Despite dwindling visitor arrivals and tough economic times, Pro Bowl visitors spent more money this month than they did last year.

Visitors who came specifically to Hawai'i to attend the Pro Bowl, played at Aloha Stadium Feb. 8, spent $28.6 million, compared with $28.07 million in 2008, according to a study conducted by Market Trends Pacific Research.

The annual NFL All-Star game ended a 30-year run in Hawai'i and next year will be played in Dolphin Stadium in Miami a week before the Super Bowl.

This year's game, won by the NFC 30-21, generated $2.9 million in state excise, hotel and car-rental taxes, compared with $2.5 million in 2008, the study said.

"The Pro Bowl has been a part of our community for 30 years and we would like to see that relationship continue for years to come," said Lloyd Unebasami, interim president and CEO for the Hawai'i Tourism Authority, the agency that contracted with the NFL to bring the Pro Bowl to the state.

Honolulu Mayor Mufi Hannemann said the game is a potent economic boost for Honolulu and the Neighbor Islands as evidenced by the recent study.

"It underscores the importance of sports tourism, events like the Pro Bowl, and why we need to keep those types of games here and look for other sports tourism event opportunities," said Hannemann. "People are very selective now about where they travel and what they travel for."

There were 49,958 fans in the stands at Aloha Stadium for the Pro Bowl this year compared with 49,621 in 2008. Of those who attended this year's game, 24,230 were visitors compared with 24,761 in 2008.

The average length of stay for visitors to the Pro Bowl was 9.08 days, up from 8.51 days in 2008.

Pro Bowl visitors did not travel to the Neighbor Islands as they did in years past as only 30 percent planned an interisland trip, down from 35 percent in 2008, according to the study.

The Pro Bowl could return to Honolulu in 2011 and 2012 under the terms of an offer NFL officials presented to the state in the days leading up to the game.

The Hawai'i Tourism Authority will meet this month to vote on the NFL's offer. The offer calls for the state to pay the NFL about $4 million a game. Under the current contract, the NFL receives a $4 million annual subsidy from HTA.

Last month, the board rejected an offer by the NFL to play the game in Honolulu in two of the next four years starting in 2011.

The HTA board turned down that offer because HTA wanted exact dates that the game would be played.

Options to play the game in Honolulu in 2013 and beyond are still being negotiated, and NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has said that Aloha Stadium needs to be significantly improved before future dates are nailed down.