The 2011 Valero Alamo Bowl may have improved Baylor quarterback Robert Griffin III's chances of becoming one of the first players selected in the 2012 NFL draft.

It also boosted the San Antonio economy.

The 2011 game generated $39 million in total economic impact for San Antonio based on direct visitor spending of $21.5 million, according to a survey conducted by Strategic Marketing Services    Strategic Marketing Services Latest from The Business Journals Follow this company and SportsEconomics.

The direct spending from the 38,590 out-of-market visitors who attended the bowl game between Baylor and Washington translated into $1.3 million in new tax revenues for the city.

Since its inception in 1993, 19 Alamo Bowls have attracted a total of 724,222 visitors and generated direct visitor spending of more than $371 million.

"We knew last year's recording-setting game hit it out-of-the-park with one of the most talked about and viewed bowl games in ESPN history," says Derrick Fox, president and CEO of the Valero Alamo Bowl.

Over the last five Alamo Bowl games, the average direct spending has averaged $30.7 million. That puts the Alamo Bowl on pace to break the $400 million mark for its 20th anniversary game this December, officials say.

"The success of the Valero Alamo Bowl has paved the way for the city hosting other events that benefit San Antonio's economic cycle of visitation," says Michael Sawaya, director of the city's Convention Sports & Entertainment Facilities department. "A game like last year adds to San Antonio's well-deserved reputation for being an ideal host for major sporting events and validates the city's commitment to investing in the Alamodome    Alamodome Latest from The Business Journals Follow this company , as we believe it delivers significant returns."

The study also revealed that out-of-state visitors for the 2011 Alamo Bowl stayed an average of 3.3 days, spending $255 per day. And 56 percent of those out-of-state visitors indicated this was their first trip to San Antonio.

W. Scott Bailey covers health care, tourism, sports business, economic development; he also plans and edits some special reports.