LIHU‘E — A slight drop in the number of visitors to the island of Kaua‘i in mid-spring was countered by a hefty increase in spending, as tourists continued to pump huge sums of money into the local economy while on holiday.
Total visitor spending surged to $262.1 million in May from $207.1 in May 2023 and $149.9 million in pre-pandemic May 2019. The most recent total was the highest for any month this year on the island of Kaua‘i.
The totals marked increases of 26.6 percent and 74.9 percent, respectively, according to a monthly report from the state of Hawai‘i Department of Business, Economic Development &Tourism (DBEDT).
The spending gains came amid a mixed visitor numbers, which dipped to 115,135 in May from 115,466 in May 2023, but up from 112,106 in May 2019. That resulted in a decrease of 0.3 percent and an increase of 2.7 percent, respectively.
Across the Hawaiian Island chain, visitor spending was up on O‘ahu and Hawai‘i Island. But it was down on Maui, whose economy continues to recover from the deadly Lahaina Fire on Aug. 8, 2023.
Total visitor spending on O‘ahu was $725.4 million in May, compared with $724.2 million in May 2023 and $691.1 million in May 2019. That marked increases of 0.2 percent and 5.0 percent, respectively.
There were 473,837 visitors to O‘ahu in May, up from 451,991 in May 2023, but down from 508,088 in May 2019 for a gain of 4.8 percent and a loss of 6.7 percent.
Total visitor spending on Maui was $382.0 million in May, compared with $523.9 million in May 2023 and $400.4 million in May 2019. That marked decreases of 27.1 percent and 4.6 percent, respectively.
There were 179,233 visitors to Maui in May, compared with 240,407 in May 2023 and 251,665 in May 2019. That marked decreases of 25.4 and 28.8 percent, respectively.
Total visitor spending on Hawai‘i Island was $239.7 million in May, compared with $212.7 million in May 2023 and $154.2 million in May 2019. That marked increases of 12.7 percent and 55.5 percent.
There were 133,352 visitors in May, compared with 136,306 in May 2023 and 139,696 in May 2019. That marked decreases of 2.2 percent and 4.5 percent.
All told, visitor spending in Hawai‘i was down 4.0 percent in May when compared with May 2023, while total visitors were off 4.8 percent in the same period.
The decreases in spending and visitors were responsible, in part, for lower tax revenue generation in the period.
“The visitor industry impacts our economy in many ways,” said DBEDT Director James Kunane Tokioka in a statement that accompanied the monthly report.
“We saw state general excise tax revenue decrease 1.1 percent and transient accommodation tax revenue decrease 12.9 percent in May 2024 as compared with the same month a year ago.”
