DBEDT NEWS RELEASE: TOURISM INDUSTRY AFFECTED BY MAUI WILDFIRES IN AUGUST 2023
DEPARTMENT OF BUSINESS, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND TOURISM
RESEARCH AND ECONOMIC ANALYSIS DIVISION
JOSH GREEN, M.D.
GOVERNOR
JAMES KUNANE TOKIOKA
DIRECTOR
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EUGENE TIAN
CHIEF STATE ECONOMIST
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 28, 2023
TOURISM INDUSTRY AFFECTED BY MAUI WILDFIRES IN AUGUST 2023
HONOLULU, HI – According to preliminary statistics from the Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism (DBEDT), a total of 769,163 visitors came to the Hawaiian Islands in August 2023, down 7.3 percent from August 2022. When compared to pre-pandemic 2019, the benchmark year prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, this represents an 83.0 percent recovery in total visitor arrivals from August 2019. As measured in nominal dollars, total visitor spending was $1.58 billion in August 2023, a decrease from August 2022 ($1.74 billion, -9.2%), but higher than August 2019 ($1.50 billion, +5.4%).
In August 2023, 766,023 visitors arrived by air service, mainly from the U.S. West and U.S. East. Additionally, 3,140 visitors came via a single cruise ship. August is typically a slow month for out-of-state cruise ships to the islands and there were no visitor arrivals by cruise ships in 2022 or in 2019. There were 829,772 visitors who arrived by air (-7.7%) in August 2022 and 926,417 visitors who arrived by air (-17.3%) in August 2019. The average length of stay by all visitors in August 2023 was 8.67 days, compared to 9.04 days (-4.1%) in August 2022 and 8.46 days (+2.4%) in August 2019. The statewide average daily census1 was 215,020 visitors in August 2023, compared to 241,908 visitors (-11.1%) in August 2022 and 252,916 visitors
(-15.0%) in August 2019.
Days after the devasting Lāhainā wildfires on August 8, 2023, government officials strongly discouraged non-essential travel to West Maui. This messaging may have impacted travel to other islands. In August 2023, visitor arrivals to O‘ahu (507,702 visitors, +11.0%), Hawai‘i Island (152,951, +4.1%) and Kaua‘i (131,628 visitors, +9.0%) increased while visitor arrivals to Maui (112,259 visitors, -57.8%) dropped significantly compared to August 2022.
In August 2023, 392,427 visitors arrived from the U.S. West, which was a decrease from August 2022 (467,082 visitors, -16.0%) and August 2019 (420,750 visitors, -6.7%). U.S. West visitor spending of $703.0 million declined from August 2022 ($860.9 million, -18.3%) but was higher than August 2019 ($579.3 million, +21.3%). Daily spending by U.S. West visitors in August 2023 ($219 per person) was less than August 2022 ($223 per person, -1.9%) but considerably more than August 2019 ($167 per person, +30.7%).
In August 2023, arrivals from the U.S. East of 183,175 visitors were down compared to August 2022 (217,258 visitors, -15.7%) and August 2019 (199,659 visitors, -8.3%). U.S. East visitor spending of $443.6 million declined from August 2022 ($528.8 million, -16.1%) but increased compared to August 2019 ($379.1 million, +17.0%). Daily spending by U.S. East visitors in August 2023 ($254 per person) was comparable to August 2022 ($253 per person, +0.4%) and was much higher than August 2019 ($206 per person, +23.6%).
There were 64,155 visitors from Japan in August 2023, which was an increase compared to August 2022 (31,151 visitors, +105.9%) but significantly lower than August 2019 (160,728 visitors, -60.1%). Visitors from Japan spent $101.4 million in August 2023, compared to $61.5 million (+64.8%) in August 2022 and $236.9 million (-57.2%) in August 2019. Daily spending by Japanese visitors in August 2023 ($231 per person) decreased compared to August 2022 ($240 per person, -4.1%) but was slightly more than August 2019 ($228 per person, +0.9%).
There were 22,675 visitors from Canada in August 2023, which was a decrease compared to August 2022 (28,667 visitors, -20.9%) and August 2019 (28,672 visitors, -20.9%). Visitors from Canada spent $56.3 million in August 2023, compared to $63.9 million (-11.8%) in August 2022 and $57.2 million (-1.5%) in August 2019. Daily spending by Canadian visitors in August 2023 ($226 per person) increased compared to August 2022 ($193 per person, +16.7%) and August 2019 ($178 per person, +26.7%).
There were 103,589 visitors from all other international markets in August 2023, which included visitors from Oceania, Other Asia, Europe, Latin America, Guam, the Philippines, and the Pacific Islands. In comparison, there were 85,614 visitors (+21.0%) from all other international markets in August 2022 and 116,608 visitors (-11.2%) in August 2019.
In August 2023, a total of 5,194 transpacific flights with 1,138,175 seats serviced the Hawaiian Islands, compared to 5,350 flights (-2.9%) with 1,142,106 seats (-0.3%) in August 2022 and 5,469 flights (-5.0%) with 1,212,926 seats (-6.2%) in August 2019.
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Statement by DBEDT Director James Kunane Tokioka:
A total of 112,259 visitors arrived on Maui in August 2023, the lowest count since February 2021 (92,611 visitors). Visitor spending of $246.7 million on Maui was the lowest since March 2021 ($262.3 million).
Earlier this month, Governor Green announced that travel restrictions will end and West Maui will reopen starting October 8. The impact zone in Lāhainā will not be open to visitors.
As we welcome the return of visitors to West Maui (including Nāpili, Kāʻanapali, Honokōwai and Kapalua), we will be supporting Maui’s economy and keeping our people employed so they can continue to live on Maui and recover. We encourage respectful travel, supporting local businesses, and participation in volunteer opportunities that mālama (give back to) Hawai‘i. For more information, please visit gohawaii.com/malama.
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Media Contacts:
Laci Goshi
Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism
(808) 518-5480
Jennifer Chun
Director of Tourism Research
Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism
(808) 973-9446
