Hawaii island resident Pat Adams travels to neighbor islands 50 times a year on business and stays over when the kamaaina specials are good.

Lately, he’s been making more day trips to Oahu.

"I usually stay at the Ala Moana Hotel, but lately I’ve been having a little trouble getting in because they are busy," Adams said.

It’s the downside of an up visitor market.

As arrivals and hotel occupancy numbers have gone up, kamaaina promotions during peak periods have waned.

"July will be the peak month of the year, and it could rival July of 2007, the best month ever for Hawaii’s visitor industry," said Jerry Gibson, general manager of the Hilton Hawaiian Village and area vice president for Hilton Hawaii.

Last summer, there were a lot more opportunities for kamaaina, said Brad Mettler, Hyatt Regency Waikiki Beach Resort and Spa director of sales and marketing.

"This year it’s a 180-degree turn. Business has been very good," Mettler said. "It’s not to the point that we want to exclude people, but it’s just that busy."

During the lean times, Hawaii travelers can find a range of kamaaina specials from free food and daily hotel resort credits to discounted rooms and free room nights. With some Waikiki hotels hitting occupancies above 90 percent, the hospitality industry has pulled back on some of the perks. However, specials are still available at some off-beach locations in Waikiki and in some parts of the neighbor islands where occupancy is still recovering.

"Aston has a very strong and loyal following in the kamaaina market, and we market year-round to kamaaina," said Shari Chang, senior vice president of sales, marketing and revenue management at Aston Hotels & Resorts. "Although spring and fall offer more availability at some properties, kamaaina will find all properties welcome them throughout the year."

"Staycations," a term coined by the visitor industry to describe home-based vacations, reached the height of popularity for Hawaii residents when the U.S. economy last hit the skids. While the practice has abated some for mainland travelers, it still plays a role in Hawaii’s hospitality industry, where locals make up as much as 25 percent of the annual visitors. As such, companies like Aston and Aqua Hotels and Resorts market year-round to locals.

"Hawaii attracts travelers from around the world, so why not enjoy what’s in our own front yard?" Chang said. "With the hassle of long-distance traveling, a short hop to the neighbor islands gives you more time with your family and friends to be as active as you want on each island or to relax in the unique beauty each island has to offer."

While there may be less availability for kamaaina travelers now than in years past, a quick perusal of specials in Hawaii shows that summer and fall values can be found. Kamaaina guests can get a discount no matter how high the occupancy is at Aqua Hotels and Resorts, said Beth Churchill, Aqua’s senior vice president of sales and marketing.

"We offer kamaaina at least 10 percent off down to our last availability," Churchill said. "When our properties are less full, the discounts are even better."

Hawaii’s kamaaina rates and opportunities, when they can be found, vary based on demand.

"Kamaaina rates can range from 10 to 50 percent off based on availability," Mettler said. "My best advice is for travelers to always look. Scour the websites, and if they don’t see anything available, call the properties directly."

Adams, the Big Island business traveler, said he finds more offers during down times.

"There are places where there is no kamaaina rate when there are a lot of tourists," he said. "If there’s no kamaaina rate, I’m not staying. The difference can be $80 or $90 a night."

During the Rim of the Pacific international naval exercises, Adams said Ala Moana Hotel was so full that it was not offering local discounts. However, he found one at the Aqua-branded Maile Sky Court.

"It’s an anomaly," said Marty Milan, Ala Moana Hotel director of sales and marketing. "Summer, RIMPAC and compression in Waikiki has sold out our city."

Come July 28, Milan said, Ala Moana Hotel will have plenty of kamaaina inventory, which is marked off 56 percent, available.

Ala Moana Hotel will be offering year-round kamaaina discounts starting Dec. 21, she said.

"Locals should be given special consideration," Milan said. "Their support kept us alive after 9/11."

Even with occupancies running mostly above 90 percent, Hilton Hawaiian Village did offer kamaaina room rates for a few days in June and July, Gibson said. Still, there’s no doubt that high occupancies have made it more difficult for kamaaina travelers to get summer specials, he said.

"Most months are good for kamaaina, but summer is more difficult," Gibson said. "We’ll open kamaaina rates again on Aug. 26."

While the best available Internet special currently advertised by Hilton Hawaiian Village is $215 per night, the property has offered kamaaina a $179 nightly rate, which includes a 15 percent discount off of the hotel’s luau or food and beverage.

"We give our kamaaina a very large discount because we love having their business," Gibson said.

Room availability for kamaaina and rates are better when Hawaii has fewer travelers, he said. September to Dec. 20 and January through March are typically the best windows for kamaaina bookings, Gibson said.

"In the first two weeks of September, our occupancy is in the mid-80s instead of the 90s, so that might be the time to start looking," Mettler said.

On Maui the push to yield higher rates has made few rooms available for kamaaina, said Susan Havens, director of sales and marketing at the Sheraton Maui Resort & Spa. However, the Sheraton Maui counts on kamaaina to fill food-and-beverage venues, Havens said.

"We really focus on making sure that our kamaaina are visiting our food-and-beverage venues and taking advantage of our iconic events like the nightly cliff-diving and our signature entertainment," she said. "We had a very successful Easter and Mother’s Day, and we really attribute that to our strong kamaaina market."

Likewise, Hyatt Regency Waikiki Beach is targeting locals to bolster food-and-beverage business, Mettler said.

"The area where we sometimes have need of more business is food and beverage," Mettler said. "We’ve created an Ohana card for our local clientele."

Ohana cards, which are distributed at the hotel, offer Hawaii residents who are dining at SHOR, Japengo or SWIM free parking and 20 percent off food-and-beverage purchases, he said.

When it comes to kamaaina specials, it pays to plan ahead and stay flexible, said frequent kamaaina traveler Jere Usui of Hilo.

"We travel as much as we can afford," Usui said. "When they don’t have our dates, we pick another weekend. We like to stay at the Ala Moana Hotel."

Kamaaina rates have kept the couple’s weekend trips in the $500-to-$600 range, he said.

"If you use kamaaina rates, Oahu’s cheaper than Vegas," Usui said. "Of course, we still go Vegas, too."