TOURISM IN NEW YORK CITY SKYROCKETED IN 2024

Kevin Eagan - Jan 13, 2025
0
Listen to this article 00:03:11
Your browser doesn’t support HTML5 audio

Tourism in New York City experienced significant growth over the past year, nearing pre-pandemic levels and solidifying its status as a key economic driver for both the city and the state. With 64.3 million visitors, the Big Apple reached 97% of its record in 2019.

The influx boosted the local economy and supported more than 388,000 jobs in the hospitality and tourism sector, as New York City Tourism + Conventions reported.

In 2024, New York City celebrated nearly 65 million visitors, marking the second-highest figure in the city's history. NYC remains a vibrant hub for tourism, drawing millions of visitors from around the globe and generating an economic impact of $79 billion.

America's Top Tourist Destination

Julie Coker, President and CEO of New York City Tourism + Conventions, emphasized that the tourism sector "continues to thrive," reflecting the city's strength and attractiveness on the world stage.

"In 2024, we saw growth in both visitor arrivals and spending, with an estimated total of more than $51 billion in direct spending in the city and state," Coker added.

According to the executive director, this recovery supported "more than 388,000 jobs" in the hospitality sector and generated "over $6.8 billion" in tax revenue.

Experts have noted the significant impact on local small businesses, including restaurants, stores, cultural institutions, and retailers. The nearly $51 billion in direct visitor spending has benefited thousands of local businesses.

Key Source Markets for Tourism in New York City

Tourism growth was propelled by a substantial rise in domestic visits and a recovery in international tourism, mainly from Europe. Approximately 51.3 million domestic visitors traveled to New York, nearing the levels seen in 2019. Regarding international tourism, 13 million foreign visitors contributed around 50% of the total spending.

The main source markets include:

  • United Kingdom: 1.1 million visitors.
  • Canada: About 1 million tourists.
  • France, Brazil and Italy: more than 700,000 visitors each.
  • China: 609,000 travelers.
  • Spain: 494,000 tourists.

The New York hotel sector showed promising growth as of November 2024. According to the latest newsletter, over 700 hotels sold 34.1 million hotel nights, marking an increase of 4.1% compared to the previous year. However, this figure is still 6% lower than the numbers recorded in 2019.

As of November last year, occupancy rates reached 83.9%, and there were approximately 122,600 active hotel rooms in the city.

Looking ahead, hotel nights sold are anticipated to approach 40 million by 2025, nearing the pre-pandemic levels.

Related articles

Comments

Add Comment