In another sign of the city’s recovery from the pandemic, a new report indicates that more tourists continue to arrive in NYC.
In 2021, there were 33 million visitors compared to 22 million in 2020, according to a new report from NYC & Company, the city’s tourism nonprofit.
In 2022, they expect the numbers to reach 56 million, still slightly below pre-pandemic levels in 2019, when there were about 66 million commuters in New York City.
Although tourism has not returned to pre-pandemic levels, domestic tourism is projected to fully recover next year.
Still, getting numbers back to pre-pandemic levels is a big task, said Chris Heywood, executive vice president of global communications for NYC & Company.
“We are facing a competitive situation where every tourist destination in the world is courting international and domestic travellers,” he said. “So what can New York City do to stay top of mind?”
Heywood said the city has budgeted $10 million to attract tourists, after spending $30 million last year.
International visitors are one of the main focuses.
“There are so many businesses that depend on the international traveler and these visitors are staying longer, spending more,” he said.
NYC & Company launched a new campaign called ‘Get Local NYC’ for visitors to explore the five boroughs.
The agency projects that 2023 will be the earliest the city reaches the same number of tourists as 2019.
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