HTA Reports Visitor Stats for January

Hawai‘i Tourism Authority. PC: HTA

Tourism brought in more money across the state in the year’s first month as compared with January 2019.

Visitors to the Hawaiian Islands spent $1.71 billion in January 2020, an increase of 5% over the corresponding month last year, according to preliminary statistics released today by the Hawai‘i Tourism Authority. Visitor spending includes lodging, interisland airfare, shopping, food, car rental and other expenses while in the state.

Tourism dollars from the Transient Accommodations Tax (TAT) helped to fund a number of community events statewide during January, such as the Japanese Cultural Center of Hawai‘i’s New Year’s Ohana Festival, and sporting events like the Polynesian Bowl and the Hula Bowl, an HTA press release said.

In January, visitor spending increased from the US West (+11.2% to $621.7 million), US East (+9.6% to $507.4 million) and Japan (+7.1% to $184.4 million), but declined from Canada (-4.3% to $160.4 million) and All Other International Markets (-12.2% to $234.2 million) compared to a year ago.

On a statewide level, average daily spending by visitors in January rose to $205 per person (+2.9%). Visitors from the US East (+3.4% to $225), US West (+3.3% to $186), Canada (+2.3% to $176), Japan (+0.8% to $240) and All Other International Markets (+2.8% to $226) spent more compared to January 2019.

A total of 862,574 visitors came to Hawai‘i in January, an increase of 5.1% compared to a year ago. Total visitor days rose 2%. The average daily census of total visitors in the Hawaiian Islands on any given day in January was 269,421, up 2%.

Visitor arrivals by air service increased in January to 852,037 (+5.3%), with growth from US West (+10.9%), US East (+9.8%) and Japan (+6.9%) offsetting decreases from Canada (-4.9%) and All Other International Markets (-12.1%). Arrivals by cruise ships declined 8.6% to 10,538 visitors.

Hawai‘i Island reported increases in visitor spending (+14.1% to $290.5 million), visitor arrivals (+9.4% to 163,530) and daily spending (+5.6%).

In January, O‘ahu recorded decreased visitor spending (-1.4% to $701.6 million) as visitor arrivals grew (+4.2% to 512,621), but daily spending was lower (-2.3%).

Visitor spending on Maui increased (+7.7% to $510.7 million), boosted by growth in visitor arrivals (+3.6% to 242,472) and higher daily spending (+6.3%).

Kaua‘i also saw positive growth in visitor spending (+8.7% to $191.3 million), visitor arrivals (+7.3% to 113,847) and daily spending (+8.9%) compared to a year ago.

A total of 1,202,300 trans-Pacific air seats serviced the Hawaiian Islands in January, an increase of 6% from January 2019. Growth in air seat capacity from US East (+29.4%), US West (+7.7%) and Japan (+1.2%) offset fewer air seats from Other Asia (-13.0%), Canada (-9.0%) and Oceania (-6.6%).