Tourism statisticsRegion2026

Big Island Tourism Statistics: 1.8M Visitors in 2025

Q: How many tourists visit the Big Island?

The Big Island had 1,752,589 visitors in 2025, according to the Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism. AirROI estimates 145,346 Airbnb stays in the Big Island in the 12 months to October 2026, which is a separate count of bookings.

Q: What is the quietest month in the Big Island?

September was the quietest Airbnb month in the Big Island in the 12 months to October 2026, ranking 12th of 12, and August ranked 11th. Stays in September were booked about 63 days ahead, against 89 days for February.

Q: How long is a typical Airbnb stay in the Big Island?

A typical Airbnb stay in the Big Island lasted 5.7 nights in the 12 months to October 2026, booked about 74 days ahead. By month, stays ran from 4.4 nights in September to 7.4 nights in January.

The Big Island, in Hawaii, United States, recorded 1,752,589 visitors in 2025, the Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism reports. AirROI estimates 145,346 Airbnb stays in the Big Island in the 12 months to October 2026, with Kailua the most booked town. The busiest month was January.

Source: AirROI Reviewed by Jun Zhou, Founder @ AirROI Updated November 4, 2026

Airbnb figures are AirROI estimates for the 12 months to October 2026. Read the method

Estimated Airbnb nights: 833,043
Typical Airbnb stay: 5.7 nights
Busiest Airbnb month: January
From within the United States, among guests who left a review: 84%

Key facts

Big Island Tourism Facts

Each sentence names its place, period and source, so it can be quoted alone.

Official

The Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism puts the Big Island at 1,752,589 visitors in 2025.

Airbnb stays

AirROI puts Airbnb stays in the Big Island at 145,346 in the 12 months to October 2026.
AirROI estimates Airbnb stays in the Big Island added up to 833,043 nights in the 12 months to October 2026.
AirROI estimates a typical Airbnb stay in the Big Island lasted 5.7 nights in the 12 months to October 2026, booked about 74 days ahead.

Busiest months

AirROI ranks January the busiest Airbnb month in the Big Island in the 12 months to October 2026, followed by February and March, with September the quietest.
AirROI estimates the six busiest Airbnb months in the Big Island ran unbroken from December to May in the 12 months to October 2026.
AirROI estimates Airbnb stays in the Big Island ran longest in January, at 7.4 nights, against 4.4 nights in September, in the 12 months to October 2026.

Guests

AirROI estimates 84% of Big Island Airbnb guests who left a review as of October 2026 were from within the United States, and Canada at 4.2% and Germany at 1.6% were the top countries abroad.
Among Big Island Airbnb guests who left a review as of October 2026, Seattle was the top origin city at 3%, ahead of Los Angeles at 2.4%, AirROI estimates.

By place

AirROI estimates Kailua had the most Airbnb stays of the Big Island's 19 towns in the 12 months to October 2026, at 18,743, ahead of Holualoa and Kailua-Kona.

Official numbers

How Many Tourists Visit the Big Island?

The Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism counted 1,752,589 visitors in 2025.

Official tourism figures for Big Island: what each counts, its year and its publisher
Figure	What it counts	Year	Publisher
1,752,589Visitors	Visitors to Hawaii Island	2025	Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism

Airbnb stays

Airbnb Stays in the Big Island

The Big Island had 6,073 Airbnb homes in the 12 months to October 2026. They took an estimated 145,346 stays and 833,043 nights. A typical stay lasted 5.7 nights and was booked about 74 days ahead. AirROI's figures cover the 19 towns it tracks in the Big Island; places it does not track are not counted, so every total is a floor.

Airbnb homes: 6,073
Airbnb stays, estimate: 145,346
Airbnb nights, estimate: 833,043
Typical stay: 5.7 nights
Booked ahead: 74 days

Busiest months

When Is the Busiest Time in the Big Island?

On Airbnb, January was the busiest month in the Big Island in the 12 months to October 2026, then February and March. September was the quietest. The six busiest months run unbroken from December to May.

January ranks first, September last

Airbnb months in calendar order, 12 months to October 2026. The number is the month's rank, and 1 is the busiest. The bar shows its part of Airbnb nights.

Three busiest months
Other months

From busiest to quietest: January, February, March, December, May, April, June, July, November, October, August, September.

Month by month: rank, typical stay and days booked ahead

Airbnb months in the Big Island by rank, with share of nights, typical stay and days booked ahead, 12 months to October 2026
Rank	Month	Share of nights	Typical stay	Booked ahead
1	January	10.1%	7.4 nights	87 days
2	February	9.6%	6.5 nights	89 days
3	March	9.5%	5.5 nights	73 days
4	December	8.8%	6.1 nights	82 days
5	May	8.0%	5.1 nights	67 days
6	April	8.0%	5.3 nights	79 days
7	June	7.9%	5.1 nights	65 days
8	July	7.9%	5.5 nights	70 days
9	November	7.9%	5.6 nights	79 days
10	October	7.8%	5.3 nights	82 days
11	August	7.4%	4.7 nights	64 days
12	September	7.3%	4.4 nights	63 days

Share is each month's part of the year's Airbnb nights. Typical stay and days booked ahead are AirROI estimates for stays in each month.

Where guests come from

Where Do Big Island Airbnb Guests Come From?

