Hawaii Tourism Statistics

Hawaii, known for its beautiful beaches, pleasant weather and aloha spirit, has consistently attracted millions of tourists annually from all corners of the globe.

Around 9 to 10 million tourists visit Hawaii each year, with about 1.6 million of them arriving on international flights¹.

• In 2020, the pandemic caused a decline in Hawaii’s tourism, with total visitor arrivals dropping by 73.9%, resulting in 2.7 million visitors.
• Visitor numbers in 2021 increased to 6.8 million air arrivals², representing a 153.1% recovery compared to 2020³, but still below pre-pandemic figures. No cruise ships visited that year.
• The recovery continued into 2022, with Hawaii recording 9.1 million air arrivals, including approximately 905,000 international visitors². Cruise arrivals were much lower, with 95,309 cruise visitors in 2022.
• By 2023, air arrivals increased to 9.5 million, while cruise visitors reached 157,612⁴, indicating a steady recovery, although these figures were still slightly below pre-pandemic levels.
• Hawaii recorded 9.53 million air arrivals and 168,123 cruise visitors in 2024.⁴
• In 2025, air arrivals slipped to 9.49 million and cruise visitors to 149,778, according to preliminary figures.¹

How many people have visited Hawaii so far in 2026?

Hawaii welcomed 5.92 million visitors from January to July 2026, up 2.3% from 5.79 million in the same months of 2025.⁵ Of these, 5.83 million arrived by air and 95,896 by cruise ship.

• Air visitors included 4.92 million on domestic flights, up 2.7%, and 906,776 on international flights, down 1.0%.⁵
• Visitors spent $13.63 billion from January to July 2026, up 5.6% from $12.91 billion a year earlier.⁵
• July 2026 alone brought 881,256 visitors by air, up 1.2% from July 2025.⁵

How many people visited Hawaii in 2025?

Hawaii welcomed 9.64 million visitors in 2025, according to preliminary figures, down 0.6% from 9.70 million in 2024.¹ Of these, 9.49 million arrived by air and 149,778 by cruise ship.

• Air visitors included 7.88 million on domestic flights and 1.61 million on international flights.¹

How many people visited Hawaii in 2024?

• Hawaii welcomed 9.70 million visitors in 2024, with 168,123 cruise visitors and 9.53 million air arrivals.⁴

In 2025, most visitors to Hawaii came from the rest of the United States, which accounted for over 78% of air arrivals, according to preliminary figures. Japan and Canada were the largest international markets.¹

• 5,010,108 visitors came from the U.S. West and 2,405,658 from the U.S. East in 2025.¹
• Japan was the leading source of international visitors, with 731,922 in 2025, up 3.3% from 2024. Canada followed with 394,345, down 11.6%.¹ Visitors from all other international markets totaled 951,179, down 5.7%.
• The state has not yet published 2025 figures for other countries. In 2024, other contributors included Australia with 165,002 visitors⁴, Korea with 150,455 visitors, Europe with 117,962 visitors, and China with 51,579 visitors.

• In 2020, Hawaii experienced a sharp decline in tourism due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with only 2.7 million visitors, a 73.9% decrease from the 10.4 million visitors in 2019. The state published no full-year visitor spending total for 2020 because its visitor survey was suspended during the pandemic.³
• Most of the visitors in 2020 arrived by air (2.7 million visitors), while cruise tourism was almost nonexistent due to the pandemic’s impact on the industry.
• In 2021, Hawaii’s tourism sector began to recover, with 6.8 million visitors, representing a 150.3% increase from 2020 but still 34.7% below the 2019 level. Visitor spending rose to $13.13 billion, still 25.9% below the $17.72 billion spent in 2019.
• Air arrivals increased to approximately 6.8 million, while no cruise ships visited.
• Despite the improvement in tourism, both visitor numbers and spending were still below pre-pandemic levels.

The best time to visit Hawaii depends on what travelers are looking for in their vacation.

Hawaii experiences mild weather year-round, making it a popular destination at any time. However, certain months offer more advantages in terms of cost, crowd size, and weather conditions.

• The best times to visit Hawaii for lower prices and fewer crowds are from mid-April to early June and from September to mid-December. These periods, known as the shoulder seasons, offer cheaper airfare, lower hotel rates, and fewer tourists.
• The weather is warm year-round, but April to October generally sees less rain.
• Visitor numbers peak in March, June, July and December, while September, October and November have fewer tourists, making these ideal months for a quieter, more affordable trip.

What are the peak tourist months in Hawaii?

Visitor numbers peak in March, June, July and December, while September, October and November have fewer tourists, making these ideal months for a quieter, more affordable trip.

• In 2025, March recorded the most visitors arriving by air (890,010), followed by July (870,795).¹
• June saw 855,732 visitors and December saw 850,263.
• April (810,276 visitors) and August (806,776 visitors) were the other two months with over 800,000 visitors.

Daniel K. Inouye International Airport in Honolulu is Hawaii's busiest airport, with 10.43 million passengers boarding flights there in 2025, according to preliminary FAA figures. It ranked 30th among U.S. airports, and its boardings slipped 0.2% from 2024.⁶

• Kahului Airport (OGG) on Maui had 3.45 million boardings, up 1.0%.⁶
• Ellison Onizuka Kona International Airport at Keāhole (KOA) on Hawaiʻi Island had 2.03 million, up 0.5%.⁶
• Līhuʻe Airport (LIH) on Kauaʻi had 1.82 million, up 2.6%.⁶
• Hilo International Airport (ITO) had 703,669, up 3.4%.⁶

These counts cover everyone who boarded a flight, including residents and inter-island travelers, not just visitors.

• Pearl Harbor: A historic site where visitors can explore the USS Arizona Memorial and learn about the events of the 1941 attack. It receives about 1.8 million visitors annually.
• Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park: Located on Hawaiʻi Island, this park allows visitors to see an active volcano. It attracts around 1.1 million visitors each year.
• Haleakalā National Park is known for its sunrises and volcanic landscapes and sees about 1 million visitors annually.
• Honolulu, the capital of Hawaii, is a major tourist hub with attractions like Waikiki Beach and Diamond Head. The city’s airport handles over 5.6 million visitor arrivals each year.
• Waikiki Beach: Famous for its surf culture and views of Diamond Head Crater, Waikiki Beach draws about 4 million visitors annually.