Christine Hitt
Hawaii tourism demand has been soft the past two quarters, partly due to Maui's wildfire recovery but also to other factors, according to a report released this month by the University of Hawaii Economic Research Organization (Uhero).
"Maui's recovery continues to face challenges. Visitor numbers remain subdued, with occupancy rates at historic lows and labor force participation constrained by post-fire disruptions and outmigration," the report stated.
"Maui occupancy rates are now even lower than during the Great Recession when they were just above 58% in the first quarter of 2009," it continued.
Excluding Maui, the state is also seeing its average daily visitor numbers down by 1% compared to last year. This is due to visitors choosing shorter stays.
Uhero expects some growth in 2025, albeit slow. "Hawaii tourism, which has flattened this year, will show modest improvement in 2025, as visitor arrivals expand nearly 3%," the report said.