Total visitor days were slightly below (-.3%) the record high achieved last year while total arrivals matched arrivals in 2005, according to preliminary data released today by the Department of Business, Economic Development & Tourism (DBEDT).

Domestic arrivals increased 2.6 percent to a new record of 5,450,697 visitors while international arrivals declined 6.6 percent. Visitors from Canada (+9.9%) and the U.S. West (+4.2%) increased but arrivals from the U.S. East (-.6%) and Japan (-9.4%) were lower than in 2005.

"After two exceptional years of growth in 2004 and 2005, Hawaii's visitor industry achieved an all-time high in visitor expenditures," said State Tourism Liaison, Marsha Wienert. "The ability to overcome the many adversities that the state experienced last year reflects the strength of Hawaii's brand and the quality and professionalism of everyone involved in our visitor industry."

Wienert noted that in December total visitor expenditures rose slightly, by .1 percent, to $1.1 billion because of increased visitor arrivals and higher average daily spending. Total expenditures by U.S. West (+11.1%) and U.S. East (+8%) visitors increased, offsetting lower spending by Japanese (-20.6%) and Canadian

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(-9.6%) visitors. Total average daily visitor spending rose to $181 per person, compared to $178 per person during the same period last year.

Due to a shorter average length of stay (9.52 days, down from 9.75 days), total visitor days dipped 1.4 percent, in spite of a 1 percent growth in total arrivals to a new December record of 662,380 visitors. Among the top four visitor markets, growth in visitors from the U.S. West (+7.7%) and Canada (+14.9%) were offset by lower arrivals from Japan (-14.3%) and the U.S. East (-.2%).

For the month, Oahu (+.3%), Kauai (+12.6%), Maui (+13.2%), and Lanai (+47.4%) reported higher visitor arrivals compared to December 2005. Total visitor spending rose on Kauai (+17.3%), Lanai (+37.4%), Molokai (+21.6%) and Maui (+16.4%).

Of the total number of visitors who came in December 2006, 42,745 visitors either flew to the state to board cruise ships or came by cruise ships visiting Hawaii, a 21.1 percent increase from last December. Cruise visitor days for the month and for 2006 grew 19.8 percent and 30.8 percent, respectively.

2006 preliminary visitor statistics:

i Total visitor expenditures: Visitors spent a total of $12 billion in 2006, 2.9 percent higher compared to last year, with increases from the U.S. West, U.S. East and Canadian visitor markets. Total visitor spending by Japanese visitors declined 6.5 percent.

Visitor spending on Oahu totaled $5.5 billion (-1.9%), followed by Maui at $3.5 billion (+10.7%), the Big Island at $1.6 billion (-1.3%) and Kauai at $1.3 billion (+9.5%).

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i Total air visitors: Total visitor days were off slightly by .3 percent as record domestic arrivals were offset by decreased visitors from the international market. The average length of stay by all visitors of 9.10 days was similar to last year's 9.13 days.

Visitor arrivals were higher on Lanai (+16.3%), Kauai (+8.4%), the Big Island (+4.5%), Molokai (+3.8%) and Maui (+4.8%) compared to 2005.

A greater number of visitors came for meetings (+2.5%), incentives (+3.5%) and other business (+3%).

Repeat visitors accounted for 63.4 percent of the total visitors to Hawaii, versus 63 percent last year.

Use of accommodations has shifted with hotel-only visitors decreasing 5.2 percent while condo-only and timeshare-only visitors increased by 2.8 percent and 19 percent, respectively.

i Air visitors from the top four major market areas (MMAs):

U.S. West: Total spending by U.S. West visitors reached $4.7 billion, 9 percent higher than in 2005. This group of visitors spent an average of $158 per person per day, an increase of 6.1 percent from last year.

U.S. West visitor days rose 2.7 percent thanks to a 4.2 percent growth in arrivals to 3,158,526 visitors in 2006. The Mountain region led the growth with a 12.1 percent increase in domestic arrivals. The average length of stay by U.S. West visitors was 9.39 days, compared to 9.52 days one year ago.

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U.S. East: Total spending by U.S. East visitors rose 1.4 percent compared to 2005, to $3.6 billion, the second highest among the four major visitor markets. The average daily spending was $183 per person per day, the second highest among the top four visitor markets.

U.S. East visitor days decreased (-1%) from the previous year, due to slightly lower arrivals (-.6%) and shorter average length of stay (-.4% to 10.28 days). Arrival growth from the West South Central (+6.4%) and South Atlantic (+1.8%) regions were not enough to offset decreases from the East North Central (-3.4%), Mid-Atlantic (-4.1%) and New England (-5.5%) regions.

Japan: Japanese visitors spent a total of $2.1 billion in 2006, 6.5 percent lower compared to the previous year. Japanese visitors continued to spend the most on a daily basis at $267 per person, an increase of 4.7 percent.

Japanese visitor days declined 10.7 percent, due to a 9.4 percent decrease in visitor arrivals to 1,374,454 visitors and a shorter average length of stay

(-1.4%) to 5.64 days.

Canada: Even though average daily spending by Canadian visitors ranked last among the top four major visitor markets at $138 per person per day, total expenditures rose 8.2 percent to $488 million in 2006.

Canadian visitor days grew 7.5 percent, largely from a 9.9 percent growth in arrivals to 273,167 visitors. The average length of stay was the longest among the top four visitor markets, at 12.96 days, compared to 13.24 days in 2005.

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i Per person per trip expenditures by MMA:

U.S. East visitors spent the most per trip ($1,877 per person) in 2006, followed by visitors from Canada ($1,786 per person), Japan ($1,507 per person) and the U.S. West ($1,480 per person).

2006 Preliminary Cruise Visitor Statistics:

Total cruise visitor days rose 30.8 percent in 2006. Contributing to this increase was a 29.1 percent growth in cruise visitors to 408,535 visitors, including those who arrived by air to board cruise ships and those who came on the ships. These visitors were aboard 56 cruise ships including three U.S. flagged ships home ported in Hawaii, the Pride of Aloha, the Pride of Hawaii and the Pride of America.

Repeat visitors to Hawaii comprised 58.7 percent of out-of-state cruise visitors, compared to 55.4 percent in 2005. These cruise visitors stayed an average of 9.77 days in Hawaii, of which 6.33 days were spent on their cruise.

Technical Notes: 2006 air visitor data presented in this news release are the preliminary numbers and are subject to change. Detailed final statistics will be published in the 2006 Annual Visitor Research Report, available by mid-year 2007.

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For more information, contact:

Marsha Wienert, Tourism Liaison

Phone: (808) 586-2362

Email: marsha.wienert@hawaii.gov

Dave Young, DBEDT

Phone: (808) 587-1212