Oahu hotel occupancy matches ’05 level, others lag
A new analysis says hotel occupancy on Oahu is back to levels seen at the peak of Hawaii’s tourism industry in 2005, while Maui, Kauai and the Big Island still haven’t fully recovered from the Great Recession.
An analysis by Hospitality Advisors LLC says hotel occupancy on Oahu was 85 percent during the first eight months of 2013.
Occupancy was 78 percent statewide from January through August, including 75 percent on Maui, 63 percent on the Big Island and 71 percent on Kauai.
Hotels are generally more crowded on Oahu than on other islands because of the volume of tourists and flights. Oahu includes the state’s most popular tourist area in Waikiki, while many flights to neighbor islands from the mainland U.S. and international markets require a stop in Honolulu.