Surveys of over 8,000 visitors to Kaua’i in 2002, or around 0.8 percent of all visitors, revealed that they spent on average $143 per person per day, about a third of that on lodging.
Visitors from the Mainland east of the Rocky Mountains spent the most per day, $160 per person, with Europeans spending $147 per person per day (pppd), Canadians $138, and Mainland visitors from west of the Rocky Mountains $134 pppd.
Nearly half of all out-of-state visitors stayed in hotels last year, according to information released yesterday by representatives of the state Department of Business, Economic Development & Tourism.
Food-and-beverage purchases made up the second-highest spending category, at $31.75 pppd, behind lodging.
Hawai’i residents visiting Kaua’i spent considerably less, $76 pppd, even though 43 percent of the 747 Hawai’i residents surveyed said they stayed in hotels.
The survey was given only to those visitors staying overnight or longer on the Neighbor Islands only.
The data prove, “Yes, you can come here and stay cheaply,” said Jerry Gibson, general manager of the Hyatt Regency Kaua’i Resort & Spa and president of the board of directors of the Po’ipu Beach Resort Association.
With so many things to do on Kaua’i that don’t cost much money, including going to the beach, hiking, biking, surfing and other activities, it’s possible to spend only around $143 pppd including lodging and meals, he said.
But, Gibson thinks that the $51 pppd expenditure on lodging might not include calculations of what timeshare visitors spend for lodging, as they pay for a week’s lodging for life in advance of their arrival in Hawai’i, so may not be able to accurately calculate the cost of their lodging.
Out-of-state visitors spent on average $161 pppd on Maui, and $141 on the Big Island.
Staff Writer Paul C. Curtis can be reached at mailto:pcurtis@pulitzer.net or 245-3681 (ext. 224).
