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Hawaii visitor statistics for November 2009

MEDIA RELEASE

Total visitor arrivals in November 2009 declined 1.4 percent from the  same month last year to 490,514 visitors, according to preliminary statistics released  by the Hawaii Tourism Authority.

Arrivals by air decreased 1.4 percent while arrivals by cruise ships were 1.7 percent lower compared to last November.

Overall there was a 2 percent drop in total visitor days from November 2008. The average length of stay by all visitors was 9.22 days, slightly lower than the 9.27 days in November 2008.

Decreased arrivals led to a 2.2 percent decline (-$17.7 million) in total expenditure by air visitors to $771 million for November 2009.  The average daily spending by these visitors was $174 per person, down slightly from $175 per person in November 2008.

Among the top four visitor markets, arrivals by air from U.S. West fell 3.7 percent from November 2008, after six consecutive months of positive growth. Arrivals from U.S.East (-7.8%) and Canada (-7.4%) were also lower compared to last November. Arrivals from Japan rose for the third consecutive month, up 7.9 percent from November 2008.

Total Visitors

• For the first eleven months of 2009, total visitor days for air and cruise visitors declined 4.9 percent. Total arrivals by air and cruise visitors decreased 5.1 percent from the same period last year to 5,936,725 visitors.

• Total spending by air visitors for the first eleven months of 2009 decreased $1.3 billion or 12.9 percent from year-to-date 2008, to $8.9 billion.

• Average per person per day spending by air visitors dropped to $163 per person from $178 in the first eleven months of 2008.

• Total expenditures from U.S. West visitors decreased 4.5 percent to $270.9 million. Total spending from U.S. East (-9.3% to $176.4 million), Japanese (-3.3% to $146.3 million) and Canadian (-6.8% to $52.1 million) visitors were also lower compared to November 2008.

• Japanese (-10.6% to $282 per person), U.S. East (-4.6% to $177 per person) and U.S. West (-2.3% to $137 per person) visitors who came in November 2009 spent less on a daily basis but Canadian visitors (+1.6% to $141 per person) spent more compared to November 2008.

• A greater number of visitors came to honeymoon in November 2009 (+21.4%) compared to the same month last year with increases from Japan (+36.7%) and Canada (+11.3%).

• The total number of convention visitors also increased (+15.2%) in November 2009. U.S. East convention visitors were up 9.5 percent while Japanese convention visitors (+331.1%) quadrupled compared to November 2008. The Jehovah’s Witness 2009 International Convention took place Nov. 17-29, and was the source for a large share of these visitors.

• The total number of visitors who went on group tours rose 3 percent from last November, mainly due to increases from U.S. East (+17.7%) and Japanese (+3.4%) visitors.

• The total number of independent travelers dropped 2.1 percent compared to November 2008, mainly due to reduction from U.S. East (-9.0%), Canada (-8.3%) and U.S. West (-2.9%).  Many more Japanese visitors (+13.5%) traveled independently compared to last November.

Major Marketing Areas

• Arrivals from U.S. West declined 3.7 percent from last November to 205,423 visitors. Arrivals from the Pacific region, fell 2.8 percent, due to decreases in visitors from California (-4.5%) and Washington (-1.9%) that offset increases from Oregon (+6.1%) and Alaska (+1.3%).  Arrivals from the Mountain region were down 6.9 percent from November 2008.

• Air arrivals from U.S. East dropped 7.8 percent to 97,117 visitors.  Growth in arrivals from the West South Central (+3%) and Middle Atlantic (+0.6%) regions were offset by lower arrivals from the West North Central (-14.4%), East North Central (-13.7%), New England (-10.6%), South Atlantic (-9.7%) and East South Central (-8%) regions compared to November 2008.

• Japanese arrivals by air increased for the third straight month in 2009, up 7.9 percent to 91,720 visitors. However, year-to-date arrivals are still 5.4 percent below the same period last year.

• Year-over-year growth in Japanese timeshare visitors for November 2009 (+26.1%) continued a trend of double digit increases since September 2008.

• There were more Japanese first time visitors (50.8%) than repeat visitors (49.2%) in the month of November 2009. The last time this occurred was November 2007 (52.8% first time, 47.2% repeat visitors).

• A total of 29,120 Canadian visitors arrived by air in November 2009, down 7.4 percent from last November. Canadian visitors who arrived via international flights increased 4.7 percent while those who arrived on domestic flights declined 21.1 percent.

Island Highlights

• Total visitor expenditures on Oahu in November 2009 decreased 1 percent to $401.7 million. Total expenditures on Maui dropped 4.8 percent to $188.4 million. Total visitor spending on Hawaii Island were similar (+0.5%) to last November at $98.3 million. Total visitor spending on Kauai fell 3.6 percent to $76 million.

• Total visitor arrivals decreased on all neighbor islands while about the same number of total visitors went to Oahu (-0.4%) compared to November 2008.

• Fewer visitors from the major marketing areas went to multiple islands (-5.9%) in November 2009: U.S. East (-10.6%), Japan (-6.7%), Canada (-4.5%) and U.S. West  (-3.4%). The number of total visitors who stayed exclusively on Oahu (+1.4%) was higher compared to last November.

• U.S. West arrivals for the month of November 2009 increased on Maui (+2.5%) but declined on the other islands compared to a year ago. The decrease in arrivals from U.S. East were less on Oahu compared to the Neighbor Islands.

• Japanese arrivals to Oahu (+8.8%) increased but arrivals to Kauai (-41.4%), Hawaii Island (-7.6%) and Maui (-6.3%) dropped in November 2009.

• Arrivals from Canada increased on Oahu (+4.3%) but were lower on Maui (-13.9%), Kauai (-9%) and Hawaii Island (-8.4%) compared to November 2008.

Cruise Ship Visitors

• A total of 20,391 visitors came by cruise ships or arrived by air to board a Hawaii home-ported cruise ship in November 2009, 9.4 percent fewer visitors than the same month last year. Except for an increase in April (+3.5%), July (+17.7%) and September of 2009 (+4.4%), total cruise visitors have been declining 21 out of the last 24 months since December 2007.

• Six out-of-state cruise ships came to the islands in November 2009 with 11,810 visitors, compared to eight out-of-state ships which brought 12,015 visitors last November. This resulted in a 1.7 percent decline in arrivals by ship in November 2009.

• The number of cruise visitors who came by air to board cruise ships in the islands declined 18.2 percent from November 2008, mainly due to the Pride of America’s tour start dates (Saturdays). The ship had five tours in November 2008, versus four tours in November 2009.  However, the average passenger count per tour for November 2009 was 6.8 percent higher compared to last November.

• Year-to-date 2009, a total of 198,369 visitors came by cruise ship or by air to board cruise ships, 19.1 percent lower compared to the same period last year. Visitor days for all cruise visitors fell 20.4 percent.

• In the first eleven months of 2009, 86,270 visitors arrived on 48 out-of-state cruise ships. This was down 10.6 percent compared to 96,462 visitors aboard 62 cruise ships that came to the state in the first eleven months of 2008. Total visitor days for those who came by cruise ships decreased 13.2 percent compared to year-to-date 2008.

— Find out more:

http://www.hawaiitourismauthority.org/index.cfm?page=tourism_research&level1=tourism_research&pageid=1000

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