News Releases
Hawaii Visitor Statistics Released for February 2020
For Immediate Release: March 31, 2020
HTA Release (20-11)
2020-03-31 February 2020 Visitor Statistics Press Release AMENDED
HONOLULU – In February 2020, flight cancellations to the Hawaiian Islands began due to the global COVID-19 pandemic. The China market had the greatest impact during February with direct air service suspended on February 3 due to a travel ban on Chinese citizens to the U.S. However, overall visitor spending was up.
Total spending by visitors in the Hawaiian Islands increased to $1.46 billion (+4.7%) in February 2020, according to preliminary statistics released today by the Hawaii Tourism Authority. This represented an average of $50.3 million per day, an increase of 1.1 percent compared to February 2019. The average daily census showed 250,052 total visitors in Hawaii on any given day in February, which was slightly higher (+0.5%) compared to a year ago. Most visitors arrived by air service (+0.4%, 247,493 visitors per day) and some traveled by cruise ships (+9.3%, 2,558 visitors per day).
For visitors arriving by air, U.S. West spending (+9.7% to $19.8 million per day) and the average daily census (+7.7% to 105,233 visitors per day) increased in February, compared to a year ago. U.S. East visitor spending (+8.6% to $14.4 million per day) and the average daily census (+4.3% to 65,827 visitors per day) also rose in February year-over-year.
Japan visitor spending (-2.9% to $5.7 million per day) and the average daily census declined
(-4.1% to 23,395 visitors per day) in February, versus a year ago. Canada visitor spending (-7.3% to $5.0 million per day) and the average daily census (-7.0% to 27,223 visitors per day) also declined. Combined spending by visitors from All Other markets (-25.8% to $5.3 million per day) and the average daily census (-19.3% to 25,815 visitors per day) decreased as well.
Total air seats to the Hawaiian Islands increased in February (+9.5% to 1,107,405), with the daily average also up (+5.8% to 38,186 seats per day) compared to a year ago. Growth in average daily scheduled air seats from U.S. East (+18.9% 3,739 seats per day) and U.S. West (+11.4%, 23,536 seats per day) offset decreases from Other Asia (-30.1% to 1,095 seats per day), Oceania
(-13.3% to 1,070 seats per day), Canada (-9.3% to 2,126 seats per day) and Japan (-1.2% to 5,581 seats per day).