New York on Track to Welcome 47.5 Million Visitors in 2010

Preliminary visitor volume results show that New York welcomed approximately 23.5 million visitors in the first half of 2010, an 8.75% increase over the same period in 2009.

If the momentum continues, New York remains on course to host approximately 47.5 million visitors by the end of 2010 – a 4.2% increase over 2009 and a new record.

The tourism industry remains New York city’s fifth largest industry contributing to more than 300,000 jobs and nearly $30 billion in direct spending across the city’s five boroughs. New York is also on track to achieve its goal of 50 million annual visitors by 2012.

“The first half of 2010 has been particularly strong and our early projections show a return to record-breaking visitation levels,” said NYC & Company CEO George Fertitta. “Under the leadership of Mayor Bloomberg, we have created the City’s first global marketing campaign and developed strategic public-private partnerships that have built and promoted the brand of New York City around the world in a way that has ensures this $30 billion industry remain vibrant and engages to both visitors and New Yorkers alike.”

 From January through June 2010, the average hotel occupancy rate in the city was 6.8% above the same period in 2009, and the expansion of room demand has balanced the increased room inventory across the city. An additional 1 million more hotel room nights were sold compared to the same time period in 2009, outperforming 2008, which was also a record year.

 In addition, hotel tax revenues contributed $178 million to the city, up 25% over 2009.The first half of 2010 also saw a 9.4% increase in the number of Amtrak non-commuter passengers arriving at Penn Station to more than 1.8 million non-commuter arrivals. Similarly, the total volume of in-bound passenger traffic at the city’s three major airports rose 1.2% during the January-May period while international arrivals rose 4.8%.

Other indicators of the rebounding health of the industry include employment in the leisure and hospitality sector, which show continued increases since the beginning of the year, and by June 2010, more than 320,000 people were employed in the leisure and hospitality sector. In addition, Broadway theatres sold more than 6 million tickets an increase of 3.7% over the same period in 2009.

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