Maui appears to be on track to break last year's 2.6 million visitor mark.  We're already 3.2% above the same period last year.  We're also on track to top last year's visitor spending record of $4.5 billion.  We're currently 3.8% higher than the same period last year.  Maui has even seen an 18.2% increase in cruise ship visitors. Here's the breakdown across the major sources of tourism: West U.S. up 3%, East U.S. up 6.4%, Canada up 5.8%, and Japan up 3%.  *  U.S. Customs has just made it easier for Taiwanese visitors to apply for expedited customs and clearance.  The increase in visitors will benefit Hawaii, as last year visitors from Taiwan contributed more than $36 million to the state's economy, generated $4.2 million in state tax revenue, and supported 441. jobs.

What about a new kind of tourism - Medical Tourism.   Medical tourism is a $100 billion world-wide industry that attracts 11 million tourists who travel for medical treatment each year.  True, we can't compete with highly specialized destinations, or even with some of the less expensive places like Thailand and India.  But at this month's first-ever Pacific Regenerative Medical Conference in Hawaii a panel discussed the possibilities.  Hawaii would be more of a destination choice for patients seeking non-emergency health care services.  They thought Hawaii will appeal to high-end tourists from China, Japan and other places in Asia. Hawaii would create a unique experience focused on health, wellness, longevity and aging.