Is tourism back to normal in Hawaii?

While the pandemic pummeled Hawaii in its early stages, the Aloha State's tourism industry is back, and by some metrics, bigger than ever. The number of tourists from the U.S. mainland is higher than it was before the pandemic — and average spending per trip is also higher.



People Also Ask

Is Hawaii still struggling with tourism? The state's tourism board is on the brink of collapse — along with its helpful policies on managing foot traffic to Hawaii's most beautiful and sacred sites. Tourist arrivals in Hawaii are near pre-pandemic levels as the industry works to manage the impact.

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Hawai?i is open and ready to welcome you. There are no COVID-19 related entry requirements for domestic travelers. Travelers arriving in Hawai'i directly from an international airport must still comply with U.S. federal requirements. For updates on international travel, visit CDC.gov.

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Is Hawaii over crowded right now? First, Hawaii is incredibly busy, and instead of tourism subsiding, it only seems to be getting much busier. There are virtually no slow times any longer. Almost everything about visiting Hawaii has changed post-pandemic.

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In August 2023, visitor arrivals to Oahu (507,702 visitors, +11.0%), Hawaii Island (152,951, +4.1%) and Kauai (131,628 visitors, +9.0%) increased while visitor arrivals to Maui (112,259 visitors, -57.8%) dropped significantly compared to August 2022.

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As a general rule of thumb, international travel requires a passport. So, at the very least, foreign nationals who are neither American citizens nor permanent residents will need a passport to go to Hawaii. Passport requirements will differ based on the length of stay and the country of origin.

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Here's why. Fodor's Travel named Maui one of 10 destinations on its 2023 “No List” that tourists should reconsider visiting this year. The travel publication outlined 10 regions ranging from Antarctica to Italy that are threatened by environmental damage caused by overtourism and climate change.

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Hawaii was made a territory in 1900, and Dole became its first governor. Racial attitudes and party politics in the United States deferred statehood until a bipartisan compromise linked Hawaii's status to Alaska, and both became states in 1959.

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Hawaii, for example, is one of the most popular tourist destinations for travelers from the United States and Japan and many of its inhabitants have long been critical of the islands' booming tourism industry.

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Some Lahaina residents will be allowed into their neighborhood on Monday to see what is left of their homes, for the first time since wildfires swept across parts of Maui on Aug. 8 and killed at least 97 people, making it one of the nation's deadliest disasters.

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Remember: friendly locals and a solid police presence around downtown Honolulu and Waikiki Beach makes these areas largely very safe for tourists at night.

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Hawaii public officials want tourists back after the horrible wildfire as soon as possible, but airlines and tour operators know that it takes time for local communities to heal. Maui's tourism recovery has been moving at a sluggish pace since the wildfires devastated the island's western region in early August.

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The truth is, Hawaii is consistently ranked as the most expensive state in the United States due to high housing, energy, transportation and food costs. Don't be discouraged—that doesn't mean it's completely out of reach for a buyer looking for their slice of paradise.

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Relaxation and natural beauty are the top draws Known for its active volcanoes, wildlife refuges, and tall active peaks, it's little wonder that 88% of our respondents cite natural beauty as a reason for visiting Hawaii. Relaxing by the beach is the second most popular reason for visiting.

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For all of 2022, A total of 9,247,848 visitors arrived in the islands, representing an 89 percent recovery from 2019 (10,386,673 visitors). Total visitor spending was $19.29 billion, up 8.9 percent from $17.72 billion in 2019.

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A resounding 87% of survey respondents expect to travel at least as much as they did in the prior year, with 49% selecting that they expect to travel more. This is especially true among younger respondents, with 59% of those between the ages of 18 to 26 planning to travel more in 2023.

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The percentage of Americans traveling for one or more summer holiday weekends has increased from 67% in 2022 to 80% in 2023, with 54% of travelers going somewhere for the Fourth of July holiday weekend, 49% going somewhere for Memorial Day, and 41% traveling for Labor Day weekend.

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