According to a report released by the Hawaii Tourism Authority a total of 8.24 million visitors arrived in Hawaii in 2013 and spent a total of $14.5 billion while in the islands. These numbers set new state records for spending and arrivals, but were still lower than the Hawaii Tourism Authority had hoped for. While the first half of the year started off very strong, the second half slowed considerably. President and CEO of the Hawaii Tourism Authority, Mike McCartney, commented, "While we were pleased that we surpassed our 2012 record numbers, we fell short of our 2013 targets. Fluctuations in currency exchange rates, taxes and fuel surcharges have slowed bookings and hampered growth, causing a leveling off throughout the second half of 2013." Daniel Nahoopii, the Director of Tourism Research for the HTA, added, "Besides cutting down on shopping, some visitors also have elected to cut their stay short, and that's snowballed into what we are seeing in terms of total spending."
Source: Honolulu Star Advertiser, 1-31-2014, www.staradvertiser.com
Posted by Jeff Uyemura-Reyes, Principal Broker, REALTOR®
Global Executive Realty, LLC
www.myhawaiihomesearch.com
www.myhawaiicondo.com
www.myhawaiidreamhome.com
