The number of visitors who arrived in Hawaii last month by air and cruise ship dipped by a modest 1.3 percent from April of the previous year — compared with the double-digit declines that have dominated the last 12 months — although total air visitor spending for the month of April 2009 fell 12.3 percent.

That’s according to preliminary statistics released today by the Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism, which showed an air spending drop of $108.1 million from April of last year to $773.4 million.
The decrease resulted from lower average daily visitor spending of $160 per person, down from $186 per person in April 2008 and a 1.5 percent drop in visitor arrivals by air to 530,316 visitors.
Total visitor days for air and cruise visitors in April 2009 grew 1.8 percent from last April, thanks to a longer average length of stay by these visitors (9.13 days, compared with 8.85 days in the same month last year). Total arrivals by air and cruise visitors dipped 1.3 percent from April 2008.
Among the top four visitor markets, April 2009 air arrivals from the U.S. West declined 1.6 percent; while air arrivals from the U.S. East fell 6.5 percent from last April.
Arrivals by air from Japan rose 8.8 percent, the largest increase since March 2005 (up 11.6 percent). Arrivals by air from Canada were up 6.9 percent, the first increase since October 2008 (up 7.6 percent).
“Beginning this month (April), statistical comparisons between 2009 and 2008 will better reflect the health of the visitor industry in Hawai‘i. Visitor data from April forward reflects the data collected in 2008 with the departure of Aloha and ATA airlines,” said state tourism liaison Marsha Wienert.
“Easter and spring break in 2009 fell in April, which helped with visitor arrivals as did an increase in visitors who came to attend a convention.”