People watch from the summit of Haleakala as the sun rises. According to the latest statistics from the Department of Business Economic Development and Tourism, the number of visitors to Maui was up 9.2% in May compared to the same month last year. The Maui News/Eli Pace

When it comes to visitor arrivals and spending in Maui in the aftermath of the August 2023 wildfires, things are looking up a bit.

According to preliminary statistics from the Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism, Maui visitor arrivals in May were up 9.2% compared to the same month a year ago.

Visitor spending was up 8.4% or $414.1 million in May, compared to $382 million in May 2024.

In the first five months of 2025, there were 1,041,259 visitors to Maui, which was up from 924,242 visitors year-to-date in 2024 but down from 1,226,608 in 2019.

For the first five months of 2025, total visitor spending was $2.46 billion, an 11.3% increase compared to the first five months of 2024.

Statewide, the trends are a bit less dynamic. According to James Kunane Tokioka, director of the Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism, May 2025 saw a modest 1% increase in total visitors led by growth from the U.S. West, which offset fewer arrivals from the eastern U.S and Japan. Canada showed an 8% decrease.

Visitor expenditures in May 2025 were higher compared to May 2024, noted Tokioka, who predicted a slow summer.

“As we go into the summer months, air service from the mainland U.S., Japan and Canada is scheduled to decrease,” Tokioka said. “Combined with political and economic uncertainties, both nationally and globally, we are expecting to see a soft summer.”

In a related matter, the Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism reported that Maui County’s hotel occupancy in January was down 9.6% from the same month in 2024.

The average daily hotel rate was $591 — the highest in the state.

“The hotel occupancy rates have not been steady,” said Naomi Cooper, deputy director of the Maui Hotel & Lodging Association.

According to Cooper, hotel occupancy is lower than 2024 year to date as Maui County hotel numbers are reported at 64.5%, which is slightly less than last year at the same time.

Cooper noted that prior to COVID, occupancy rates were in the “healthy” range of 70% to 90% as opposed to much lower numbers post-COVID.

“Much of the increase in (visitor) spending correlates with inflation increases that may be misrepresenting the actual revenue generated by the market,” Cooper said. “Similarly, airlift can also be showing increases in workers coming in for projects or a temporary time period who are not necessarily visitors coming to stay at the hotel properties.”

Year to date, the Hawaiian islands saw more than 4 million visitor arrivals in the first five months of 2025, which was up 2.8% from 2024. Total arrivals declined 3.9% compared to the first five months of 2019.