Tourism Numbers Fall
May 28, 2008
The Hawaii Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism released its tourism figures today, showing a sharp decline in visitor numbers for the month of April. Total visitors to the Islands dropped by 7.6% last month. Visitors from the west coast of the US, the largest visitor segment in Hawaii, saw a 15% decline. California alone posted a 24.8% decline in tourists flying to the Islands. Advanced bookings for the year have slowed, while cancellations have increased as well. Japanese visitor numbers, the highest spending segment of the market, also declined. Tourists from Japan fell by 15.3%.