Kihei’s Kamaole Beach Park II has room for visitors to spread out Thursday morning. Maui saw 215,148 visitors in May, compared with 251,665 in May 2019 according to Hawaii Tourism Authority. The Maui News / MATTHEW THAYER photo

Even as Hana Highway is clogged with visitors and residents feel overwhelmed by tourists flocking back to Maui, May visitor totals for the Valley Isle didn’t reach pre-pandemic levels.

According to Hawaii Tourism Authority preliminary statistics released this week, Maui saw 215,148 visitors in May, compared with 251,665 in May 2019. Last year, 1,054 visitors arrived to the island in May as the COVID-19 pandemic and heavy travel restrictions were ongoing. 

But visitors are spending more, with $409.2 million spent in May for a 2.2 percent increase over May 2019, which saw $400.4 million spent. 

Overall, the state in May saw 629,681 visitors, mainly from the U.S. West and East, for a 25.7 percent decrease from May 2019, when there were 847,396 arrivals.

In May, visitors statewide spent $1.10 billion, down 22.2 percent from $1.41 billion in May 2019.

Prior to the pandemic, the state experienced record-level visitor expenditures and arrivals in 2019 and in the first two months of 2020.

As travel restrictions ease and more people are vaccinated, Maui has seen arrivals for the most part increasing each month since October. The only dip was from December to January, when arrivals dropped from 90,605 to 66,925.

Since the reopening of travel to the state, arrivals to Maui have been: October, 23,103; November, 63,740; December, 90,605; January, 66,925; February, 92,608; March, 170,750 and April, 178,105, according to HTA data.

Even though visitor numbers have not hit pre-pandemic levels, Mayor Michael Victorino and the Maui County Council are taking steps to try to manage tourism better.

Victorino said he has met with airline executives to determine their willingness to voluntarily reduce flights into Kahului Airport and with state Department of Transportation Airports Division officials about gate congestion at the airport. 

At his news conference Tuesday, Victorino said he spoke to “a number” of airlines but didn’t name them.

“Many of them were very understanding, a few thought that air lift was not something we should be discussing and that they should have the right to decide that,” Victorino said.

He said the “good news” is that “they are listening,” but the “bad news is that visitors are still coming.”

Victorino attributed the influx to the pent-up demand for travel and the continued closure of other destinations to international visitors.

He said he welcomes visitors but the priority is the community and he wants to ensure that visitors are respecting the environment and residents.

Victorino said he also has met and talked with Maui police and state legislators about illegal parking and congestion along Hana Highway. 

The Maui County Council’s Infrastructure and Transportation Committee discussed the issues and possible solutions for Hana Highway on Monday. The council is also considering two bills that would halt building permits for transient accommodations, including hotels, as a way to curb overcrowding and mitigate the effects of tourism. 

HTA said the average daily census showed there were 58,412 visitors per day on Maui in May. In comparison, there were 956 visitors per day in May 2020 and 60,389 visitors per day in May 2019. 

Through the first five months of 2021, there were 723,536 visitors to Maui compared to 604,888 for the same period in 2020, versus 1.23 million visitors for the same period in 2019. 

For the first five months of 2021, total visitor spending was $1.39 billion, down 34.5 percent from $2.13 billion for the same period in 2019. 

For the full reports, visit hawaiitourismauthority.org.

* Melissa Tanji can be reached at mtanji@mauinews.com.