We knew 2012 would be a banner year for tourism. Turns out it was the best year on record.

Daily visitor spending in 2012 topped $39 million, state tax revenue reached $1.58 billion and the industry supported 167,000 jobs, according to the Hawaii Tourism Authority. That’s a stark contrast from the doldrums of 2009 when we hit a low of $27 million in visitor spending, $930 million in state tax revenue and just 133,000 jobs.

HTA President and CEO Mike McCartney credited the rebound to targeted marking programs and the boom in direct flights between Hawaii and new international markets. 

He said in a statement:

Through an additional $2 million in legislative funding for international markets and new flights from the Asia-Pacific region, we were able to further leverage our marketing efforts in international markets such as Japan, China, Korea and Australia, which significantly contributed to the growth in 2012.

Targets for 2013 include $14.88 billion in visitor spending and 8.2 million visitors.