From the Pacific Business News
With November almost through, arrivals by air are running 5.7 percent above year-before levels, the same as in October.
The Hawaii Department of Business, Economic Development & Tourism, which estimates arrivals by air daily and keeps a running tally, put the November tally at 587,801 based on flights through Monday morning.
More than 20,000 visitors were expected each on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, which would put the November total above 650,000. That would be lower than October but higher than September.
Domestic arrivals passed 450,000 on Monday, up 7.8 percent from the same juncture last year.
On Sunday, Honolulu arrivals from the Mainland crossed the 300,000 threshold and Maui
domestic arrivals passed the 100,000 mark, four times an many visitors as the Big Island has gotten and five times as many as the count on Kauai. Kauai traffic, however, is up 34 percent (4,000 people) from last year. Maui traffic is up 19 percent (16,000 people) and Oahu domestic traffic is up 4 percent (11,000 people).
Big Island domestic arrivals are actually down very slightly, but Japan Airlines flights to Kona bring total Big Island tourism to levels higher than last year.
International arrivals stateiwde are down slightly so far this month, with Japanese arrivals down 2.3 percent, three quarters offset by arrivals from other countries that are up more than 11 percent.
By Monday morning the month had brought 123,000 people on flights from Japan and about 20,000 on flights from other countries. Canadian arrivals are not included in these counts until a wrap-up report from DBEDT in a few weeks. That report will also dial out the 15 percent or so of total arrivals by air that are actually returning locals.
