Associated Press– Tue May 31, 8:57 pm ET
HONOLULU – Visitor spending in Hawaii increased 17.8 percent to $4.1 billion in the first four months of the year compared with the same time last year, according to Hawaii Tourism Authority statistics released Tuesday.
Total visitor spending rose 20.2 percent to $920.7 million in April, representing the 12th consecutive month of double-digit increases, the authority said. Total arrivals grew 5.3 percent to 581,324 visitors. Average daily spending last month was $176 per person, up from $159 in April 2010.
April arrivals from Canada climbed 33.7 percent. Arrivals from the U.S. West Coast rose 10 percent while the East Coast remained stable, according to the data.
The strong month is attributed to increases from other markets that offset decreased numbers from Japan, tourism authority president and CEO Mike McCartney said in a statement. The American Academy of Neurology meeting also provided a boost.
"More importantly, this sustained momentum is being experienced on all islands, with arrivals and expenditures currently on pace with our peak years of 2006 and 2007," he said.
The authority expects May to be another strong month with charter flights for the string of national holidays in Japan known as "Golden Week," summer travel and the American Psychiatric Association meeting, McCartney said.
"While Hawaii's tourism economy is continuing its recovery, we must all be mindful of the effects of fluctuating oil prices, fuel surcharges, natural disasters and the many other impacts that can and will affect discretionary spending, including both leisure and business travel," he said.
HONOLULU – Visitor spending in Hawaii increased 17.8 percent to $4.1 billion in the first four months of the year compared with the same time last year, according to Hawaii Tourism Authority statistics released Tuesday.
Total visitor spending rose 20.2 percent to $920.7 million in April, representing the 12th consecutive month of double-digit increases, the authority said. Total arrivals grew 5.3 percent to 581,324 visitors. Average daily spending last month was $176 per person, up from $159 in April 2010.
April arrivals from Canada climbed 33.7 percent. Arrivals from the U.S. West Coast rose 10 percent while the East Coast remained stable, according to the data.
The strong month is attributed to increases from other markets that offset decreased numbers from Japan, tourism authority president and CEO Mike McCartney said in a statement. The American Academy of Neurology meeting also provided a boost.
"More importantly, this sustained momentum is being experienced on all islands, with arrivals and expenditures currently on pace with our peak years of 2006 and 2007," he said.
The authority expects May to be another strong month with charter flights for the string of national holidays in Japan known as "Golden Week," summer travel and the American Psychiatric Association meeting, McCartney said.
"While Hawaii's tourism economy is continuing its recovery, we must all be mindful of the effects of fluctuating oil prices, fuel surcharges, natural disasters and the many other impacts that can and will affect discretionary spending, including both leisure and business travel," he said.
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