Andrea Frainier The Garden Island LIHUE — Visitors have spent $490 million on Kauai this year, up 9.3 percent from last year, according to the Hawaii Tourism Authority. The agency says arrivals to Kauai dropped 1.9 percent to 84,175 visitors in
Andrea Frainier
The Garden Island
LIHUE — Visitors have spent $490 million on Kauai this year, up 9.3 percent from last year, according to the Hawaii Tourism Authority.
The agency says arrivals to Kauai dropped 1.9 percent to 84,175 visitors in April, but an increase in daily spending ($175 per person) contributed to a 4.1 percent increase in Kauai’s total visitor expenditures to $108.1 million.
“Visitor spending involves accommodations, car rentals, activities, dining and shopping and Kauai has a great selection to choose from, giving visitors many opportunities to spend their hard-earned dollars during their stay,” said Sue Kanoho, executive director of the Kauai Visitors Bureau. “I think we offer a quality experience and people are willing to pay for quality that gives them a wonderful vacation.”
Kanoho said the number of tourists who visit Kauai in March and April tend to fluctuate each year, depending on when spring break is held.
“Last year, 2012, we had our spring break in April and this year it was in March,” Kanoho said. “March 2013 numbers were up, but that leaves April with no spring break travel and that’s why we were relatively flat.”
Travelers from the western United States to Kauai decreased 2.5 percent in April. Visitors from the East Coast and Canada decreased 3.8 percent and 22.2 percent, respectively.
Year-to-date, spending and arrivals have surpassed 2012 growth, to more than 360,000 arrivals.
Total spending decreased 1.7 percent on Maui, but increased on Oahu and the Big Island.
Statewide, visitors spent $1.1 billion in the state in April, a 1.8 percent increase from the same month last year.
Arrivals from Japan increased 6.5 percent to more than 100,000 visitors, but daily spending decreased 12.5 percent to $262 per person compared to April 2012.
Kanoho expects strong summer months, with an additional 25 percent more visitors during June, July and August.
“We anticipate this trend to continue through May and the first half of June, until we head into the summer travel season,” said Mike McCartney, president and CEO of Hawaii Tourism Authority.
