September 2019 Visitor Counts

2019 continues to underperform relative to prior year status.  Primary factors have been weather and facility closure.  Poor weather resulted in both Cross Channel and Cruise Ship cancellations and in fewer boaters in the harbor. 

All Arrivals

September visitation declined in all but two travel sectors. 

September total in-bound passengers = 96,425, down 3% from last year @ 101,440.  September 2019 was below the three-year average of 100,620. September was below the five-year average of 100,530 but exceeded ten-year average @ 90,884.

Arrivals by Sea

Avalon's combined Cruise & Cross Channel in-bound passenger counts for September totaled 86,575, down 3.6% from 2018.  Total people arriving by sea, including private boaters, was 94,590 for the month, down 3.4% from 97,922 last year.

• September Cross Channel passenger counts were down 6.8% year-over-year @ 65,871.
• 1995 had the highest volume for the month @ 78,320 passengers.
• 2008 had the lowest volume for the month @ 44,553 passengers.
• September passenger counts were below the three-year average of 68,614 by 4%.
• Cross Channel Carriers made up 66.93% of total monthly arrivals.

• Cruise passenger counts were up 8.1% year-over-year @ 20,704
• The number of Cruise Ships calling on Avalon was up to 11 from 9 in September of 2018
• 2015 had the highest volume for the month @ 28,317.
• 1994 had the lowest volume for the month @ 9,607.
• September passenger counts were above the three-year average of 18,692 by 10.8%.
• September passenger counts were below the five-year average of 22,485 by 7.9%
• September passenger counts were above the ten-year average of 10.6%
• Cruise passengers made up 21% of total monthly arrivals.

• Private Boater counts were down 0.6% @ 8,024
• 2011 had the highest volume for the month @ 10,494
• 2014 had the lowest volume month @ 6,812.
• September counts were below the three-year average of 8,061 by .5%.
• September counts were above the five and ten-year averages of 7,649 and 7,095 by 4.9% and 13.1% respectively.
• September Boaters made up 8.15% of total monthly arrivals

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Arrivals by Air

Avalon's combined in-bound air passenger counts for September totaled 3,826, up 8.48% from 2018.  

• People aboard planes (Airport in the Sky) was up 22.7% year-over-year @ 1,716.
• 2019 had the highest volume in current data, for the month @ 1,716.
• September counts were above the three-year average of 1,472 by 16.6%.
• Five and ten-year data sets are incomplete.
• September people aboard planes made up 1.74% of total monthly arrivals.

• People aboard Charter Helicopters was down year-over-year .9% @ 2,110.
• 2017 had the highest volume for the month @ 2,245.
• 2013 had the lowest volume for the month @ 1,310.
• September people aboard Helicopters made up 2.14% of total monthly arrivals.

• Year-to-date total arrivals = 816,350 down 4.2% from last year which was 852,485.  
• Year-to-date total arrivals is below the three-year average of 843,086 by 3.2%.

Note on year to date totals: the Airport in the Sky was closed January through May for runway repairs. 

To view historical data for total arrivals by sector, year and month in a spreadsheet form click here.  

Weather

Year-over-year comparison for highs, lows and precipitation is charted below for the month of September each year back to 2012.

The number of rain days by month is charted below.  2019 represents the most rain days year-to-date with 53 days recorded.  2017 had 36 rain days, 2012 had 20 rain days.