The number of visitors to Hawai'i dipped slightly last month — 1.2 percent — but spending still went up, according a report released yesterday.

The state Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism tracked visitor spending at $927.1 million, an increase of 0.5 percent or $4.8 million ahead of last September.

State Tourism Liaison Marsha Wienert said the overall news was good. "We are especially pleased with the increases in visitors who came here for conventions and corporate meetings, with Japanese visitors coming to Hawai'i to honeymoon and with the continued strong performance of the cruise industry in Hawai'i."

For the month of September, total arrivals declined 1.2 percent to 552,742 visitors. This decrease combined with a shorter average length of stay (down from 8.77 days to 8.63 days in September 2007) resulted in a 2.8 percent decrease in total visitor days.

Arrivals fell from the U.S. West (down 5.8 percent) and Japan (down 2.7 percent) compared to the same month last year.

Visitors increased from the U.S. East (up 2.6 percent) and Canada (up 9.5 percent).

Through September, total visitor days fell 1.9 percent compared to year-to-date 2006, while total arrivals dipped 1 percent.

More visitors came for conventions in September, with increases from the U.S. West (2.8 percent), U.S. East (57.1 percent) and Canada (105.6 percent).

Corporate meetings also pulled in more visitors: U.S. West (33.9 percent), U.S. East (139.1 percent), Japan (886.5 percent) — many attended the Toyota corporate meeting — and Canada (+73.8 percent).

For more details of September visitor research data on the Web, go to: www.hawaii.gov/dbedt

Reach Robbie Dingeman at rdingeman@honoluluadvertiser.com.