September 2025 Sees Surge in Visitor Spending

In September 2025, Maui experienced significant growth in visitor spending and arrivals, highlighting a recovery phase after the devastating wildfires in August 2023. The island welcomed 184,201 visitors in September 2025, an increase of 11.4% from 165,322 visitors in the same month the previous year.

Visitor Spending Trends in September 2025

Total visitor spending reached $436.4 million in September 2025, marking a robust rise of 19.9% compared to $364.1 million in September 2024. The average daily census on Maui was recorded at 43,996 visitors, reflecting a 6.7% increase from 41,243 the prior year.

For the first nine months of 2025, Maui saw 1,892,194 visitors, an 8.5% increase over 2024’s figure of 1,743,691. Visitor spending during this period totaled $4.35 billion, up 12.2% from $3.88 billion in the first nine months of 2024.

Significant Events and Visitor Activities

September 2025 was marked by over 3,000 out-of-state visitors traveling to Moloka‘i for the Na Wahine O Ke Kai World Championship canoe race. The event, held on September 28, saw participation from a record 73 teams from locations including Hawai‘i, California, Australia, and Japan. According to James Kunane Tokioka, Director of DBEDT, the event significantly contributed to visitor engagement.

Visitor Demographics and Spending Patterns

Preliminary statistics from the Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism indicate that Hawaii received 690,858 total visitors in September 2025. This represents a slight decline of 2.5% from the previous year’s 707,181 visitors. However, the average daily spending per visitor increased to $270, up 11.3%, driving total spending to $1.54 billion, an 8.1% rise in nominal dollars.

• Air Visitors: 674,860 arrived by air, mainly from the U.S. West and East.
• Cruise Visitors: 15,998 arrived via cruise ships.

Visitor Origins

The domestic market dominated visitor arrivals, with 342,608 individuals from the U.S. West and 163,579 from the U.S. East. Interestingly, U.S. West visitors increased their daily spending significantly, leading to a total spending of $737.5 million, while U.S. East visitors also contributed positively with $434.9 million spent.

Japan emerged as a critical source market with 72,214 visitors, showcasing an 8.6% growth from the previous year. These visitors spent $107.7 million, contributing to the overall tourism revenue.

International Visitor Arrivals

September 2025 saw 19,243 visitors from Canada, a slight decline from the previous year. Meanwhile, other international markets reported a drop in visitors, bringing in 77,216 individuals compared to 84,012 in September 2024.

Air Travel Capacity

Air capacity saw a slight decline in September 2025 with 4,432 transpacific flights providing 982,375 seats. This compares to 4,476 flights and 990,746 seats the previous year.

Overall, the data from September 2025 showed a promising trend in visitor spending and arrivals, indicating a resilient recovery for Maui’s tourism sector in the aftermath of recent challenges.