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CRAIG T. KOJIMA / CKOJIMA@STARADVERTISER.COM
In April, spending by visitors from Japan, Hawaii’s top international market, grew 5 percent to $146 million, while arrivals increased 8 percent to 147,532.
Visitor arrivals and spending to the Hawaiian islands increased for the 11th straight month in April, keeping Hawaii on track for its sixth year in a row of record tourism.
In April, visitors to Hawaii rose to 752,964, an 8 percent year-over-year gain, according to preliminary data released today by the Hawaii Tourism Authority. Visitor spending also grew 9 percent from April of 2016 to $1.3 billion.
“April was a better month than expected, with the Easter holiday and Golden Week in Japan contributing to increased travel demand. Visitor spending statewide grew 9 percent over last year, fueled by the strong performance of Hawaii’s core markets, U.S. West, U.S. East, Japan and Canada,” HTA president and CEO George Szigeti said in a statement. “The economies of Hawaii’s four major islands felt the positive impact of these results, highlighted by Maui, Kauai and the island of Hawaii all reporting double-digit growth in visitor spending.”
Spending from U.S. West visitors, Hawaii’s top market, rose 17 percent in April to $490 million, while arrivals grew 9 percent to 321,877. Visitors from the U.S. East spent $299 million, up 12 percent from the prior year. U.S. East arrivals increased 11 percent to 147,532.
Spending by visitors from Japan, Hawaii’s top international market, grew 5 percent to $146 million, while arrivals increased 8 percent to 109,604. Canadian visitor arrivals rose 18 percent to 48,952, while spending grew 22 percent to $91 million.
Visitor arrivals for the category called all others, which includes international markets outside of Japan and Canada, rose 2 percent to 109,818 visitors; however, combined spending from these markets fell 8 percent to $221 million.
The gains came even though airline seats to Hawaii in April stayed flat at 978,406.
Arrivals and spending counts have been rising since May 2016.
For the first four months of 2017, visitor spending rose 10 percent to $5.6 billion and visitor arrivals climbed 4 percent to just over 3 million. Through April, Szigeti said tourism has produced $657 million in tax revenue statewide,which is an increase of $60 million, or 10 percent, over last year.
“These are funds that are helping to make lives better for families and communities statewide,” he said.
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