According to the Hawaii Tourism Authority (HTA), during the first seven months of 2015, arrivals rose 4.2% and visitor spending increased to $9bn (+3.6%). Growth in arrivals from US West (+8.4%) and US East (+2.3%), balanced fewer visitors from Japan (-1.4%).

 

Expenditures by US West (+7.9% to $3.2bn) and Canadian (+3.6% to $717.2m) visitors increased, but US East (-1.2% to $2.3bn) and Japanese (-10.1% to $1.2bn) visitor expenditures declined compared to the first seven months of 2014.

 

Leading Asia Pacific travel retailer, DFS Group, has a very strong presence in Hawaii where the business first set up its operations more than 50 years ago at Honolulu Airport (on the south shore of the island of Oahu). It also operates an airport store at Kahului Airport in Maui.

 

In 2013 the group actually unveiled its new retail brand, T Galleria, in Waikiki, redeveloping the store it has operated in the same location since 1973.

 

HTA says Maui (+6%), Hawaii Island (+5.3%), Kauai (+4.9%) and Oahu (+2.7%) saw growth in arrivals compared to year-to-date 2014. Higher daily spending contributed to increased visitor expenditures on Maui (+7.2% to $2.6bn) and Kauai (+16.3% to $981m). Visitor expenditures on Oahu ($4.2bn) and Hawaii Island ($1.1bn) were comparable to a year ago.

 

In July visitor spending in Hawaii topped $1.42bn (+4.0%) and visitor arrivals to the Hawaiian Islands gained another 5.6%, making the month the busiest on record with 816,345 visitors who arrived by air or by cruise ship.

According to the Hawaii Tourism Authority (HTA), most regions experienced increased arrivals, led by a 7.2% jump in visitors from US West (23,681 more visitors than last year) and US East (+4.9%, 8,653 more visitors). The volume of visitors from Canada and Japan grew 9.5% and 2.6%, respectively.

 Click to enlarge table.

 

Despite the gain in visitor arrivals, only US West saw higher personal daily spending (+4.3% to $162 per person per day) in July 2015. Furthermore, total expenditures by the US West (+10.8% to $539.1m) and Canadian (+3.6% to $47.3m) visitors increased, while Japanese visitor expenditures declined 5.4% to $194.6m. US East visitor expenditures of $382.4m (-0.4%) was similar to 2014.

 

All four larger Hawaiian Islands saw growth in arrivals: Maui (+7.6%), Hawaii Island (+5.6%), Oahu (+3.1%) and Kauai (+2.7%), which contributed to visitor days and visitor expenditure growth on all four islands.

 

However, Lānai witnessed a drastic drop in visitors (-24.5%) and total visitor spending (-81.4%) with only 11 hotels rooms on the entire island currently in operation.