Visitor spending continues upward climb in January

Visitor arrivals and spending rose in January, although at a slower pace than last year’s record-setting performance, the Hawaii Tourism Authority reported today.

Hawaii welcomed 681,854 visitors from the mainland and abroad in January, up 5.9 percent from the same month a year earlier. The visitors spent $1.43 billion during the month, 5.7 percent more than they did in January 2012.

All of Hawaii’s major visitor markets contributed to the January increases. The biggest jump was from western U.S, with arrivals and spending up 9 percent and 14.5 percent respectively.

State authorities are forecasting another strong year for Hawaii’s visitor industry, with visitor arrivals and spending expected to increase by 5.4 percent and 7.1 percent respectively. Visitor arrivals last year rose by 9.6 percent over 2011, while spending increased by 18.5 percent.