Almost as many foreign visitors arrived in Hawaii last month as in March 2019.
According to data from the Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism, 788,931 visitors visited the state in March, compared to 928,849 in March 2019. On the Big Island, 141,854 people visited the island, or a drop of 11% from 2019, when 161,087 visited.
“March was a very strong month for us and for everyone in the state, really,” said Hawaii Island Visitors Bureau Executive Director Ross Birch. “We have fewer visitors, but they stay longer and spend more.”
DBEDT reported that visitors from almost every industry spent significantly more this year in the state than in 2019. Visitors from the western United States spent an average of $221 per person per day during the first quarter of the year, up from average daily spending. $180 in 2019. Visitors from the eastern United States spent $238 per day, compared to $209 per day in 2019.
In total, visitors spent $217 million on the Big Island last month, up from $200 million in March 2019.
Birch said the high volume of travelers in March was not the result of the state abandoning COVID-19 restrictions such as Safe Travels Hawaii — that program ended March 25, too late in the day. months to materially affect the data.
Most trips to the state in the first quarter were booked months in advance — and the pace of bookings throughout the summer appears to be on pace, he said.
In fact, there were more domestic visitors to Hawaii last month than there were in March 2019. The lack of visits continues to be a lack of international travelers.
DBEDT reports that Canadian visitors fell 29% in March compared to 2019, even though the average Canadian visitor spent more daily this year than in 2019. And Japanese travelers are still a trickle, with rates visits in March down 97%.
Birch said there may be a slight increase in Japanese arrivals corresponding to Japan’s Golden Week, which begins today.
“But that’s a 100% increase in a 10% market,” Birch added.
Japan lifted some quarantine restrictions for returning residents in March and increased its maximum allowable number of inbound flights. Birch said he expects the country to continue to drop restrictions through the summer, with visitation rates to Japan rising accordingly.
Meanwhile, the number of cruise ship passengers arriving in the state is still low. DBEDT reports that 3,216 passengers on out-of-state cruise ships arrived in the islands in March, up from 11,824 in March 2019. Birch said cruise lines are still increasing their schedules after years of suspension due of the pandemic, with ships operating at half capacity.
Email Michael Brestovansky at mbrestovansky@hawaiitribune-herald.com.
