The NFL Pro Bowl that returned to Hawaii last Sunday after a  year’s absence accounted for $28.15 million in visitor spending and generated $3.07 million in state taxes from those people who came here specifically to attend the annual all-star game.

Even though the amount of spending was down slightly from $28.6 million the last time the game was played in Hawaii in 2009, the amount generated in tax revenue was up about 6 percent from $2.9 million in 2009, according to a Hawaii Tourism Authority visitor research survey that was conducted by Market Trends Pacific Research.

The game, which was played the week before the Super Bowl, attracted 49,311 spectators, down slightly from 49,958 in 2009. Last year’s game was played in Miami, also the week before the Super Bowl. The timing of the game was changed in the hope of increasing television viewership, and the move paid off with a Nielsen national rating of 7.7, a 42.6 percent increase from 2009.