Hawaii: Catering to the Fewer

We stayed in a Waikiki hotel in 2012

The number of tourists to Hawaii hasn't recovered to 2019 levels, but total tourist spending of $11 billion in the first half of 2025 is nearly 24% higher than the first half of 2019. [bold added]

The shift toward fewer visitors who are spending more reflects the type of visitor Hawaii is now aiming to attract.

“It’s better for everyone, us residents, the infrastructure, and yes, even the industry. Hawaii doesn’t need more people. We need the right people, the ones who respect the place and are willing to invest back into it, this is what I have been pushing for years,” Bruce Fisher, Hawaii travel adviser and owner of Hawaii Aloha Travel, told SFGATE in an email.

Your humble blogger is a frequent returnee, but because he is able to stay with relatives has not been the target demographic for the Hawaii Visitors Bureau. For one out of five trips we'll splurge and stay in a hotel, and I must admit that Waikiki is very pleasant to walk around at night. Age and health will limit our future trips, so we'll be opening our wallets more. Besides, I've always wanted to be thought of as being among the "right people."