Hawai‘i’s cruise ship industry continued to expand during the first half of 2003 with increases in the number of out-of-state cruise visitors from all major market areas, according to date released by DBEDT today. There were 134,116 out-of-state cruise visitors
Hawai‘i’s cruise ship industry continued to expand during the first half of 2003 with increases in the number of out-of-state cruise visitors from all major market areas, according to date released by DBEDT today.
There were 134,116 out-of-state cruise visitors who came by air to board cruise ships or who came with cruise ships that toured Hawai‘i, up 16.7 percent compared to the first half of 2002.
The total passengers in the first half of 2003 visiting Kaua‘i was 130,692 (127,769 were out-of-state residents), up 21.5 percent from the same time in 2002.
“Nearly 85 percent of the cruise visitors during the first half of this year were from the U.S. mainland, which contributed to the strong performance of our domestic market,” said Tourism Liaison, Marsha Wienert.
Point of Origin and Island Visitation
Of the 134,116 out-of-state visitors aboard the cruise ships in the islands, over half were from the U.S. East, up 15.8 percent from the first half of 2002.
The second largest group of cruise visitors was from the U.S. West, followed by those from Canada, Europe and all other markets.
By the nature of the cruise routes, these visitors went to most of the neighbor islands.
All visited O‘ahu, 97.8 percent went to Mau‘i, 95.9 percent went to the Big island and 95.3 percent visited Kaua‘i.
Length of stay and type of accommodation
The total average length of stay by out-of-state cruise visitors in the first half of 2003 was 7.27 days, up from 6.78 days by visitors who came in the same period last year.
In addition to the average 4.50 days spent aboard a ship touring the islands and the 1.08 days spent on shore after a cruise was over, visitors who arrived in Hawai‘i by air during the first half of 2003 stayed an average of 1.69 days before their cruise.
Hawaii resident cruise passengers
A total of 3,068 Hawai‘i residents boarded cruise ships touring the islands during the first half of 2003, 14 percent less than the same time last year.
All of these resident cruise passengers stopped on O‘ahu, Kaua‘i, Mau‘i and the Big island.
The average length of cruise by these Hawai‘i residents was 4.04 day similar to the first half of 2002.
Nearly 82 percent of the residents cruise the islands for leisure, 11.4 percent visited friends and family, 3.6 percent played golf, 3.1 percent were on business and 1.8 percent were on honeymoon.
