2017 saw an increase of 2.3 million visitors over 2016, marking the eighth consecutive year of tourism growth
Today, Mayor Bill de Blasio and NYC & Company—New York City’s official destination marketing organization— announced that 2017 was the eighth consecutive year for record-breaking tourism, with the City welcoming an estimated 62.8 million visitors last year, an increase of 2.3 million visitors over 2016. Visitation for 2017 was comprised of 49.7 million domestic and 13.1 million international visitors, both all-time highs.
“We’re keeping our door to the world open,” said Mayor de Blasio. “Even with all the headwinds from the White House, we attracted a record number of visitors to our city. That’s a testament to the strength of our tourism sector and the values of our city.”
“Despite geopolitical challenges and a travel ban that made our task of promoting tourism more challenging than ever, we are pleased to see that we overcame these hurdles to realize a consecutive eighth year of tourism growth in New York City, welcoming an all-time high of 62.8 million visitors last year. The strength from our Asia and South American markets helped offset drops in our traditional European core markets. At the same time, the City continued its constant trend of reinvention, always offering countless reasons to visit and discover all that our five boroughs only can offer, both iconic and new. And campaigns to counter the negative rhetoric such as New York City – Welcoming the World, reaffirmed our commitment to being an open and welcoming global capital,” saidNYC & Company President and CEO Fred Dixon.
In 2017, NYC & Company launched two campaigns, “New York City – Welcoming the World” and “True York City”, which helped position NYC as a must-visit destination despite challenges in the geopolitical climate and changes in travel policies. Overall, tourism last year grew 3.8 percent compared to 2016, when NYC welcomed 60.5 million visitors. Domestic visitation grew 3.9 percent, from 47.8 million visitors in 2016 to 49.7 million in 2017. International travel increased by 3.4 percent, from 12.7 million visitors in 2016 to 13.1 million in 2017.
"The world clearly loves New York, and we love our tourists - for the economic boost that comes with their visits as well as the excitement and energy that they bring to our streets. Our world-renowned attractions include the Theater District, Times Square and the High Line - and that's just in my Council district alone. I thank everyone for coming here and everyone who works to make those visitors feel at home in the Big Apple," said City Council Speaker Corey Johnson.
“Tourism continues to be a centerpiece of New York City’s economy, and we’re fortunate to continue to welcome record visitors year after year,” said NYC & Company Chairman Emily K Rafferty. “Despite headwinds we faced last year, the City’s unparalleled vibrancy and energy endured, drawing record visitors once again. I want to thank NYC & Company’s board and the organization’s 2,000 private member businesses for continuing to power City’s travel and tourism industry and for catapulting us to an eight straight year of growth.”
No comments:
Post a Comment