HONOLULU – There were significantly more Japan and Canada visitor arrivals to Kaua‘i this June than last June and they, along with all other visitors, spent considerably more on the island than last June. These findings, as well as those
HONOLULU – There were significantly more Japan and Canada visitor arrivals to Kaua‘i this June than last June and they, along with all other visitors, spent considerably more on the island than last June.
These findings, as well as those of the state as whole, reflect a tourism economy in Hawai‘i which “is on pace to set a record-breaking year in 2012,” Mike McCartney, president and CEO of the Hawai‘i Tourism Authority says in an HTA statement.
“This positive momentum is expected to continue through the second half of the year as airlift to the Hawaiian islands expands with additional service by Allegiant Travel, Asiana Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines and international charter flights,” McCartney says in the statement.
In June on Kaua‘i, 102,142 visitors arrived, a 10.4 percent increase over last June. That increase came primarily from U.S. East and U.S. West arrivals but arrivals from Japan rose 46.6 percent and Canada rose 47.3 percent compared to last June, according to preliminary statistics released by the HTA.
All visitors on Kaua‘i spent $150.4 million during June, a 45.7 percent jump over last June. The average daily spending rose to $198 per person, 33.5 percent more than last June.
Year-to-date arrivals on Kaua‘i totaled 535,897, an 8.7 percent increase, while total visitor expenditures grew 23.5 percent to $725.9 million. More than half of visitors to the island traveled only to Kaua‘i, exhibiting an increased interest in neighbor-island travel, the release says.
Total expenditures (not adjusted for infation) by visitors who came to the entire state in June rose 20.4 percent compared to the previous year to $1.2 billion, a new record for the month of June. When adjusted to inflation, total visitor expenditures in June was still the highest on record, surpassing the previous record in June 2007, the release says.
Strong growth in total June arrivals, 677,218 visitors or an 11.5 percent increase, and higher daily spending contributed to this increase, the release says.
Among Hawaii’s top visitor markets in June 2012, arrivals by air from U.S. West were up 4 percent from a year ago to 285,342 visitors, the eighth month of consecutive growth.
Total U.S. West visitor expenditures grew 9.8 percent to $410 million. U.S. East arrivals rose 8.1 percent to 173,002 visitors, the tenth straight month of increases, while total visitor spending increased 10.6 percent to $339 million.
In the state, Japanese arrivals grew 21.9 percent to 115,788 visitors, but remained below the June 1995 record of 177,299 visitors. A longer length of stay (6.21 days from 5.79 days in June 2011) elevated total visitor expenditures to $219.1 million, a 31.4 percent increase.
Canadian arrivals to the state increased 3.4 percent to 16,705 in June. Total Canadian visitor expenditures grew 14.9 percent to $30.1 million due to higher daily spending.
Total statewide June visitor expenditures increased 58.9 percent to $219.5 million and arrivals, which grew 39.6 percent, from all other markets showed particularly strong growth compared to June 2011, the release says.
For the first half of 2012, all visitor markets in Hawai‘i showed growth in total visitor expenditures and arrivals compared to the same period last year. Total visitor expenditures climbed 21.4 percent to $7.1 billion, led by double digit increases from Japan (+26.2% to $1.2 billion), Canada (+12.6% to $590.6 million) and all others (+75.9% to $1.4 billion). Total arrivals rose 10.2 percent to 3,932,266 visitors. Combined arrivals from all others market climbed 28.8 percent from a year ago.
