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Hawaii Forecasts A 6.7 Percent Drop In Tourists This Year

Wednesday: August 20, 2008

(Honolulu Star-Bulletin)

State officials are forecasting a steeper-than-expected drop in visitors to Hawaii, the Honolulu Star-Bulletin reports.

The Hawaii Dept. of Business, Economic Development and Tourism’s latest forecast says tourist arrivals are expected to decline 6.7 percent this year. That’s down from the May forecast of a 3 percent drop in arrivals in 2008. Hawaii receives over seven million tourists a year.

The agency is also forecasting a 0.8 percent decline in visitor arrivals in 2009. However, the state says Hawaii’s largest industry should see 1.4 percent and 1.7 percent gains in arrivals in 2010 and 2011, respectively.

A weak U.S. economy, the failure of two airlines serving the islands, and the withdrawal of two Hawaii-based cruise ships are behind the weak visitor arrival figures for 2008.

http://starbulletin.com/2008/08/19/business/story04.html