The visitor arrivals reflect 5.1 percent growth over October last year and helped boost total visitor expenditures last month by 6.8 percent to $940.6 million.

But while the number of Mainland tourists grew 7 percent, Japanese visitor arrivals last month fell 4.9 percent. That can be in part because Japan Airlines suspended two of its eight daily flights from Japan to Hawai'i last month. Some in the tourism industry have also blamed a weaker yen.

Growth in spending per person daily was relatively flat at 0.5 percent over October last year, and spending per trip was up 1.6 percent.

Visitors' average length of stay rose 1.1 percent, but the increase in the number of tourists lifted visitor days by 6.2 percent.

"As 2005 becomes the new benchmark year for the visitor industry, our focus must be on maintaining the strength and vitality of Hawai'i's core economic driver," said state Tourism Liaison Marsha Wienert. "This includes the private sector's efforts to improve our visitor industry plant, as well as the state's investments in upgrading infrastructure such as airports, harbors, parks and roads."

Wahoo's Fish Taco coming to Honolulu

California-based Wahoo's Fish Taco is scheduled to open its first Hawai'i location Jan. 4 at the Ward Gateway Center.

The franchise will be jointly owned by siblings Stephanie, Mike and Noel Pietsch. The three are children of kama'aina business leader Mike Pietsch, chief executive officer of Title Guaranty.

"The first time we visited a Wahoo's Fish Taco on the Mainland we just knew it was a perfect fit for Hawaii," said Stephanie Pietsch.