The number of visitors traveling to Hawai'i continued to decline in October, but at a slower pace than in recent months.

Visitor arrivals declined by 13.5 percent in October from the same month a year earlier, the smallest decline since May for the state's No. 1 industry, according a report released today by the Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism..

The report also said that visitor spending by those arriving by air fell to $844.78 in October, a12.9 percent drop compared with the same month a year earlier. Average daily visitor spending fell to $189 per person from $191 per person last October.

Total visitor days for air and cruise visitors in October 2008 decreased 12.1 percent from the same month last year. Total arrivals by air and cruise visitors declined 13.5 percent from October 2007. However the average length of stay by these visitors was slightly longer at 9.06 days, compared to 8.91 days last October.

Among the top four visitor markets, air arrivals from Canada rebounded from a 6 percent decline in September, to an increase of 7.6 percent compared to October 2007.

Air arrivals from the U.S. West decreased 19.8 percent and from the U.S. East dropped 14.1 percent.

Although October 2008 arrivals from Japan were down by 5.6 percent compared to last year, the decrease was less severe compared to double-digit declines in each of the previous four months.

State tourism liaison Marsha Wienert said the declines show that national and global economic conditions continue to affect the visitor industry statewide.

She pointed to the renewed interest from Canada as a positive sign in the slumping visitor industry and several other individual segments that appear to be rebounding.

"International visitors traveling to the islands to attend a convention or corporate meeting increased 55 percent and 35.5 percent respectively."