The positive news from this MMA was a 13 percent increase in arrivals. However, a sharp drop in average daily visitor spending and average length of stay more than offset the gain in arrivals. The number of first-time visitors increased 44 percent while the number of repeat visitors declined. Group tours and package trips were the most common form of travel for this group. Most of the visitors from this region visited Oahu on their trip to Hawaii, but travel to Maui and the Big Island also showed some growth.
Hotels are by far the most prevalent type of accommodation for the Other-Asian market.
Not surprisingly, most visitors from the Other Asia market arrive from the international sector and that group increased sharply in 1999. However a surprising 29 percent of the visitors from Other Asia arrived in Hawaii from a domestic U.S. point of origin. According to PATA data, the 19 million, total outbound travelers from the Other-Asia MMA in 1999 represented a 12.7 percent increase from 1998. Hawaii accounted for a very small share of this travel, the bulk of which takes place within the region. The total number of visitors who utilized a cruise ship package was considerably more than the numbers above because many arrived first by plane rather than on board the ship.