Tourism recovery may take until 2003

Advertiser Staff

As Hawai'i's economy continues to struggle to right itself in the wake of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, state officials now predict it will take more than a year for the state's No. 1 industry — tourism — to fully recover.

Last week, the state Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism issued a forecast that said Hawai'i's $10 billion tourism industry won't match pre-Sept. 11 visitor numbers until sometime in 2003.

Monthly visitor counts fell following the attacks, and 2001 is expected to see about 9 percent fewer tourists than 2000. Tourism next year should be about 3 percent higher, the department said. But even that is not expected to bring the visitor count up to pre-Sept. 11 levels.

The state's report can be found online at www.hawaii.gov/dbedt/special/index.html.