91Ö±²¥

Back-to-back Kona-low storms during the latter half of March dampened 91Ö±²¥’s tourism economy, driving down both monthly visitor arrivals and spending for the first time since July.

Total visitor spending fell 1.6% from a year earlier to $1.96 billion, while total visitor arrivals declined 1.7% to 888,349, according to preliminary data released Thursday by the Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism.

The decline marked a shift for 91Ö±²¥’s visitor industry, which had largely weathered rising costs and uneven demand without seeing both arrivals and spending fall at once. State officials said back-to-back Kona-low storms during peak spring-break travel were the decisive factor, snarling transportation and shutting down key attractions across the islands.

The storms struck March 10-15 and March 19-24, overlapping with peak spring-break periods that vary across the mainland U.S. DBEDT said severe weather caused flight delays and cancellations, cruise itinerary changes, and the temporary closure of national and state parks and other visitor destinations.

Air seats to 91Ö±²¥ in March increased 4.9% to 1.189 million, with domestic seats up 7.1% and international seats down 4%. Visitors arriving by air totaled 869,063, down 2.4% from a year earlier.

Arrivals aboard out-of-state cruise ships climbed 38.9% to 19,286, though several vessels canceled port calls to Nawiliwili, Hilo and Kona due to high winds and rough seas. The interisland cruise ship Pride of America also canceled two scheduled Kona stops.

The average length of stay shortened to 8.14 days from 8.43 days a year earlier, contributing to a 5.1% decline in the statewide average daily visitor census to 233,203. Caroline Anderson, interim Hawai‘i Tourism Authority president, said in a statement that “fewer visitors physically in the state on any given day immediately affects restaurants, tours, retail shops, transportation providers, and other local businesses that depend on visitor spending.”

Results varied sharply by market. Arrivals from 91Ö±²¥’s core U.S. West market fell 7.4% to 424,581 visitors, while spending declined 5.3% to $882.1 million. In contrast, U.S. East arrivals rose 13.9% to 271,291 visitors and spending climbed 12.4% to $696.8 million, as many travelers arrived earlier in the month before the storms developed.

Japan continued its gradual recovery, with arrivals increasing 8.8% to 67,014 visitors and spending rising 5.5% to $97 million.

Canada posted an 11.4% decline to 47,490 visitors, while spending fell 4.2% to $128.2 million. Colin Wood, account director for Hawai‘i Tourism Canada, said the Canadian government issued a notice about 91Ö±²¥ flood conditions but quickly updated it once the storms passed. He said clear communication was critical, adding that the seasonal drop-off in Canadian travel helped contain the impact.

“It is a small blip if anything,” Wood said. “I’m not receiving any reports or comments that this is having an impact in relation to bookings.”

He added that geopolitical issues remain a bigger concern, though “91Ö±²¥ is doing appreciably better than the continental U.S.”

Arrivals from all other international markets combined fell 24.8% to 58,687 visitors, while spending dropped 28.7% to $147.9 million.

Jerry Gibson, president of the Hawai‘i Hotel Alliance, said weather disruptions compounded broader travel uncertainty.

“Many people tend to stay closer to home anytime there is any military action,” Gibson said, citing geopolitical tensions. “Then we had the Kona lows going into March. We had a few weeks of bad weather and it continued into March. I think travelers were saying to themselves the weather patterns weren’t good, so they either canceled — and we had a lot of those — or decided to book later.”

The disruptions led to lost group business, and Gibson said that he knew of at least three groups that canceled in March — “one good sized and two were small.”

Hotel performance softened, particularly on Oahu. “Hotels are down, particularly on Oahu, ADR (average daily rate) and revenue, and we have a short pace,” Gibson said, noting bookings are increasingly within a 35‑day window.

Looking ahead, Gibson said hoteliers are focused on the key summer season. “Summer is the very best period, June 15 to Aug. 15,” he said, adding that targeted marketing by the state, supported by the industry, will be essential to rebuilding demand.

Keith Vieira, principal of KV &Associates Hospitality Consulting, said weather disruptions and limited state marketing funds are weighing on 91Ö±²¥’s visitor industry.

“Most of it is weather and not enough state marketing money,” Vieira said, adding that Caribbean destinations and parts of Mexico remain strong competitors, particularly in the cruise market.

He said wholesalers and travel sellers are offering competitive pricing and value-added packages, but need greater state support.

“Summer has a chance,” Vieira said. “It’s still a bit soft, but it looks like booking pace is picking up due to the number of specials.”

Vieira said HTA needs a stronger year-round marketing budget.

“Releasing emergency funding is positive, but it’s not near enough,” he said.

He noted that HTA’s current $63 million budget is split between destination management and marketing, and that the industry has urged lawmakers to restore dedicated transient accommodations tax funding. He said HTA’s marketing budget alone should be at least $100 million.

“With the cost of inflation relative to marketing, that puts us at 60% to 70% of where we need to be,” Vieira said. “It’s not enough, but it’s a start.”

DBEDT Director James Kunane Tokioka said the storms caused extensive flooding and damage to homes, businesses and infrastructure, particularly on the North Shore of Oahu, West Maui, Molokai and 91Ö±²¥ island. He estimated the disruptions resulted in more than $300 million in lost tourism revenue.

“As recovery efforts continue, we remain committed to encouraging respectful travel, supporting local businesses and promoting volunteer opportunities to malama 91Ö±²¥,” Tokioka said, adding that he is working with HTA to secure funding for a tourism recovery campaign.

Anderson said HTA and the state are slated to announce additional initiatives to stimulate visitor demand, focusing on rebuilding visitor confidence and supporting businesses and residents dependent on tourism.

DBEDT cautioned that March air visitor statistics are limited due to delays in data processing.

Despite the March setback, year-to-date performance remained solid. In the first quarter of 2026, visitor arrivals rose 3.8% to nearly 2.55 million, while spending climbed 9% to $6.12 billion, though visitor days increased only 1.1%.