It seems Australians don’t care much about the unfavourable exchange rate right now, they just care about experiencing more of that sun, surf and Aloha spirit in Hawaii.
According to latest figures, the Australian tourism market to the destination continues to break records with some 333,998 Aussies visiting the Hawaiian Islands last year. That’s a 7.8 percent increase on 2014.
Australian visits lasted for around 9.53 days and contributed around $802.26 million to the local economy.
Despite a 1.7 percent rise in overall expenditure, the average spend per person dropped by 5.6 percent – a result of the falling Aussie dollar.
Oahu continues to be the most visited island for Australian arrivals, however, last year almost a third travelled beyond the international gateway to neighbouring islands such as Maui, which hosted more than 61,000 Aussies.
According to Kerri Anderson, Hawaii Tourism Oceania’s Australia Country Manager, Australians are keen to push past the unfavourable exchange rate in order to experience the dramatic geographical diversity, food, sporting events, culture, history and range of experiences.
“Australians go back to Hawai’i again and again, with more than 45 percent of visitors on at least their second trip so it’s heartening to see that the declining AUD hasn’t deterred them from choosing a Hawai’i holiday.”
Kerri Anderson, Hawaii Tourism Oceania Australia Country Manager
Hotels remained the primary accommodation choice for Australians visiting in 2015. There was a 34 percent increase in choice of condos and a large growth in alternative options such as rental homes and bed and breakfast properties.
