Folks visiting Hawaii last month dropped an estimated $1.29 billion into the state economy, or 4.5 percent more than last year, according to a report released today.

The spending gain recorded by the state’s biggest industry was driven by more visitors being here in November, though the average tourist spent slightly less per day and stayed for a slightly shorter period.

George Szigeti, president and CEO of the Hawaii Tourism Authority, called November’s results “excellent” and said the visitor industry is poised to set a new annual record for the number of tourists visiting, how much they spend and how much state tax revenue they generate.

“We are in the closing days of what has been an extraordinary year for Hawaii’s tourism industry, and continued success is promising as we begin a new year,” he said in a statement.

The authority’s report is based on preliminary statistics that could be revised but aren’t expected to change much.

Last month, 748,303 visitors came to Hawaii, up 7.3 percent from 697,109 last year. The increase was from all general origins — the mainland, Japan, Canada and the rest of the world by air. Cruise lines brought slightly fewer passengers.

On average, each visitor spent 8.6 days here during November, which was down 0.8 percent from 8.67 days in the same month last year. The average visitor spent $200 per day, down 1.8 percent from $204 in the same period.