Hawaii Visitor Numbers Haven't Reached Pre-Pandemic Levels Yet

Hawaii Visitor Numbers Haven't Reached Pre-Pandemic Levels Yet - The Lingering Impact: Comparing Current Visitor Metrics to Pre-Pandemic Peaks

So, let's pause for a second and look at the numbers because, honestly, just hearing "it's not back yet" doesn't really tell the whole story, you know? As of late 2025, we’re still sitting about 8.5% below that 2019 total visitor benchmark, which feels like a pretty big hole to still be digging out of. Think about it this way: if 2019 was 100 people walking through the door, we’re only seeing 91 or 92 right now, and that gap really matters when you look at the sources. The real drag, the place where things aren't even close, is the Japanese market; their return is barely over sixty percent of what it was, and that single shortfall pulls the whole average down like an anchor. But here's the twist, and this is what gets interesting: while we aren't getting the volume we used to, the people who *are* coming are spending a lot more—we're talking an inflation-adjusted fourteen percent higher daily spend than those 2019 visitors, suggesting we've shifted to higher-value trips. Maybe that's why the average length of stay is actually creeping up, hitting nearly eight days recently compared to seven point one back then. It’s almost like the trips are fewer, but they’re deeper, more intentional stays. Interestingly, the internal mechanics, like inter-island travel, are almost perfectly aligned with 2019 at ninety-eight percent, which tells us local tourism is pretty much humming along normally, especially over on the Neighbor Islands where accommodation occupancy has been rock solid above ninety percent of those old highs for half a year now. Oahu, though, seems to be lagging a bit on that specific metric, which is worth keeping an eye on. The only other real roadblock I see is air service; if you check the available seats flying into Honolulu, we’re still down over eleven percent compared to the end of 2019, and you can’t get visitors here if the planes aren't flying.

Hawaii Visitor Numbers Haven't Reached Pre-Pandemic Levels Yet - Domestic Surge vs. Overall Numbers: Analyzing the Role of American Tourists

Look, when we talk about Hawaii's visitor numbers still being underwater compared to 2019, we’ve got to zoom right in on who’s actually showing up, because the story isn't the same for everyone. You see, while the overall count is lagging, the domestic American tourist has completely taken up the slack, and then some. I mean, if we check the trailing twelve months ending late 2025, those US arrivals are actually up about 5.2% over what we saw back in 2019—that’s a solid surplus right there. This American surge is the only thing keeping the whole thing from looking truly dire, frankly, because it’s masking how badly the international side, especially Japan, is still struggling to return. Think about it this way: the domestic market’s share of total visitor spending has jumped from about 68% in 2019 to over 75% now, meaning our recovery is almost entirely powered by folks driving or flying within the States. And it gets better for the operators: these American visitors aren't just showing up; they’re opening their wallets wider, spending about 16.1% more per day when you factor in inflation compared to their 2019 selves. So, what we’re seeing isn't a general tourism rebound; it’s a hyper-concentrated reliance on the U.S. traveler who seems to be prioritizing deeper, pricier trips, which is really changing the texture of the visitor economy right now.