For Immediate Release: February 27, 2007
DBEDT Release News 07-04

Note: January 2007 Visitor Research Data can be viewed here.

Daily Spending per Visitor increased 4.8%

HONOLULU--According to preliminary statistics released today by the Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism (DBEDT), total visitor expenditures for January 2007 were $1 billion, a decline of 1.4 percent when compared to January 2006. However, average daily spending rose to $177 per person per day compared to $169 last year, an increase of 4.8 percent. Spending per person per trip increased 4.6 percent.

Total arrivals declined 5.7 percent to 561,691 visitors. Among the top four visitor markets, visitors from the U.S. West (+1.4%) and Canada (+4.5%) increased but arrivals from the U.S. East (-9%) and Japan (-12.3%) were lower than in January 2006. The decline in arrivals from the domestic and international markets resulted in a 6 percent decline in visitor days.

Of the total number of visitors who came in January this year, 45,024 visitors either flew to the state to board cruise ships or came by cruise ships visiting Hawai'i, a 19.1 percent increase from last January. Cruise visitor days for the month rose 24.6 percent.

"Although results for January 2007 were mixed, we must remember that we have seen exceptional growth the past couple of years as well as very mild weather in the

U.S. East last month, which likely impacted the normally high winter travel to the islands," said Tourism Liaison Marsha Wienert. "We anticipate continued growth in the visitor industry this year, albeit at a more moderate pace when compared to the phenomenal performance of previous years. We are also encouraged by the fact that Hawai'i's cruise industry continues to perform well and the strength of Hawai'i's brand as a preferred vacation destination remains strong."

January 2007 preliminary visitor statistics:

• Total visitor expenditures: Visitors spent a total of $1 billion in January 2007, 1.4 percent lower than the same month last year. Increased spending by the U.S. West and Canadian visitor markets was offset by decreased spending by U.S. East and Japanese visitors during the month.

  Visitor spending on O'ahu totaled $441.1 million (-5.2%), followed by Maui at $300.1 million (-1.3%), the Big Island at $150.8 million (+6.4%) and Kaua'i at $109.8 million (+1.3%).

• Total air visitors: Total visitor days declined 6 percent due to lower arrivals from both the domestic and international markets. The average length of stay by all visitors of 10.23 days was similar to last January's 10.26 days.

  Visitor arrivals were higher on Lana'i (+7.5%), Kaua'i (+8.2%) and the Big Island (+1.5%) compared to January 2006.

  A greater number of visitors came to visit with friends or relatives (+6.1%) and for other business (+.4%).

  Repeat visitors accounted for 67.1 percent of the total visitors to Hawai'i, versus 66 percent in January 2006.

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

  U.S. West: Total spending by U.S. West visitors was $345.2 million, 3.7 percent higher than in January 2006. This group of visitors spent an average of $155 per person per day, an increase of 5.5 percent from last January.

  Arrivals from U.S West rose 1.4 percent to 211,631 visitors. However, U.S. West visitor days decreased 1.7 percent due to a lower average length of stay of 10.50 days (down from 10.83 days in January 2006). The Pacific region recorded a 1.2 percent growth in domestic arrivals followed by the Mountain region at .1 percent.

U.S. East: Total spending by U.S. East visitors for January 2007 declined 9.3 percent to $336.7 million and remained the second highest among the four major visitor markets. Average daily spending by U.S. East visitors also ranked second at $176 per person.

U.S. East visitor days decreased 8.3 percent from January 2006, due to a 9 percent drop in visitor arrivals. The average length of stay was 12.28 days, slightly higher than 12.19 days in the same month last year. Arrivals decreased for the East South Central (-17.1%), East North Central (-15.6%), West North Central (-9.9%), South Atlantic (-9.5%), New England (-9%), Mid Atlantic (-2%) and West South Central (-1.7%) regions.

Japan: Japanese visitors spent a total of $172.6 million in January, 1.2 percent lower compared to January last year. Japanese visitors continued to spend the most on a daily basis at $289 per person, an increase of 10.6 percent.

Japanese visitor days declined 10.7 percent, due to a 12.3 percent decrease in visitor arrivals to 107,124 visitors. The average length of stay rose from 5.47 days to 5.57 days in January 2007.

Canada: Even though average daily spending by Canadian visitors ranked last among the top four major visitor markets at $148 per person per day, total expenditures rose 22.7 percent to $69.9 million in January 2007.

Canadian visitor days grew 2.7 percent, due to a 4.5 percent growth in arrivals to 34,550 visitors. The average length of stay was the longest among the top four visitor markets, at 13.72 days, compared to 13.96 days in January 2006.

• Per person per trip expenditures by MMA:

  U.S. East visitors spent the most per trip ($2,164 per person) in January 2007, followed by visitors from Canada ($2,024 per person), the U.S. West ($1,631 per person) and Japan ($1,611 per person).

January 2007 Preliminary Cruise Visitor Statistics:

Total cruise visitor days rose 24.6 percent in January 2007. Contributing to this increase was a 19.1 percent growth in cruise visitors to 45,024 visitors which includes those who flew to the state to board cruise ships or came by cruise ships visiting Hawai'i. Of the ships in Hawai'i during January 2007, there were eight cruise ship arrivals, one less than the previous year. Cruise ship arrival is the number of times cruise ships enter the state of Hawai'i. A cruise ship may be counted multiple times if it leaves Hawai'i then returns with new passengers within the same month.

Repeat visitors to Hawai'i comprised 62.4 percent of out-of-state cruise visitors, compared to 60.6 percent in January 2006. These cruise visitors stayed an average of 10.10 days in Hawai'i, of which 6.12 days were spent on their cruise.

Technical Notes: 2006 air visitor data presented in this news release are the preliminary numbers and are subject to change. Detailed final statistics will be published in the 2006 Annual Visitor Research Report, available by mid-year 2007.

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