Hawaii, which has had its share of challenges in the aftermath of the March Kona Low storms, unveiled some good news with its April 2026 visitor statistics report, which reported a 16.3% rise in U.S. East Coast arrivals, a 6% increase in Japanese arrivals and a year-over-year boost of 20.4% boost in cruise arrivals.
The report, which was generated by the Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism (DBEDT), also revealed that visitor expenditures rose by 4.8% compared to April 2025, with per-person, per-day spending boosted by 14.1%.
“Taken together, these numbers suggest visitors are making more deliberate decisions about how they spend their time and money,” DBEDT said.
To further buttress tourism growth, the Hawaii Tourism Authority is set to introduce a five-year Strategic Plan this summer, “which focuses on the fundamentals: strengthening Hawaii’s competitiveness, enhancing visitor experiences, and delivering greater value for residents and communities,” DBEDT said.
“We will also release updated Destination Management Action Plans for each island, developed with community input to guide tourism in line with community priorities,” DBEDT added. “At the same time, we continue to support the state's recovery by driving demand and supporting local businesses.”
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