If you live in Waikiki, or anywhere in the state for that matter, new research is telling you something that you probably already know — there are more Chinese tourists in Hawaii, and they’re spending more money.

 

According to research by Hawaii Tourism China, Chinese visitor arrivals increased by more than 25 percent during the first 11 months in 2014. And whether you’re working in retail or real estate, it’s pretty evident that the Chinese are here, and contributing to Hawaii’s economy.

 

According to the Hawaii Department of Business, the number of other international travelers to Hawaii decreased 1.8 percent in 2014, but Chinese travelers are the exception. Hawai’i Tourism China reported that 146,968 Chinese tourists visited Hawai’i between January and November of 2014; that’s over double the entire population of Kauai County. Not only has the number of visitors increased over 25.8 percent from 2013, Chinese travelers are spending more when they visit the islands.

 

But what are they spending all of this money on?

 

An estimated 100 million Chinese tourists traveled overseas in 2014, and each visitor spent over $3,200 each trip. According to Hawaii Tourism China, 57.8 percent of their spending goes to shopping. Each Chinese visitor spent over $401 per person per day, which is a 2.8 percent increase from last year’s spending.