Record-breaking April for Hawaii tourism sector

A strategic focus on supporting experiential culture programs and the growing volume of commercial air capacity both contributed to strong arrival numbers to Hawaii in April, says the Hawaii Tourism Authority. The month of April reached all time highs for this typically slow period for Hawaii’s tourism economy. Both visitor spending and arrivals surpassed past record years for April, reaching US$1.16 billion and more than 640,000 visitors. The increases in airlift to the Hawaiian Islands with new routes, as well as the moves to larger aircraft, were significant contributors to the successful month, said the HTA. It anticipates growth to continue into May due, in part, to experiential programs like Mele Mei and theNa Hoku Hanohano Music Festival. “While recovery has been challenging, and the future of the global market remains unstable, we feel confident that tourism will continue in an upward swing,”said Mike McCartney, president and CEO of the Hawaii Tourism Authority. “We are committed to working with the industry, community and global marketing partners to achieve our targets for the year.” (http://hawaiitourismauthority.org)