The Japan Association of Travel Agents (JATA) quarterly survey of the five-largest Japan travel agencies shows that travel bookings to Hawai‘i in the fourth quarter are outperforming all other overseas regions, according to a report in Travel Journal International. In
The Japan Association of Travel Agents (JATA) quarterly survey of the five-largest Japan travel agencies shows that travel bookings to Hawai‘i in the fourth quarter are outperforming all other overseas regions, according to a report in Travel Journal International.
In addition, visitor characteristics provided by the state Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism (DBEDT) show a 4.3 percent increase in Japanese tourists to Kaua‘i for the first half of 2003 compared to the same time in 2002.
The average length of stay on Kaua‘i dropped from 3.49 days to 2.66 days (a 23.8-percent decrease) for Japanese visitors the first half of 2002 compared to the same period this year, respectively.
Although Hawai‘i is expected to see booking levels for Japanese visitors below 2002 this month and next, (off 1.1 percent and 3.3 percent, respectively), the travel agencies surveyed expect Hawai‘i to show a faster rebound than any other overseas destination.
Regarding overall visitors to Hawai‘i, the DBEDT statistics show September saw a 4.3 percent decrease in total arrivals (73,149) on Kaua‘i compared to the same month last year.
Year-to-date statistics illustrate that domestic arrivals to the island increased 2.1 percent (661,435) for the first nine months, compared to the same period last year, while total arrivals (745,392) declined 1.7 percent over the same time frames.
Major-market area (MMA) statistics provided by DBEDT for September show an 11 percent decrease in total U.S. West visitor days on Kaua‘i compared to the same month last year, but an increase of 2.8 percent in total arrivals.
U.S. East (down 18.2 percent), Japan (off 1.8 percent) and Canada (down 34.9 percent) MMAs showed decreases in arrival figures in September.
The average length of stay on Kaua‘i for all visitors was 6.88 days for the first half of this year, up slightly from 6.75 days in the first half of 2002.
The largest group of respondents to the Kaua‘i survey were visitors from the U.S. West (46.5 percent), followed by those from the U.S. East (39.1 percent), Japan (4.7 percent), Canada (3 percent) and Europe (1.9 percent).
Nearly 53 percent of those surveyed stayed exclusively on Kaua‘i, compared to 38.8 percent a year ago. Close to 51 percent were first-time visitors to the island (56.3 percent in the first half of 2002).
The majority (80.4 percent) vacationed on Kaua‘i, 9.5 percent came to get married or honeymoon, 4.2 percent came to visit friends or relatives, and 3.7 percent attended conventions or conferences.
About 49 percent of the out-of-state visitors to Kaua‘i stayed in hotels, 26.6 percent stayed in condominium properties, 16.8 percent stayed in timeshare properties, and 6.8 percent stayed in apartments or rental homes.
Out-of-state visitors to Kaua‘i during the first half of 2003 spent a daily average of $56 per person on lodging, $30 per person on food and beverage, $17 per person on shopping, $15 on entertainment and $15 per person on transportation.
Business Editor Barry Graham may be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 251) or mailto:bgraham@pulitzer.net.
