Wednesday, March 9, 2016

Report: Record number of tourists to NYC will continue breaking records


[Photo on Astor Place last June by Derek Berg]

Not necessarily neighborhood specific. But perhaps of interest. In case you missed this in The New York Times today.

It has been a decade since former Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg decided to ramp up New York City’s efforts to attract more tourists, and city officials say there is no end to the influx on the horizon.

In Berlin on Wednesday, Fred Dixon, the chief executive of New York’s tourism-marketing agency, NYC & Company, plans to announce a forecast of 59.7 million visitors this year. That would exceed last year’s record of 58.3 million visitors by 2.4 percent and keep the city on pace for a goal of drawing 67 million annual visitors by 2021

Alicia Glen, the deputy mayor for economic development, said their goal is get tourists to explore other parts of NYC.

Tourism officials are hoping to persuade out-of-towners that “the cool thing to do is to get out of Manhattan,” Ms. Glen said. “You’re sort of a loser if you come to New York and just go to Times Square.”

22 comments:

Anonymous said...

Is this why record sales keep going up, as compared to CD sales? They sell them to tourists to break?

Anonymous said...

New t-shirt idea: I CAME TO NEW YORK AND BROKE A RECORD!

Scuba Diva said...

I'm still looking for the old T-shirt: "Welcome to New York…Now Go Home."

Giovanni said...

These NYC statistics are completely made up. There are only 100,000 hotel rooms in all of New York City. Where do these 60 million "tourists " sleep, on park benches? The majority of these daytime vagrants come in on rickety old buses from exotic places like Pennsylvania. They wander around, shop for trinkets, eat at Olive Garden, take a selfie with Elmo, see a show and go home. They are barely even here for half a day and only leave Times Square to visit the Empire State Buiding.

They're not tourists, they're wandering transients in sweatpants checking off another item on their bucket lists. Selfie with Elmo. Check. Standing ovation at The Lion King. Check. First slice of real pizza. Check.

john penley said...

There is also a record number of families with children living in City homeless shelters. A story that came out a few days ago but I guess for the nightlife and restaurant owners in the "East Village" which get promoted a lot here the tourist record numbers story is much more newsworthy to EVG than the record numbers of homeless families.

Anonymous said...

Calling tourists who go to Times Square "losers." Good job, deputy mayor.

NYC today! said...

And the chief executive of New York's tourism-marketing agency is in Berlin making this announcement, of curse! And said agency was the one responsible for making Tay Tay NYC's ambassador, and it's doing a splendid job, just look at that picture! And expect more of those out-of-towners in their blessed green washing machine alternate mode of transportation machines to be in the Bronx or your neighborhood they're making tourists to get out of Manhattan -- there is no escape. Welcome to New York! It's been waiting and made for you, tourists and transients!

Anonymous said...

The insane number of tourist just follows hyper gentrification as the worst thing about living in NYC these days. Everything built today is aimed at attracting the hordes of tourist example the High Line. Museums are now hideously swamped by them, foodie restaurants, even a walk over the Brooklyn Bridge any day of the year looks like a march for a charity. There was a time when avoiding the obvious (3 blocks surrounding the Empire State Bldg) Macys, Times Square and the Staten Island (Liberty Island) Ferry was enough. My block has nothing but Air BNB visitors every weekend.

Anonymous said...

@Giovanni

How's the weather up there on your horse?

Anonymous said...

take the L train to Williamsburg before it shuts down!

Anonymous said...

I agree with one of the last commenters. The High Line, The Brooklyn Bridge, Times Square, and anything around 34th street are places I avoid. Although, I did visit the High Line last month during a rain storm. There was one woman several feet in front of me. That was it. No one was behind. It was blissful. I could actually walk without anyone bumping into me or taking a picture. I almost jumped with glee because it felt I had the entire High Line to myself. The only time I choose to visit now is during a storm where tourists don't dare to go out. Sad right?

I've been here since 2000. And there has been an enormous amount of people visiting from abroad and the US over the last decade. While this might be good for consumerism, it is irritating for residents such as who pay a lot to live here. I don't dare visit museums unless it is early or late.

NYC has changed. It is becoming a theme park for tourists and a playground for the elite and wealthy. :(

Maybe I should move out of the country?

Anonymous said...


Move out of the world! It is becoming inhospitable to human (and other animal) life.

Anonymous said...

Another EV Gripe classic. Nothing satisfies the extremely small number of regular commentators on this blog.

Anonymous said...

NYC isn't just now becoming a "theme park" -- this has been underway since the late 70s. And leaving the city, or country, won't help because it's happening everywhere.

Anonymous said...

I don't get the endless excitement over the High Line. It's nice. But its not Niagara Falls. Or Central Park...

Anonymous said...

Exactly. I am sick of the commenters whining and bitching. Enough. Get a life. And shut up. Think and say something positive.

Anonymous said...

Giovanni > NYC has 115,000 hotel rooms. Most are occupied by at least 2 people. 115,000 x 2 = 330,000 x 365 = 83,950,000. Math is so hard!

Giovanni said...

@ 2:18 Sorry calculator jockey but your math just doesn't add up. The average international traveler stays here 7 days, while domestic travelers stay on average for 3 days. International travelers make up 20% of the total so let's call the average stay 4 days. Divide your 84 million beds by four and that's 21 million beds available at a 100% occupancy rate (vs the actual occupancy rate of 89%) leaving the other 40 million tourists sleeping on someone's couch or under a bridge, or more likely on a bus back to Pennsylvania. In any case you missed the whole point. Most of these people aren't tourists, they are transients passing though on a tour bus clogging the streets, but they make the tourism board's PR look more impressive, so mission accomplished.

Anonymous said...

NYC. Land of dreams and money.

JQ LLC said...

@Giovanni

I agree that number is exaggerated.

@ 218

Also factor-in Airbnb totals.

LPIFLY said...

Air BnB hotels rejoice. Ill invest in another lock and ear plugs.

Anonymous said...

Giovanni is totally correct, worked @ NYC & Company for yrs - they routinely create false numbers & manipulate what they can't outright falsify. All with our tax dollars (& hefty "membership" fees the hotels must cough up).