HONOLULU (AP) — Hawaii’s tourism industry is starting to rebound as people return to travel and concerns about the coronavirus ease.
Data from the state Department of Commerce, Economic Development and Tourism showed domestic arrivals in March were on par with 2019 levels, the Hawaii News reported on April 1.
A record 10 million people arrived in the state in 2019.
When the pandemic hit, Hawaii was the only U.S. state that required a negative COVID test or vaccination to avoid quarantines, effectively ending most of 2020 and most of 2021 for tourism.
The new numbers still don’t have much tourism from Japan, one of Hawaii’s biggest markets.
“We know there’s pent-up demand,” said Murphy Hanneman of the Hawaii Lodging and Tourism Association. “People want to be able to travel because they’re locked up.”
High demand is being met by limited supply in Hawaii, driving up costs.
“There’s usually more inventory available,” says Bruce Fisher of Aloha Travel in Hawaii. “Now they’re asking for higher prices, and you used to be a lot cheaper.”
Airplane and rental car gasoline prices are also high, adding to the cost for potential tourists.
