Fewer tourists coming to Hawaii!

[macuu222]

It doesn't take a rocket scientist to determine why fewer people are visiting the islands....... Look what the airlines are charging to get here! It's " almost double" what they charged last year at this time! When that happens...people from the mainland go to Florida and Mexico or don't travel at all!

http://www.staradvertiser.com/news/break...=252749281

[Bullwinkle]

agreed

southwest has also added low cost caribbean destinations from the west coast - siphoning vacationers, cuba will be welcoming americans as well ...mexico giving the nod to soft drug vacations recently.

More competition for the tropical destination tourist dollar. Not a good time to have high air fares to Hawaii

[Chunkster]

Airline mergers have produced a situation where reduced competition allows the three majors (United, Delta, and American) far more freedom to increase prices than before. I was surprised that the Justice Department didn't more vigorously oppose the mergers. Meanwhile, Hawaii gets a double whammy because of the lack of low cost carrier service. I believe that the highly unreliable Allegiant is the only LCC flying to Hawaii currently.

[fishenjim]

Cuba always has welcomed Americans you just can't get there from here.You have to fly/sail from outside U.S.and our gov frowns on this.Just be patient another financial debacle is on the horizon.This will drive down the price of fuel and spur another round of staycations.Air fare to Hawaii will drop drastically.

[Guest]

I wonder what the prices are to fly from China or the Philippines TO our Islands?. Has any one done the math to figure out how much money it cost to fly a large plane here, compared to how much a plane makes per trip?. I see a lot of airline mergers lately but not to many going out of business?. How is the aviation business after that terrible crash of flight 370?. I really don't want to fly any where for awhile, heard of many old birds(planes) are still being flown.
P.S. The prices are outrageous right now!! Do folks really have to pay inter island fare as well, its 2014?. (We need more direct flights?)

[punafish]

Tourism is a fickle business, not something anyone with half a brain would want to depend on. To compound the problem, Hawaii's tourism is 100% reliant on air travel, a fragile "bottleneck" that can be easily disrupted by rising fuel prices, a terrorist attack or simply airlines going out of business. Just last year the airlines were complaining there wasn't enough hotel inventory in Oahu to accommodate the record-breaking number of travelers flying to the islands. The powers that be obviously aren't looking past next quarter's earnings, forgetting the unending cycle of boom or bust. And here we are again.

[Chas]

Gee, ticket prices to Hawaii go up almost 50% and tourism drops off... whoda thunk it?

[LaurelJ]

Of course just my opinion but you can have the Caribbean. I have been there twice and will NEVER return. There is just no way to beat Hawaii. Both times I went to the Caribbean, I spent the whole time, wishing I was in Hawaii. The Caribbean is a cheap imitation of the spirit that IS Hawaii, especially the BI, and the Puna area. I for one will forever love Hawaii and continue to come, regardless of the cost, as it calls to my heart when I am not there []

[macuu222]

I personally love the Caribbean. The beaches are fantastic....the food is great....and the prices for everything are very affordable compared to Hawaii. Plus you have quite a diverse culture just going from one island to the next.

[Bullwinkle]

and history - from pre columbian ruins to really cool spanish colonial -