Average nightly rates of $404 (incl. accommodation tax) are helping curtail Hawaii vacation enthusiasm.
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99 thoughts on “Why Hawaii Visitor Decline Persists | Latest Report”
Average nightly rates of $404 (incl. accommodation tax) are helping curtail Hawaii vacation enthusiasm.
Maui was a bi-annual trip for us for decades. No more. Going to Belize, for instance, in 2025. Beach front accommodations for $244 nightly. Currently 2 to 1 exchange rate so dollar goes further. The diving is light years better (think Roatan, Blue Hole, Placencia reefs) vs bleached out Molokini. I miss Maui, but unless something drastic changes, I’ll find new destinations for my palm trees and blue water wanderlust.
Well, at least for the data for Oahu, I can vouch that there was little to show any real decline in tourism. As of late last month, pretty much any venue – eating, entertainment, and shopping was completely packed. Only aberration was being able to get a very short notice res at Duke’s @ 7:00 pm. A friend’s SIL happened to be in town so I took him to probably the premier tourist eatery in Waiks. Highly unusual that… Beaches were packed too. The Steak Shack (hole in the wall eatery on the beach) had lines 20-30 deep… Guess we’ll have to see how this plays out by summer’s end.
Best Regards
We were in west Maui in May where we stay every other year for the last 12 years. We didn’t experience any negative attitudes or unwelcome feelings. I’m curious to those who chose to go somewhere else if it truly compares to our happy place/home away from home? It’s such a magical place.
Mexico has been comparable so far, especially the Mayan Riviera. Much busier, for sure, although most welcoming and a great value. Not that I would stop visiting Hawaii, just expanding options that area both interesting and affordable…
Hotel prices are rediculous. It makes a vacation to Hawaii out of reach for many, particularly when there are many other choices and places to visit. Furthermore; many of the hotels are older and have not been updated in a long time, which is a disappointment for first time visitors who are paying a fortune to visit Hawai! I have family and friends on Oahu and would love to visit more frequently, but as a retiree; it looks less and less feasible. Very sad.
Every aspect of Hawaii travel has become a tourist rip-off. Car rentals have quadrupled, mediocre food at high prices, mandatory fees to visit beaches, stink eye, and highly overpriced hotel stays make other destinations far more desirable. We go because we own a timeshare, shop at Costco or large supermarkets, and cook all our own food. Otherwise, we’d blow it off.
We’ll be heading to Maui next week for our first Hawaii visit in five years. Maui has always been my happy place (will be our sixth visit) but given all the high costs and hostility to tourists, I hope this won’t be our last trip. There are so many places to go where you can feel welcome. No aloha, then no more us. But I’m rooting for Maui.
They made it very clear that the average mainland tourists were not on their welcome list. They wanted higher paying tourist that would bring more money for the economy. Looks like that has happened quicker than they expected.
Hello,
My sister and I have been visiting Oahu every year for as long as I can remember. Some years I have been there multiple times, and I have always loved being there. We visited in March even though we had just been there the September before. This time it felt different. The hotel rate at our usual hotel was one of the highest we have paid and the room was shabby and in disrepair. The Lyft driver who picked us up at HNL said she couldn’t load our bags into her car because she had a bad elbow (even before saying hello!)
The locals we encountered are not like the locals we have come to know and love. These are more recent arrivals and they lack the aloha spirit. Hawaii has always been a happy place for us but the people we meet are not that friendly and the hotel prices are ridiculous.
This year instead of our annual trip to Oahu in September, we will be going to another destination. That makes me very sad.
It is quite apparent that the worst is yet to come. Advance bookings for Q3 and Q4 2024 on all islands are way down bringing availability to heights not seen in two decades. The numbers at the end of the year will reflect the real effect of high pricing, ridiculous taxes foisted upon visitors, outrageous fees & surcharges, and the ultra high cost of obtaining food on all the islands. There is also more than ample evidence that hotels are keeping rates high to keep occupancy lower, which is conducive to lack of staffing. Keeps riff-raff at bay too. If you can’t afford the ultra high rates, hoteliers really don’t want you. Remember, these rates are an average. If you try to book any hotel in Maui’s Wailea or The Big Island’s Kohala Coast, rates start much higher even for a parking lot view. And in the face of high availability and less visitors, Hawaii hotels have not instituted specials of any kind, no less rate decreases. The old adage of “you reap what you sow” is upon us!
So wife and I have booked our trip this fall to Tahiti where we will spend 15 days. Thanks to what’s happening with this clusterfudge in Hawai, we look forward to our trip which otherwise would have been in Hawaii as we did yearly to twice a year for the last 10 years. That is now ending.
It sounds like congratulations are in order. The powers that be wanted to limit tourism. The locals want their island back without the inconvenience of tourists. This sounds like a success story. I am staying tuned to see if the other aspect of the plan comes to pass and affordable housing for all happens with limiting STR’s . If so a win for all but if it implodes it will be a big crawl out for so many. Wishing the best for the Islands
On a related note, I was exploring travel dates to Kauai in 2025. We usually stay at the Outrigger Kiahuna Plantation and noticed by accident that if you click on the AAA/Senior discount option on the Outrigger website you will actually pay up to $100 more per night. When I unselected the discounts the room rate dropped. All other taxes and surcharges are the same. What is up with that???
Apparently, they don’t want old people. Probably think they don’t spend enough?
Great analogy, Steve. But, as usual, the politicians are living in their own bubble, chasing their agendas and catering to their masters instead of listening to reason or their constituents.
It’s a sad state of affairs in U.S. politics, no matter the party. In my view, it’s just one of many signs of the decline of what was once the great United States.
According to NBC News, American’s travel spending is up 18%. In light of this, Hawaii’s downward trend is even worse than it appears.
If Hawaii was an aircraft, you’d be hearing “Pull Up! Pull Up!” in the cockpit. The question is: Is anyone paying attention to the warnings?
1. STRs are not going away anytime soon. Litigation and politics will prevail.
2. Maui County just doubled the property taxes on our condo (it has a full kitchen). That makes lowering prices that much harder, especially when you consider GET and TAT taxes. The state and county are taxing businesses to death with nothing to show for it. Example- totally unprepared for the Lahaina fire and its aftermath. Then consider the ridiculous and costly red tape that makes housing so unaffordable.
3. Vote out the incompetents and elect people who understand economics, consistent with the best interests of all Hawaiians.
You know people are not dumb……over time they just won’t see the value and go other places just as nice
Hopefully, we Kauai residents will be able to weather the storm. We are, for the most part, a very friendly island and understand the value of tourism. That said, with such a strong dollar, it is hard to compete with other desirable locations outside the US. When the dollar weakens, as is inevitable with the rise of other international currencies, those other locations will diminish in desirability and more tourists will return to the islands, Even the Japanese tourists, who are sorely lacking as of late, will be back in force. Mark my words…and my aloha.
Kauai seems just fine. beaches are packed 7 days a week, hotel occupancy is 90+percent. traffic is backed up just as bad as it always is… I’m not seeing a decline, at all.
The downturn in Maui, especially, is because o the message we tourists keep hearing ” stay home… we want fewer of you” . The reaction to the message is partly obeying the message, as well as reacting also with a sense of discomfort. Should be coming, and if we do, what will be the outcome?
I think what was not mentioned is the people in Hawaii don’t treat tourists they way they did with Aloha 10 years ago
How in the world did Hawaii allow itself to get into this state? Arrogance? Corruption? Greed? Pure stupidity?