Visitors to the Big Island exceeded prepandemic rates last month even as international travel lags far behind.
According to data released Wednesday by the Hawaii Tourism Authority, statewide visitor arrivals in October nearly matched those from prepandemic October 2019, with a recovery rate of 97.3%. HTA reported that this is the highest recovery rate since April 2023.
The state had 774,617 visitors last month, 132,392 of whom visited the Big Island. While this number of Hawaii Island visitors exceeded October 2019’s number by 1.6%, it actually was lower than the island’s total visitors in October 2023, again by about 1.6%.
Meanwhile, those visitors spent $263 million on the island last month, a 6% increase from October 2023 and a whopping 48% increase from 2019. The average visitor spent nearly $2,000 per trip, compared to the roughly $1,300 per trip in 2019 and about $1,800 in 2023.
The average length of stay on the Big Island has remained about 7 days since before the pandemic.
HTA reported that the overall strong visitor rate statewide was bolstered significantly by cruise ship traffic. In October, 35,627 visitors arrived via out-of-state cruise ships, the highest monthly number since the state began recording cruise visitor counts in January 1999.
Indeed, cruise traffic was 73% higher last month than it was in October 2019.
Despite the strong showing overall, international travel remained anemic last month. Japanese visitors statewide neared 67,000, an increase by about 14% from October 2023, but a far cry from the 134,000 Japanese visitors in October 2019.
Other international markets also remain slack, with statewide Canadian visitor rates not meaningfully different from October 2023, but 18% lower than October 2019.
A statement by DBEDT Director James Kunane Tokioka predicted international travel will continue to be weak over the next few months, but U.S. markets will continue to be strong, and domestic air travel seats are expected to be greater this holiday season than the previous one.
Gov. Josh Green on Wednesday touted the expansion of a federal program that may bring Japanese travelers back to the state. The Global Entry Program, a trusted traveler program that allows for reduced screenings and expedited processing at major U.S. airports for citizens of the U.S. and other participating countries, has been expanded for Japanese citizens.
Previously, Japanese citizens could apply for Global Entry through a pilot program, but the number of applicants was capped.
With those limits removed, Green predicted that smoother visits to Hawaii will encourage travel here and promote business between Japan and the U.S.
“This is a revolutionary step for Hawaii and our local travel industry,” Green said in a statement. “The state of Hawaii has worked for over a year to advocate for this expansion with both Japan and our federal government, and this is a change that will make traveling to and from Japan easier and safer for visitors, business travelers and residents alike.
“I encourage all our frequent Japanese visitors to apply for Global Entry status before their next trip to Hawaii.”
Email Michael Brestovansky at mbrestovansky@hawaiitribune-herald.com.