The Canadian dollar climbed to a 30-year high against the U.S. currency yesterday, continuing a trend that has put more spending money in the pockets of Canadian tourists visiting Hawai'i.

Canada's currency advanced as high as 95.53 U.S. cents yesterday, pushing past the 95 U.S. cents mark for the first time since May 1977. It has risen 10.8 percent this year.

The steady rise of the Canadian dollar has been welcome news for hotels and other businesses that cater to visitors from north of the border. The strengthening Canadian dollar boosts the purchasing power of visiting Canadians when they convert their home currency into U.S. dollars.

Total spending by Canadian visitors rose 3.4 percent to $274 million during the first five months of the year compared with the same period in 2006, according to the state Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism. For all visitors, spending rose 1.6 percent to $4.8 billion during the same period.

Average daily spending per person also improved. Canadians spent an average of $146 per day, up 9.6 percent from 2006, DBEDT reported.

Marnie Cardell, marketing director for Fairmont Resort Properties Ltd., the Canada-based hotel and time-share operator that owns the Makaha Resort & Golf Club on O'ahu, said the exchange rate should make Hawai'i even more popular with Canadians.

"It certainly has given the Canadians a different opportunity to use their travel dollars," she said. "We're certainly hoping to see a larger increase from the Canadian market, and we are promoting it."

One of the strongest performers in currency markets, the Canadian dollar rose after Statistics Canada reported that the economy created 35,000 new jobs in June, about double what economists expected. The job spurt left unemployment levels at a three-decade low of 6.1 percent for the fifth consecutive month.

The Canadian dollar later retreated to 95.27 U.S. cents.

The Bank of Canada is scheduled make its next interest rate decision Tuesday. Economists believe the latest signs of a booming economy and inflationary pressures will prompt the central bank to increase rates for the first time in more than a year.

"There is nothing in this report that would stop the Bank of Canada from raising rates next week," said Firas Askari, head currency trader at BMO Capital Markets in Toronto.

National Bank of Canada, the nation's sixth-biggest bank, forecasts the local currency will trade at par with the U.S. dollar in the first quarter of 2008.

Against other currencies, the U.S. dollar fared better. It climbed yesterday against Japan's currency, rising to 123.40 yen from 122.88 yen late Thursday.