Hawai'i welcomed 692,254 visitors last month, up 7.1 percent over the previous August. Those numbers were largely boosted by Mainland visitor arrivals, which grew 9.5 percent to 504,553, setting an August record.

But the number of Japanese visitors fell 1.4 percent last month to 142,945, the first decline in that market since December. Japanese visitor spending also fell 7.8 percent from August last year.

Still, overall visitor spending last month grew 9.5 percent year-over-year to nearly $1.05 billion, and average daily spending rose from about $164 per person to $167.

"We were extremely pleased with the strong performance of the visitor industry in August," said state Tourism Liaison Marsha Wienert, noting a 177 percent growth in the meeting, convention and incentive market. "We welcomed delegates from the American Legion 2005 National Convention, the Academy of Management 2005 Annual meeting, and the Microscopy and Microanalysis 2005 Annual session."

ML Macadamia Orchards to pay five-cent dividend

Hilo-based ML Macadamia Orchards said the company will pay a five-cent quarterly cash distribution on Nov. 15 to shareholders of record as of Friday.

It is the 78th consecutive quarterly cash distribution dating back to the inception of the company as a limited partnership in 1986.