Forty percent of affluent leisure travelers say they are interested in visiting Maui, according to the "Portrait of Affluent Travelers" study conducted by Yesawich, Pepperdine, Brown and Russell.

The company defined affluent as households with total annual incomes of $150,000 or better, which works out to the top 6 percent of all American households.

Maui tied with San Francisco as the second most desirable domestic destination for affluent U.S. travel consumers, following number one-ranked New York City, which polled 45 percent.

As for international destinations, Europe generated the most interest among this market, at 82 percent, followed by the Caribbean, 17 percent, and Mexico, 16 percent.