LIHU‘E — The willingness of people to dig deep into their pockets, while spending time on the island of Kaua‘i, produced a record-setting year for visitor spending.
Total visitor spending measured a stout $2.76 billion in the 12-month period ended Dec. 31, 2023, compared with $2.23 billion in the 12-month period ended Dec. 31, 2022, and $1.91 billion in the pre-pandemic 12-month period ended Dec. 31, 2019.
That represented increases of 24.1 percent and 44.6 percent, respectively, according to a monthly report from the state of Hawai‘i Department of Business, Economic Development &Tourism (DBEDT).
The increase in spending came amid an uptick in the visitor count to 1,416,856 in 2023, compared with 1,345,564 in 2022 and 1,370,029 in 2019. That marked increases of 5.3 percent and 3.4 percent, respectively.
Visitor spending was also up on two of the three other major islands in the Hawaiian chain last year.
O‘ahu crossed the $9 billion total for the first time in an annual period, as visitor spending climbed to $9.01 billion in 2023 from $8.69 billion in 2022 and $8.14 billion in 2019. That marked gains of 3.7 percent and 10.7 percent, respectively.
Visitors to O‘ahu measured 5,614,956 in 2023, compared with 4,858,170 in 2022 and 6,154,248 in 2019. That marked an increase of 15.6 percent and a decrease of 8.8 percent, respectively.
Total visitor spending topped $3 billion for the first time in an annual period on Hawai‘i Island, as tourists ponied up $3.02 billion in 2023, compared with $2.72 billion in 2022 and $2.32 billion in 2019. That marked increases of 10.8 percent and 30.2 percent.
Visitors to Hawai‘i Island weighed in at 1,766,697 in 2023, compared with 1,667,633 in 2022 and 1,763,904 in 2019. That marked gains of 5.9 percent and 0.2 percent, respectively.
Maui was the lone island to record a drop in visitor spending last year, albeit slight. Total visitor spending measured $5.71 billion in 2023, compared with $5.82 billion in 2022 and $5.13 billion in 2019. That marked a decrease of 1.9 percent and an increase of 11.4 percent, respectively.
Visitors to Maui totaled 2,476,751 in 2023, compared with 2,921,159 in 2022 and 3,059,905 in 2019. That marked declines of 15.2 percent and 19.1 percent, respectively.
But the Maui spending numbers also showed that in the aftermath of the deadly Lahaina Fire on Aug. 8, 2023, the local economy had fought back amid the devastation. The Lahaina Fire claimed the lives of at least 101 people and destroyed more than 2,000 structures, with most being apartments and houses.
Statewide, total visitor spending rose to $20.78 billion in the 12-month period ended Dec. 31, 2023, from $19.70 billion in the 12-month period ended Dec. 31, 2022, and from $17.72 billion in the 12-month period ended Dec. 31, 2019. That marked gains of 5.5 percent and 17.3 percent, respectively.
“The data shows reason for optimism that travel to Hawai“i is continuing to recover since the pandemic and since the Maui wildfires,” said Gov. Josh Green in a statement. “While the decision to reopen West Maui to visitors was difficult, the numbers show that visitor industry revenue is helping the people of Maui.”
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Wyatt Haupt Jr., editor, can be reached at 808-245-0457 or whaupt@thegardenisland.com.
