Hawaii visitor spending, arrivals climb in March

HONOLULU – The Hawaii Tourism Authority says visitor spending jumped more than 12 per cent in March compared with the same month last year.

The state agency said Friday spending by tourists topped $1.4 billion last month.

The number of tourists coming to Hawaii exceeded 800,000, which is 2 per cent more than in March 2016.

Japanese travellers led the gains. That’s attributed to Hawaiian Airlines’ launch of a direct flight from Tokyo to Kailua-Kona in December and increased air service from Japan to Honolulu.

The agency says Japanese visitor spending surged more than 20 per cent. Travellers from Japan grew by 9 per cent.

CEO George Szigeti is calling March “a truly remarkable month.” He says it’s a sign the Hawaiian Islands continue to be a favourite destination for global travellers.