About eight in ten Big Island Airbnb guests who left a review as of October 2026 were from within the United States (84%), and the top countries abroad were Canada at 4.2% and Germany at 1.6%, AirROI estimates. Among the same guests, Seattle was the top origin city at 3%, ahead of Los Angeles at 2.4%. The figures rest on 439,907 reviews, written over many years.

84% from within the United States

Among guests who left a review, as of October 2026

Top countries abroad

Among guests who left a review

Canada 4.2%
Germany 1.6%
China 1.2%

Top origin cities

Among guests who left a review

Seattle 3%
Los Angeles 2.4%
San Francisco 2.2%
New York 1.9%
Portland 1.4%
Honolulu 1.1%

By town

Most Booked Towns in the Big Island

Kailua, Holualoa and Kailua-Kona took 37% of Airbnb stays in the Big Island in the 12 months to October 2026. January is the busiest Airbnb month in 15 of the 19 towns, led by Kailua, and March in 3, led by Honaunau-Napoopoo. Among guests who left a review, the share from abroad across these towns runs from 4.5% in Kamuela to 20% in Hawaiian Paradise Park.

Most Booked Towns in the Big Island: Airbnb stays, nights and typical stay, 12 months to October 2026; with origin among guests who left a review
#
1	Kailua	18,743	135,057	7.2 nights	18%	Canada	January
2	Holualoa	18,526	108,679	5.9 nights	16%	Canada	January
3	Kailua-Kona	17,060	100,887	5.9 nights	16%	Canada	January
4	Kahaluu-Keauhou	15,108	89,190	5.9 nights	13%	Canada	January
5	Hilo	12,687	62,293	4.9 nights	17%	Canada	January
6	Volcano	10,886	32,200	3.0 nights	14%	Canada	January
7	Waimea	8,444	54,762	6.5 nights	6.8%	Canada	January
8	Pāhoa	7,750	44,124	5.7 nights	16%	Canada	January
9	Waikoloa Village	7,257	45,516	6.3 nights	13%	Canada	January
10	Kapalaoa	6,524	38,749	5.9 nights	10%	Canada	February
11	Keaau	5,904	30,345	5.1 nights	16%	Canada	January
12	Hawaiian Paradise Park	3,711	20,272	5.5 nights	20%	Canada	January
13	Captain Cook	2,511	13,092	5.2 nights	16%	Canada	January
14	Mountain View	2,385	9,030	3.8 nights	16%	Canada	January
15	Honaunau-Napoopoo	2,202	12,262	5.6 nights	15%	Canada	March
16	Waikoloa	2,168	14,436	6.7 nights	14%	Canada	March
17	Hawaiian Beaches	1,414	8,608	6.1 nights	18%	Canada	January
18	Puakō	1,037	7,304	7.0 nights	6.6%	Canada	January
19	Kamuela	1,029	6,236	6.1 nights	4.5%	Canada	March

* Among guests who left a review. Stays, nights and other figures are AirROI estimates for the 12 months to October 2026, and cover Airbnb only. US is the top origin in every town, among guests who left a review, so this column names the top country abroad. A town with no tourism page of its own links to its Airbnb market page.

FAQ

Questions About Tourism in the Big Island

How many tourists visit the Big Island?

The Big Island had 1,752,589 visitors in 2025, according to the Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism. AirROI estimates 145,346 Airbnb stays in the Big Island in the 12 months to October 2026, which is a separate count of bookings.

When is high season in the Big Island?

The busiest Airbnb month in the Big Island in the 12 months to October 2026 was January, then February and March. The six busiest months run from December to May.

What is the quietest month in the Big Island?

September was the quietest Airbnb month in the Big Island in the 12 months to October 2026, ranking 12th of 12, and August ranked 11th. Stays in September were booked about 63 days ahead, against 89 days for February.

How long is a typical Airbnb stay in the Big Island?

A typical Airbnb stay in the Big Island lasted 5.7 nights in the 12 months to October 2026, booked about 74 days ahead. By month, stays ran from 4.4 nights in September to 7.4 nights in January.

Where do Airbnb guests in the Big Island come from?

Of Big Island Airbnb guests who left a review as of October 2026, 84% were from within the United States, AirROI estimates. The top countries abroad were Canada at 4.2% and Germany at 1.6%. Among the same guests, the top origin city was Seattle at 3%, ahead of Los Angeles at 2.4%.

What is the most booked town in the Big Island on Airbnb?

Kailua was the most booked town in the Big Island on Airbnb, with an estimated 18,743 stays in the 12 months to October 2026, ahead of Holualoa and Kailua-Kona.

Are Airbnb stays the same as tourists?

No. The Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism counts visitors (1,752,589 in 2025). An Airbnb stay is one booking on one platform, however many guests it holds. AirROI's 145,346 stays are estimates for the 12 months to October 2026.

Method

How These Numbers Are Made

Official figures come from their publishers, linked above, and were last checked in November 2026. Stays and nights are AirROI estimates for the 12 months to October 2026, built from Airbnb listing data, and cover Airbnb only. Nights add up each town's stays times its typical stay, across 19 towns. Month ranks compare each month's part of Airbnb nights. Origin rests on 439,907 reviews and describes guests who left a review, not everyone who stayed. Read the method page.