| Fewer tourists are traveling to Hawaii and | | | | home-ported cruise ships and increased |
| their combined spending decreased last month | | | | airfares," said state tourism liaison Marsha |
| as steeper airfares discouraged people from | | | | Wienert. "Increased marketing efforts in our |
| visiting the islands, according to state | | | | base market, U.S. West, will help stimulate |
| statistics released Thursday. | | | | demand for summer travel." |
| | | | |
| The number of Hawaii cruise visitors plunged | | | | Over the first five months of this year, |
| due to the departure of the Pride of Hawaii, | | | | total expenditures by visitors who arrived by |
| and because the Pride of Aloha made just one | | | | air increased 3.2% to $4.94 billion even as |
| voyage in May, her last in the islands. | | | | total arrivals by air decreased 1.1% to |
| | | | 2,918,580. |
| Visitor expenditures dropped 2.9%, or $26.7 | | | | |
| million, in May compared to the same month | | | | Tourism from Japan was down 6.2% in May, |
| last year because fewer passengers flew to | | | | while 13.7% more people are arriving from |
| the islands, according to the Department of | | | | Canada. |
| Business, Economic Development and Tourism. | | | | |
| Arrivals dipped 6.4%, or 549,017 people, last | | | | "We continue to be pleased with the |
| month. | | | | performance of the Canada and other Asia |
| | | | markets and anticipate further growth |
| Daily spending increased to $185 per person | | | | especially in the China market be cause |
| compared to $179 per person in May 2007. | | | | Chinese are now able to visit the U.S. as |
| | | | leisure group travelers," Wienert said. |
| There were 56.9% fewer tourists arriving in | | | | |
| Hawaii by cruise ship - only 5,382 visitors | | | | The first group of Chinese leisure travelers |
| for the month. Only three out-of-state cruise | | | | visited Hawaii this week under a new |
| ships visited the islands in May compared to | | | | agreement between the U.S. and China. |
| seven in the same | | | | |
| | | | Trips from the U.S. West and East also fell, |
| "May statistics are better than anticipated, | | | | with the steepest decline coming from 19.3% |
| especially since it is the first month to | | | | fewer visitors from California. |
| report the effects of the loss of two | | | | |