Visitor spending on Hawaii Island leaped to $854.2 million in the first quarter from $741.1 million in the first quarter of 2023 and from $646.4 in the first quarter of 2019, according to a monthly report from the state of Hawai‘i Department of Business, Economic Development &Tourism (DBEDT). That marked increases of 15.3 percent and 32.2 percent, respectively.

Across the Hawaiian Island chain, visitor spending was up on Kauai and Oahu, but down on Maui.

On the island of Kauai, a sizzling start in the first quarter has visitor spending on track to best last year’s record-setting total of $2.76 billion.

Visitor spending on Oahu inched up to $2.17 billion in the first quarter from $2.11 billion in the first quarter of 2023, and from $1.98 billion in the first quarter of 2019. That marked gains of 2.8 percent and 9.4 percent, respectively.

Visitor spending on Maui sank in the three-month period ended March 31, as the island economy continues to recover from a series of wildfires on Aug. 8, 2023, including the deadly Lahaina Fire.

Total visitor spending weighed in at $1.42 billion in the first quarter, compared with $1.79 billion in the first quarter of 2023 and $1.33 billion in the first quarter of 2019. That marked a decrease of 20.7 percent and an increase of 6.4 percent, respectively.

Overall, visitor spending measured $5.22 billion in the first quarter, compared with $5.37 billion in the first quarter of 2023 and $4.49 billion in the first quarter of 2019. That marked a drop of 2.7 percent and an increase of 16.3 percent, respectively.

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