While only 115,927 Chinese visitors came to the Hawaiian Islands in 2012, they spent an average of $397.70 per person per day, making them the highest spending group of tourists in Hawaii. In comparison, the second highest spending group, Japan, averaged only $290 per person per day. Interestingly enough, the number one activity of the Chinese visitors is shopping, and not sight-seeing or going to the beach. CJ Chen, managing director for Hawaiiwedding.cn, a wedding service specifically geared towards Chinese travelers, stated, “There’s no doubt shopping is the No. 1 activity. Even my honeymooners will spend two of the five days that they are here shopping. And, let me tell you, they are extremely brand conscious. They don’t want anything made in China, and they only want the best.”
Hawaii Tourism Authority’s vice president of brand management, David Uchiyama, stated, “We have greater potential than we are seeing right now. We see growth in other U.S. markets from China, and they already have direct (air) service. Even if you take the percentage of business travel out of California and New York, you see plenty of leisure growth. We need to get these visitors here in order to show the airlines that there is sufficient demand to add more flights. Once there are more direct flights, more higher-end customers, who are used to being able to get things when they want them and on their terms, will come.”
The Hawaii Tourism Authority hopes to have approximately 144,910 visitors come from China in 2013. It is estimated that these visitors will spend about $348.5 million while in Hawaii.
Source: Honolulu Star Advertiser, 6-9-2013, www.staradvertiser.com
Posted by Jeff Uyemura-Reyes, Broker-in-Charge, Realtor®
Global Executive Realty, LLC
www.myhawaiihomesearch.com
www.myhawaiicondo.com
www.myhawaiidreamhome.com
Posted by Jeff Uyemura-Reyes, Broker-in-Charge, Realtor®
Global Executive Realty, LLC
www.myhawaiihomesearch.com
www.myhawaiicondo.com
www.myhawaiidreamhome.com
