The State of Hawai‘i’s Department of Business, Economic Development & Tourism (DBEDT) released its February 2023 visitor statistics report today.
The strength of domestic visitor spending remained positive for Hawai‘i’s businesses and overall economy in February 2023, with 48 percent growth from the U.S. West and 19.2 percent growth from the U.S. East compared to February 2019. Each of Hawai‘i’s four counties also saw increased spending with fewer visitors compared to February 2019.
Year-to-date, total visitor spending stayed strong at $3.53 billion compared to $3.01 billion (+17.6%) in the first two months of 2019. Domestic spending helped to offset expenditures from our key international visitor source markets which are continuing to recover at a modest pace.
The state Council on Revenues and University of Hawai‘i Economic Research Organization agree that a softening of the global economy will impact Hawai‘i, particularly our tourism industry. With this forecast of economic uncertainty on the horizon, we must continue our forward momentum in delivering on our 2020-2025 Strategic Plan, investing in our community, building the systems and infrastructure for destination management, and focusing on visitor education.
For more information on the February 2023 visitor statistics, visit www.hawaiitourismauthority.org/research/monthly-visitor-statistics/.
