Hawaii hotels report February was worst month in a decade

HONOLULU (AP) - February was the worst month for Hawaii hotels in about a decade, according to analysis by a state agency.

The Hawaii Tourism Authority report published Monday used analytical data from hotels to determine that statewide occupancy last month fell to levels not seen since August 2009, the Honolulu Star-Advertiser reported Tuesday.

Statewide occupancy dropped nearly 3 percentage points to 83.4 percent from February 2018 and revenue decreased nearly six percent from a year ago to $360 million, according to the report.

The average daily room rate dipped more than 1 percent to $290 and revenue per available room declined more than 4 percent to $242, the report said.

The occupancy drop is a carry-over from last year’s volcanic eruption on Hawaii island and severe weather events, which slowed tourism’s pace, said Keith Vieira, principal of KV &Associates Hospitality Consulting.

Also negatively affecting hotels were disruptions at top state attractions, including Hawaii Volcanoes National Park on the Big Island, Haena State Park on Kauai and the USS Arizona Memorial at the WWII Valor in the Pacific National Monument on Oahu, Vieira said.

He predicted the rest of the first half of this year will be a weak period for Hawaii hotels.

There is too much uncertainty to determine whether Hawaii’s hotel industry will bounce back this year, said Joseph Toy, president and CEO of Hospitality Advisors LLC.

“Discretionary travel, especially when it’s long haul, is very sensitive to consumer confidence,” he said.

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Information from: Honolulu Star-Advertiser, http://www.staradvertiser.com