Hawaii Visitors Expenditures Increased 11.2 Percent in July

Total expenditures by visitors who came in July 2005 to Hawaii rose 11.2 percent to $1.2 billion, according to data released last week by the Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism (DBEDT).

Contributing to the higher spending was an 8.4 percent growth in total visitor days, thanks to continued increases in international visitors and record domestic arrivals which boosted total arrivals to a new July best of 736,820 visitors.

The average daily spending was also higher at $169 per person, compared to $164 per person in July 2004.

Of the total number of arrivals during the month, 22,725 visitors flew to the islands to board Hawaii home-ported cruise ships, up 57 percent from July 2004. There were no out-of-state cruise ships visiting the islands in July 2005. Cruise visitor days climbed 55.7 percent on a year-to-date basis.

On a year-to-date basis, total visitor expenditures surpassed the same period last year by 7.5 percent to $6.6 billion, while total visitor days were up 7.3 percent. Total arrivals increased 7.1 percent to reach 4,324,139 visitors, the best result on record for the first seven months of any year.