Visitor spending hits annual record a month early

Wouldn’t it be nice to have an extra $16 deposited into your pocket every day? That is on average what the state’s visitor industry received from each tourist in Hawaii this year through November — enough added spending to break an annual record before the year is done.

The Hawaii Tourism Authority released November industry data Thursday showing that visitors to the state spent $12.9 billion during the first 11 months of the year, eclipsing a full-year record of $12.8 billion set in 2007.

The year-to-date spending figure is $2.1 billion, or 19.2 percent, higher than where it was at the same time last year.

More tourists and higher average spending per tourist notched the record for the state’s biggest economic engine.

Del Bothof, owner of Volcano Winery on Hawaii island, said his business is up about 10 percent this year to mark a second consecutive year of revenue growth.

"We’re seeing a positive in spending," he said in an interview. "It feels good. If it had kept going the other way, we probably wouldn’t be talking right now."

Spending per tourist averaged $192 per day this year through November, or $16 more than $176 during the same period last year.

The annual record for arrivals is also expected to be broken this year, but only after figures for December are included.

Arrivals peaked at 7.6 million in 2006. This year through November, Hawaii has welcomed 7.3 million visitors, which is up 9.9 percent from 6.6 million arrivals at the same point last year.

For November, 651,158 visitors arrived in Hawaii, an increase of 14.5 percent or 82,530 people compared with 568,628 arrivals in November 2011.

November spending totaled $1.1 billion, up 22.7 percent from $916 million in the same month last year.

Mike McCartney, president and CEO of the tourism authority, said in a statement that the new heights being reached are in part due to new airline service and increased flight frequencies from international markets, particularly Asia and Oceania.

McCartney said he expects continued growth in airlift to Hawaii in 2013. "We are optimistic as we look to the coming year," he said in the statement.

This year through November, the biggest increase in arrivals by plane from any country was from Japan, with a 16.4 percent increase to 1.3 million visitors.

In Hawaii’s core market — the mainland — arrivals by plane this year through November were up 6.5 percent to 2.9 million visitors from western states and 3.4 percent to 1.5 million visitors from eastern states.

Travel from Canada rose 4.7 percent to 431,334 arrivals in Hawaii.

Arrivals from a combination of other, less developed markets that include China, Korea, Taiwan, Australia, Latin America and Europe surged 23.9 percent to 913,950 visitors during the 11-month period.

Cruise ship passenger arrivals were up 45.3 percent to 152,076 visitors in the same period.

The four biggest Hawaiian islands attracted more tourists, but fewer people visited Molokai and Lanai this year through November.

Oahu realized the biggest gain with an 11.4 percent increase to 4.4 million visitors. Spending rose 19 percent to $6.7 billion.

On Hawaii island, arrivals grew 8.7 percent to 1.3 million, and spending rose 17.3 percent to $1.5 billion.

Visitors to Kauai rose 7.3 percent to 987,734 while spending surged 21.7 percent to $1.3 billion.

The smallest gain in arrivals occurred on Maui, where 2.1 million visitors represented a 5.8 percent increase. Spending rose 19.4 percent to $3.3 billion.

Molokai arrivals dipped 2 percent to 48,334, but spending still rose 6.2 percent to $27 million.

On Lanai, arrivals slipped 1.2 percent to 67,345, but spending increased 2 percent to $74 million.