he Hawai‘i Tourism Authority (HTA), the state’s tourism agency, today announced that the Pro Bowl will return to Hawai‘i in 2009. The state-sponsored Pro Bowl is administered and coordinated for the State of Hawai‘i through the HTA.

“We are very pleased that the National Football League (NFL) will bring the Pro Bowl to Hawai‘i for the 30th consecutive year,” said David Uchiyama, Vice President Marketing for HTA. “The Pro Bowl has a tremendous financial impact on our community and provides significant worldwide exposure for Hawai‘i as a visitor destination. HTA views the Pro Bowl as an important marketing vehicle for our state. As such, this is a very exciting announcment for the HTA. To date, we have had two initial meetings to discuss a future agreement with the NFL and this is very positive news.”

In 2007, the Pro Bowl accounted for more than $28 million in spending. In addition to the economic contributions to the state, the NFL provides other important benefits to Hawai‘i including youth training clinics which allow boys and girls to train with some of the NFL’s best and over $3.5 million in charitable contributions to the state over the past 10 years.

The Hawai‘i Tourism Authority was created in 1998 to ensure a successful visitor industry well into the future. Its mission is to strategically manage Hawai‘i tourism in a sustainable manner consistent with our economic goals, cultural values, preservation of natural resources, community desires, and visitor industry needs.

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