Spending by tourists in Hawaii up for 2nd month

Spending by travelers to Hawaii rose for the second straight month in May.

The Hawaii Tourism Authority said Friday visitor spending grew 5.1 percent compared to May last year. Travelers spent $1.1 billion during the month.

The agency had earlier reported spending fell 2.2 percent in April, but it revised its statistics to show a 4 percent increase.

The agency says it revised its visitor data for January through April this year and all of last year.

The number of tourists coming to Hawaii climbed 1.8 percent in May to nearly 650,000.

Hawaii Tourism Authority CEO Mike McCartney says the trend for spending appears to be up.

The agency expects a strong summer season for Hawaii’s tourism economy supported by an increase in seats on flights to Hawaii.