Arrivals down, spending up and the Oahu / neighbor island dichotomy
Visitor arrivals are down 5% for the month of October pulled down by a 17% drop in visitors to Oahu. For the year to date, arrivals were down 11%. Arrivals were down on all islands led by Oahu’s 22% drop. Visitors are staying longer so the average daily census is only down 6%. International visitor arrivals are down dramatically with Japan down 90%, Canada down 30%, and all other international markets down 40%. US arrivals are up 14% with the West up 16% and the East up 9%.
Oahuʻs monthly visitor arrivals have been equal to about 80% of pre-pandemic levels since April, as shown in Erik Kloninger's chart below. Domestic arrivals have continued to exceed pre-pandemic levels, while international arrivals have lagged due to restrictions on international travel. With Japan lifting travel restrictions for vaccinated travelers starting in mid-October, that market is expected to grow in the coming months. Oahu’s international visitor arrivals increased from only 8.3% of pre-pandemic levels in January to 30% by the summer and to 38% by October. It will be interesting to see how fast the Japanese visitor market recovers given the weak Yen.
