According to a report released by the Hawaii Tourism Authority, airlines are increasing the number of available seats to Hawaii by nearly 3.8 percent during the first quarter of 2012. This equates to over 89,000 more seats to Hawaii, as compared to the same period a year prior. The number of available seats from Japan will increase by 5.2 percent, while Canada will see an increase of available seats by 28.2 percent. Australia, which is the state's third largest international market, will see an increase of 68.4 percent additional seats. President and CEO of the Hawaii Tourism Authority, Mike McCartney, stated, "The increase in air seats is an indicator of strong demand for Hawaii, and the HTA anticipates continued year-over-year growth for Hawaii's tourism economy."
In terms of visitor arrivals, Hawaii hit its peak in 2006 with 7.6 million visitors. While the final numbers for 2011 are not in, the Hawaii Tourism Authority stated that it appears likely that the state will fall just short of that last year. However, with increased airline seats, the Hawaii Tourism Authority remains optimistic that 2012 could be a record setting year.
