Most expensive US state: Hawaii
The US’s most expensive state to visit: Hawaii. Average cost for two adults: $793 a day for just food an hotel costs.
So says an AAA survey.
State tourism officials, however, despite the figure, saying it is only about half that.
The auto club’s recommended daily budget for visitors to the Aloha State is triple the national average of $244 and more than double New York, the second-most expensive state at $320.
Nevada ($301) is third, followed by Florida ($289) and Massachusetts ($287) in AAA’s 2008 Annual Vacation Costs Survey. The figures do not include airfare and other costs.
Accommodations in Hawaii, at an average of $675 a night, propelled the state to the overall No. 1. The national average is $164 per night.
AAA said the lodging rates were calculated based on the most recent “published rates” for the more than 60,000 AAA approved properties. The published rates are also known as “rack rates,” or the full price of hotel or motel room.
But Hawaii tourism liaison Marsha Wienert said daily expenditures this year for a tourist in Hawaii has averaged about $179 per person, or $358 for a couple, well below AAA’s estimate. She pointed out that many attractions, from the beaches to the USS Arizona Memorial at Pearl Harbor, are free.
David
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
ADS PRO 
Global tourism exceeds 1.5 billion travelers announces UN-Tourism
Qatar Airways offers reduced timetable to over 60 destinations
WTTC global tourism reached record economic impact of 11 trillion in 2025
Hands In, UATP join forces for airline multi-card payments
Overseas travelers to the United States declined by 2.5% in 2025