The visitor industry in Hawaii is in a summer slumber that may not pick up any time soon.

Both the number of visitors to Hawaii and visitor expenditures continued double-digit declines for July, according to the latest statistics released yesterday by the state Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism.

The total number of arrivals by air and cruise ship fell 14.1 percent last month compared to July 2007, continuing the downward slump experienced in June, when the year-over-year drop in total arrivals was at 14.2 percent, the worst drop since June 2003.

Airports on Kauai and the Big Island will receive almost $6 million in grants from the Federal Aviation Administration.

Lihue Airport on Kauai will get $5.7 million in federal funding for improvements to its terminal building.

The grants are a part of the FAA’s Airport Improvement Program, which provides money for planning, development and noise-compatibility projects at public airports.

In spite of winning in court and having most of the case against the Superferry thrown out the Superferry has decided not to resume service to Kauai just yet.

The decision was made shortly after Gov. Linda Lingle spoke to a crowd of about 1000 hecklers saying the Superferry would resume service. Members of Lingle’s staff said that they also shouted obscenities at the governor and cursed her.

“I have been going to public hearings for 25 years, but I have never seen the personal rudeness that went on not just against people who were there to share information, but to their own fellow residents,” Lingle said.

Kauai is fast becoming the “in” place to vacation in Hawaii.

This year Kauai has been king with Matt LeBlanc’s much publicized Kauai wedding, and visits from stars such as Harrison Ford and Calista Flockhart, Gwyneth Paltrow, Jennifer Lopez, Ben Affleck and more.

Aside from those who come to visit there are the many movie stars who have homes on Kauai. So many that locals no longer pay attention to them when they see them in stores. That however, changed slightly with Matt LeBlanc’s wedding. At that time there were so many stars that no one was sure who was getting married and the paparazzi arrived in droves.

The Superferry will resume service on Wednesday September 26 said Gov. Linda Lingle.

“We respect everyone’s right to voice their opinion, but we will not allow a small group of protesters to act out in a lawless manner to obstruct the operations of a legitimate business, intimidate the people who wish to use its services or put people’s lives at risk,” Gov. Lingle said.

Gov. Lingle said the decision was made by a “unified command”.

The Superferry has elected not to make runs to Kauai this week although a judge did not issue the asked for temporary restraining order.

There is a hearing scheduled for Monday, the 17th on a request for a permanent restraining order until a environmental study can be completed. If that one is turned down the Superferry will most likely resume service after the hearing.

In the meantime a Big Island attorney, Larry Sinkin, is asking the Coast Guard to repeal its emergency ruling creating a federal security zone extending 100 yards around the Superferry at the Nawiliwili Harbor.

Unless a court order is issued preventing the Superferry from docking in Kauai’s Nawilili port, the ferry may resume bringing visitors to the island as early as Saturday.

The Coast Guard has set up a contingency plan for the Superferry to dock amidst the protests. They have designated a off-limits security zone that extends 100 yards out from the vessel that is to be maintained while the ferry is in the harbor. They have also set up an area for demonstrators to protest between Kalapaki Beach and Kukii Point.

The Superferry is on the national news due to the demonstrations and protests that have left it sitting idle in the water, stranding visitors to Kauai and the other islands who had planned to use the ship as transport.

Sitting idle it may be for the moment but a documentary scheduled to air on Thursday will focus on the building of the ship, how it was assembled, and how it performs in the water, bringing at least some of the mysteries of the ship to light.

On Sunday people, swam, stood and drove cars into the way of the Superferry in order to block its arrival and stop the cars from departing from the ship. It was not quite successful and eventually the Superferry docked and unloaded.

On Monday night they tried again this time 65 protesters were in the water and over 200 were cheering them on from the shore. They erected a human barricade of people. After 3 hours the Superferry turned away, defeated.

Carlson Wagonlit Travel Associates Fall Travel Trends Survey polling 390 Carlson Wagonlit travel employees shows that vacation travel is officially up over last year and lists Kauai as one of its top vacation spots.

The survey shows that overall bookings for the annual fall list is up by nearly 4% to 59.5 percent over last year.

Lihue, Kauai landed at number eight in the list of the top ten fall domestic travel destinations, Kahului, Mauai came in at number four and Honolulu at number three.