Governor Josh Green, M.D.

STATE OF HAWAIʻI

KA MOKU ʻĀINA O HAWAIʻI

 

JOSH GREEN, M.D.
GOVERNOR

KE KIAʻĀINA

 

DEPARTMENT OF BUSINESS, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND TOURISM

KA ʻOIHANA HOʻOMOHALA PĀʻOIHANA, ʻIMI WAIWAI A HOʻOMĀKAʻIKAʻI

 

JAMES KUNANE TOKIOKA

DIRECTOR

KA LUNA HOʻOKELE

 

RESEARCH AND ECONOMIC ANALYSIS DIVISION

 

SETH S. COLBY

CHIEF STATE ECONOMIST

  

VISITOR SPENDING INCREASED IN AUGUST 2025 DESPITE FEWER VISITOR ARRIVALS 

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

September 30, 2025

HONOLULU – According to preliminary statistics from the Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism (DBEDT), there were 806,776 total visitors to the Hawaiian Islands in August 2025, down 2.6 percent from August 2024. However, these visitors spent more on an average daily basis ($251 per person, +4.5%) and contributed to a 3.0 percent growth in total visitor spending to $1.72 billion (measured in nominal dollars). Total visitor arrivals in August 2025 represent an 87.1 percent recovery compared to pre-pandemic August 2019 and total visitor spending was higher than August 2019 ($1.50 billion, +14.4%).

 

All 806,776 visitors in August 2025 came by air service and they were mainly from the U.S. West and U.S. East. No out-of-state cruise ships visited Hawai‘i during the month. In August 2024, 828,326 visitors arrived by air (-2.6%) and no out-of-state cruise ships visited Hawai‘i. In August 2019, there were 926,417 total visitors and all of them came by air service (-12.9%).

 

The average length of stay by total visitors in August 2025 was 8.49 days, which was slightly longer than August 2024 (8.39 days, +1.2%) and August 2019 (8.46 days, +0.4%). The statewide average daily census was 221,073 visitors in August 2025, compared to 224,309 visitors (-1.4%) in August 2024 and 252,916 visitors (-12.6%) in August 2019.

 

In August 2025, 420,902 visitors arrived from the U.S. West, a decrease from August 2024 (435,079 visitors, -3.3%), but practically unchanged from August 2019 (420,750 visitors, 0.0%). Although there were fewer U.S. West visitors in August 2025, they spent more on an average daily basis, which led to higher total spending ($793.6 million) compared to August 2024 ($773.0 million, +2.7%) and August 2019 ($579.3 million, +37.0%). Daily spending by U.S. West visitors in August 2025 rose to $234 per person compared $223 per person (+5.0%) in August 2024 and $167 per person (+39.7%) in August 2019.

 

There were fewer U.S. East visitors in August 2025 (189,568 visitors) compared to August 2024 (193,152 visitors, -1.9%) and August 2019 (199,659 visitors, -5.1%). U.S. East visitors in August 2025 also spent more per day, contributing to higher total spending ($498.5 million) compared to August 2024 ($457.1 million, +9.1%) and August 2019 ($379.1 million, +31.5%). Daily spending by U.S. East visitors increased to $284 per person in August 2025 compared to $257 per person (+10.6%) in August 2024 and $206 per person (+38.1%) in August 2019.

 

In August 2025, 83,699 visitors arrived from Japan, which was similar to August 2024 (83,907 visitors, -0.2%), but significantly less than August 2019 (160,728 visitors,
-47.9%). Visitors from Japan spent $130.2 million in August 2025, compared to $124.5 million (+4.6%) in August 2024 and $236.9 million (-45.1%) in August 2019. Daily spending by Japanese visitors in August 2025 ($243 per person) was more than August 2024 ($230 per person, +5.5%) and August 2019 ($228 per person, +6.3%).

 

In August 2025, 23,261 visitors arrived from Canada, down from August 2024 (25,048 visitors, -7.1%) and August 2019 (28,672 visitors, -18.9%). Visitors from Canada spent $53.2 million in August 2025, compared to $57.5 million (-7.4%) in August 2024 and $57.2 million (-7.0%) in August 2019. Daily spending by Canadian visitors in August 2025 ($225 per person) was less than August 2024 ($235 per person, -4.3%), but higher than August 2019 ($178 per person, +26.5%).

 

There were 89,346 visitors from all other international markets in August 2025, which included visitors from Oceania, Other Asia, Europe, Latin America, Guam, the Philippines, the Pacific Islands and other countries. In comparison, there were 91,141 visitors (-2.0%) from all other international markets in August 2024 and 116,608 visitors
(-23.4%) in August 2019.

 

Air capacity to Hawai‘i in August 2025 (4,960 transpacific flights with 1,104,220 seats) declined compared to August 2024 (5,045 flights, -1.7% with 1,117,853 seats, -1.2%) and August 2019 (5,469 flights, -9.3% with 1,212,926 seats, -9.0%).

 

Year-to-Date 2025

 

A total of 6,597,312 visitors arrived in the first eight months of 2025, up 0.7 percent from 6,549,266 visitors in the first eight months of 2024. Total arrivals declined 7.0 percent when compared to 7,092,809 visitors in the first eight months of 2019.

 

In the first eight months of 2025, total visitor spending was $14.62 billion, which was an increase from $14.00 billion (+4.5%) in the first eight months of 2024 and $12.06 billion (+21.3%) in the first eight months of 2019.

 

VIEW FULL NEWS RELEASE AND TABLES

 

 

Statement by DBEDT Director James Kunane Tokioka

 

We are encouraged by the growth in total visitor spending in August 2025 compared to the same month last year. However, like many tourism destinations, Hawai‘i is facing a slowdown in visitor traffic. In August 2025, visitor arrivals declined 2.6 percent, due to fewer visitors from U.S. West, U.S. East, Canada and other international markets. Arrivals from Japan were about the same as August 2024.   

There have been improvements in tourism on Maui, two years after the August 8, 2023 wildfires. In August 2025, visitor spending ($430.7 million, +23.0%) and arrivals (205,182 visitors, +2.3%) both increased from August 2024. For the first eight months of 2025, visitor spending ($3.9 billion +11.1%) and arrivals (1,709,089 visitors, +8.3%) also showed growth from the same period last year.

Hotel occupancy rates on Maui have also improved. According to DBEDT’s August 2025 Hotel Performance Report, Maui County hotels reported islandwide occupancy of 62.0 percent for August 2025 compared to 55.2 percent in August 2024. The Lahaina/Kā‘anapali/Kapalua region reported hotel occupancy of 61.2 percent, up from 50.8 percent in August 2024.

 

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Media Contacts:

 

Laci Goshi 

Communications Officer

Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism

Cell: 808-518-5480

Email: [email protected]

 

Jennifer Chun

Director of Tourism Research

Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism

Phone: 808-973-9446

Email: [email protected]