 2005, to $371.2 million, the highest among the four major visitor markets. The average daily spending was $178 per person, the second highest among the top four visitor markets.

  U.S. East visitor days grew 6.8 percent compared to January 2005. Contributing to the increase was a 5.7 percent growth in arrivals to 171,065 visitors. The average length of stay was 12.19 days. A higher number of U.S. East visitors came to vacation, visit friends or relatives and for conventions, corporate meetings and incentives.

  U.S. West: Total spending by U.S. West visitors reached $332.9 million, 12.1 percent higher than January 2005. This group of visitors spent an average of $147 per person per day.

  Visitor days for the U.S. West rose 3.7 percent, as arrivals increased 6.9 percent to 208,733 visitors for the month. The average length of stay was 10.83 days. More of these visitors came to vacation, honeymoon, visit friends or relatives, and for conventions and corporate meetings compared to last January.

  Japan: Japanese visitors spent a total of $174.7 million in January 2006, 3.8 percent lower compared to the same month last year. While ranking third in total expenditures, Japanese visitors spent the most on a daily basis at $262 per person. Japanese visitor days decreased 10.7 percent, due to a 7.3 percent decline in visitor arrivals to 122,144 visitors. The average length of stay by these visitors was 5.47 days.

Canada: Total expenditures and average daily spending by Canadian visitors ranked fourth among the top four major visitor markets at $57 million (+18.2%) and $124 per person, respectively. Canadian visitor days increased 15.3 percent, boosted by a 17 percent growth in arrivals to 33,063 visitors. The average length of stay was 13.96 days.
• Per person per trip expenditures by MMA:

  U.S. East visitors spent the most per trip in January 2006 at $2,170 per person, followed by visitors from Canada ($1,724 per person), U.S. West ($1,595 per person) from All Other markets ($1,550 per person) and from Japan ($1,431 per person).

Total cruise visitor days jumped 86.8 percent in January 2006. Contributing to this increase was a 67.6 percent growth in out-of-state visitors to 37,791 passengers, including those who arrived by air to board cruise ships and those who came with the ships. These visitors were aboard 9 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 Pride of America..

Repeat visitors to Hawaii comprised 60.6 percent of out-of-state cruise visitors, compared to 63.7 percent in January 2005. These cruise visitors stayed an average of 9.66 days in Hawaii, of which 5.58 days were spent on their cruise and another 4.08 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