Continuing Recoveries In The Hawaii Tourism Industry

The tourist industry in Hawaii is continuing to revive. According to preliminary tourist data provided by the state’s Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism (DBEDT), overall expenditure by visitors who visited the islands in March 2022 was $1.53 billion, an increase of 2.5 percent over the $1.49 billion (an increase of 2.5 percent) reported for March 2019.

Despite record-breaking tourist spending and arrivals in Hawaii from January 2019 to February 2020, the epidemic put a halt to the industry.

There were 788,931 tourists visiting the Hawaiian Islands in March of this year, which is a record high. More over 785,000 tourists arrived via air transportation, the majority of them came from the United States’ western and eastern regions. Comparing the same period last year, when more than 900,000 passengers arrived by cruise and air, the number of passengers arriving by cruise and air is down 15 percent.

The number of visitors from the Western United States has increased for the year 2022. In March of 2019, 399,049 tourists entered the state, while in March of this year, 452,752 people did the same.

Arrivals from the Eastern United States were also on the rise. In March 2022, there were 233,286 visitors from the United States East, compared to 225,648 visits (an increase of 3.4 percent) in March 2019.

The reason for the lag in visitor numbers is due to overseas visitors. In March 2022, there were 4,038 visitors from Japan, compared to 133,858 visits (a decrease of 97 percent) in March 2019, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

A decrease in Canadian arrivals has also been seen. In March 2022, 54,475 visitors from Canada visited, compared to 76,913 visitors (a decrease of 29.2 percent) in March 2019 (76,913 visitors).

Other overseas arrivals were also experiencing difficulties. In March of 2022, there were 41,164 visits from all other overseas markets combined. Their destinations included Europe, Australia, various countries in Asia and Latin America as well as the Pacific Islands (Guam), the Philippines and other countries in Asia and the Pacific Islands.

In March 2019, there were 81,558 visits from all other overseas markets, representing a 49.5 percent decrease from the previous month.

The amount of money that visitors spend in Hawaii is likewise declining. The overall amount spent by visitors during the first quarter of 2022 was $4.23 billion, representing a 5.8 percent decline from the $4.49 billion spent in the first quarter of 2019.

DBEDT Director Mike McCartney stated in a statement that “the demand for excellent housing, food and beverage, activities, retail, and services will create the momentum required for the state’s economic recovery to occur sooner than projected.” We must continue to adopt safe health practices while also being aware of how rapidly the virus may spread in our communities and throughout the world, since COVID-19 is still present in our neighborhoods and around our world.