The Aloha State welcomed well over half a million visitors in January

Tourist-dependent Hawaii experienced a 20 percent jump in visitor spending for the month of January as the tourism industry continues to show signs of economic recovery.

January’s return of the NFL Pro Bowl didn’t hurt matters either, as the island state played host to the game once again following its one-year stint in Miami.

In January 2011, Hawaii welcomed 595,487 visitors. That number was up 12.2 percent from the previous year.

While tourism officials were pleased with the increase in visitors and spending, they are aware of the nature of such a tenuous recovery.

“The sustained momentum is encouraging, but there continues to be many factors that can disrupt recovery of Hawaii’s tourism economy,” said Mike McCartney, president and CEO of Hawaii’s tourism agency.

He noted that fuel prices and labor disputes could be prove to be potential setbacks for the recovering industry.

Source: Bloomberg