Results from the state Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism’s (DBEDT) 2002 Visitor Satisfaction and Activity Report show that 96 percent of U.S., Japanese, Canadian and European visitors rated their vacation in Hawai‘i as “excellent” or “above average.” U.S.
Results from the state Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism’s (DBEDT) 2002 Visitor Satisfaction and Activity Report show that 96 percent of U.S., Japanese, Canadian and European visitors rated their vacation in Hawai‘i as “excellent” or “above average.”
U.S. respondents were especially satisfied with their vacation experience in Hawai‘i, with 98.1 percent giving an “excellent or above average” overall rating. This new information was available in the recent Hawaii Visitors and Convention Bureau (HVCB) report.
Nearly 90 percent of U.S. travelers said that they are “very likely” to recommend Hawai‘i as a vacation destination to friends and relatives, while over 69 percent stated they were “very likely” to revisit the Islands within the next five years.
Meanwhile, 96.3 percent of Japanese travelers to Hawaii rated their most recent vacation to Hawai‘i “excellent” or “above average,” and nearly 70 percent said they were “very likely” to recommend the Islands as a vacation destination to their friends and relatives.
An additional 52.3 percent stated that they were “very likely” to return to Hawai‘i within the next five years.
Nearly 98 percent of Canadian travelers to Hawai‘i said they were satisfied with their vacation experience in Hawai‘i.
Eighty-three percent were “very likely” to recommend a Hawai‘ian vacation to their friends or relatives, and more than half (53.1 percent) said they were “very likely” to return for vacation in the next five years.
Europeans also gave their Hawai‘ian vacation high marks, 97.5 percent rated Hawai‘i “excellent” or “above average.”
An additional 78.1 percent said they were “very likely” to recommend Hawai‘i as a vacation place, and 44.3 percent said they were “very likely” to return to Hawai‘i for vacation in the next five years.
Hawai‘i
CONSUMER TRAVEL BEHAVIORS
Domestic passenger volume to Hawai‘i nine percent above 2003 levels
For the seven-day period ending December 29, domestic passenger volume was up nine percent over the same period in 2002, according to the state DBEDT.
Total domestic and international (excluding Canada) passenger volume rose five percent above 2002 levels for the seven-day period, while nonstop passengers from Japan arriving in Hawai‘i declined to 88 percent of 2002 figures.
Domestic visitor days reach November record
Domestic visitor days in Hawai‘i reached a record 3,530,273 days in November 2003, making it the best November in the state’s history, according to DBEDT.
The 1.7 percent increase in domestic visitor days compared to November 2002 can be largely attributed to the 5.6 percent increase in U.S. West visitors, the state’s largest market.
Meanwhile, arrivals from Japan continued to recover (after bottoming out in May) with a year-over-year increase of 1.9 percent in November.
Hawai‘i ranks fourth in nation for International Traveler spending
According to the Travel Industry Association’s Tourism Works for America 2003 Report, Hawai‘i ranks fourth in the nation for international traveler spending.
With $5.88 billion in international spending, Hawai‘i ranks behind only Florida ($15.64 billion), California ($11.96 billion) and New York ($8.38 billion).
These figures are based on 2001 data, the most current year that has comparable information for all 50 states.
JATA Diffusion Index: Short-Term Japanese outbound travel to Hawai‘i set to improve
In the Japan Association of Travel Agents’ (JATA) latest short-term “diffusion index” study conducted in November, Japanese travel retail outlets are projecting an improvement in outbound travel to Hawaii in the first quarter of 2004, according to Travel Journal International.
On a scale of +100 (very good) to -100 (poor), Japanese propensity to travel to Hawai‘i stands at -22, second only to Europe (-16). This is compared to readings of -28 (4th Quarter 2003); -63 (3rd Quarter 2003); -90 (2nd Quarter 2003); and -57 (1st Quarter 2003).
Japanese rank Hawaiian chocolates as Top Travel Souvenir in 2003
JTB Traveland, which reports the popularity of products offered through its souvenir delivery program (Omiyage Omakase), ranks Hawai‘ian Host’s chocolate-covered macadamia nuts as the top-selling “omiyage” (souvenir) of 2003 according to Travel Journal International.
The chocolates, which also claimed the top spot in 2002, outpaced the sales of Baci chocolates (Italy), Tengu beef jerky (U.S.), and Koala chocolates (Australia).
The Omiyage Omakase program allows travelers to order their souvenirs and have them delivered home without having to carry them through customs back to Japan.
Sales figures were collected during the travel period between April and September 2003.
