For Immediate Release: May 17, 2007
DBEDT Release News 07-12

Note: The 2006 Visitor Plant Inventory Report can be downloaded at: www.hawaii.gov/dbedt/info/visitor-stats

HONOLULU--According to the 2006 Visitor Plant Inventory report released today by the Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism (DBEDT), the number of visitor accommodation units statewide in 2006 remained stable with a slight contraction of .8 percent from 2005, to 72,516 total units.

At the time this survey was taken, May 2006, Kaua‘i county reported a decrease in visitor accommodation units of 2.7 percent (-219 units) and O‘ahu declined 1 percent (-332 units). Maui (-31 units) and Hawai‘i (-28 units) counties both reported minor decreases of 0.2 percent.

"The data showed an increase in condominium/hotel and timeshare units, which resulted in a decrease in traditional hotel properties. This change was expected given the amount of renovations that has been taking place," said Tourism Liaison, Marsha Wienert.

The 2006 report showed increases in condo/hotel units from 2005 on O‘ahu, Kaua‘i, Maui and the island of Hawai‘i. In contrast, hotel units were shown to have declined on Kaua‘i, O‘ahu and Maui. Timeshare units rose on O‘ahu, Maui and Kaua‘i compared to 2005. See Table 1 and Figures 1 and 2.

   

Hotel properties which were converted into condo/hotel in 2006 included the 1,154-unit Ala Moana Hotel and the 262-unit Aqua Palms and Spa on O‘ahu, the 345-unit Hilton Kaua‘i Beach Resort, and the 135-unit Outrigger Aina Nalu on the island of Maui.

"The slight decrease of 610 units across the state is just the result of adjustments in individual vacation units, apartments and other units responding to the rental and housing market in the state," added Wienert. "We are already seeing increases in the number of available units as properties, previously under renovation and reconfiguration, return to service in 2007."

This report provides the most comprehensive list available of visitor accommodations in the state and is useful in the supply-side analysis of Hawai‘i’s visitor industry. The report presents results from a survey of visitor units as of May 2006 with data categorized by type of property, class of units, distribution by island and planned developments. May is the month chosen as the benchmark for comparison purposes with previous Visitor Plant Inventory reports.

Highlights from the 2006 Visitor Plant Inventory Report are presented below:

• By Island: Statewide, there were 1,216 properties with 72,516 units for visitor use in 2006. O‘ahu’s 213 properties comprised only 17.5 percent of the State’s total properties but nearly half of the State’s total visitor units (34,008). The island of Maui with 281 properties accounted for 18,441 units or 25.4 percent of the State’s total visitor units. The island of Hawai‘i had 261 properties yielding 15.5 percent of the State’s total or 11,247 units. On Kaua‘i, there were 8,002 available visitor units among 421 properties. Moloka‘i had 34 properties which yielded 451 units. L?na‘i had 6 properties with 367 units.
• By Property Type: Hotels comprised only 11.6 percent of the State’s properties, but accounted for the majority (43,637 units) of the State’s total visitor units. Condominium hotels represented the second largest percentage both in terms of total properties and number of units (17,235 units). Timeshare units followed with 10 percent (7,271) of the State’s total visitor units. Individual vacation units made up the largest share of the State’s total properties, but only 2.8 percent of its total units (2,014 units). Bed & Breakfasts comprised 14.7 percent of the State’s total properties, but only 0.8 percent (598 units) of its total units.
• By Class of Units: Visitor units categorized as "Standard" ($101 to $250 per night rack rate) comprised the largest percentage of the total units statewide (39.5%). The second largest group of units (37.1%) were those classified as "Deluxe" ($251 to $500 per night), followed by 12.3 percent in the "Budget" ($100 or less per night) and 11.1 percent in the "Luxury" (over $500 per night) categories. See Table 2 for the breakdown of class of units by island.

The 2006 Visitor Plant Inventory report is available in Adobe Acrobat format on the DBEDT Web Site: http://www.hawaii.gov/dbedt/info/visitor-stats

A limited number of printed copies will be available for in-person pick up only, after May 20, 2007:

DBEDT – Research & Economic Analysis Division
One Capitol District Building
250 South Hotel Street, 4th Floor, Diamond Head Wing
Honolulu, Hawai‘i 96813

For further information on the reports, contact the DBEDT’s Research and Economic Analysis Division at 586-2466.

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