The state Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism last week reported soft visitor numbers, with Hawaii’s February tourist count falling 3.2% year-over-year and 4.4% from 2019. Daily spending was also down 2.4% from the same time in 2023. But compared to pre-COVID 2019, visitors spent an average of 15.2% more per day across the islands in February.

Fewer tourists spending more money, on average, is a promising sign for the industry — and Hawaii — no matter how the statistics compare.