New York is ringing the clock for tourism recovery

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New hotels, renovated airport terminals, expanded convention center… the Big Apple is starting the recovery of its tourism with solid arguments, including in the business segment.

New York, more than two years after the start of the pandemic, is already welcoming the return of the French. The destination is now counting on the visit of 515,000 of our compatriots in 2022 – including many business travelers – i.e. a recovery of more than 60% compared to the record figures of 2019. And it anticipates a catch-up of 90% the next year.

« France is in third position in the international ranking of countries sending visitors to New York, behind Canada and Great Britain. added Christopher Heywood, Executive Vice President of International Communications at NYC & Company, having started a tour this Wednesday in Paris that will continue elsewhere in Europe with press, trade and MICE events. The opportunity to present the “Get Local NYC” campaign inviting visitors to visit the five boroughs of the city (Brooklyn, Bronx, Manhattan, Staten Island and Queens), as well as the international campaign It’s time for New York City.

The new hotels

Perhaps the most striking fact is the number of new hotels opening in New York. More than 9,000 rooms will be commissioned in the city this year. One of the spectacular establishments will be the Aman New York Fifth Avenue, equipped for example with three wellness floors. Others include the Ritz Carlton NoMad in Madison Square Park, and the Hard Rock Hotel New York in Midtown Manhattan. The Renaissance group is also opening new hotels in Harlem and in the Flushing district (Queens) in the coming months. Other new hotels, the Virgin Hotel New York City and the Barrière Le Fouquet’s New York. The Moxy Hotels group, for its part, is due to inaugurate hotels in the Lower East Side of Manhattan and in Williamsburg (Brooklyn) later this year. And The Fifth Avenue Hotel is due to open this fall.

More observation points

With its Broadway theatres, its famous museums, its concert halls, or even its offers structured around exploring the city in the footsteps of TV series, there are countless ideas for going out in New York. The observation points of the city are also a must. The Empire State Building, Top of the Rock and One World Observatory have recently been joined by Summit One Vanderbilt and The Edge. With for the latter also the possibility of admiring the skyline with City Climb, harnessed in the void more than 365 meters above the ground. For thrill seekers! A new attraction also started this year, RiseNY, an immersive and interactive experience allowing visitors to observe the metropolis virtually, by flying over the city more than 10 meters above the ground, like a bird.

The renovation of the Javits Center convention center

The Javits Center was recently renovated and expanded, a four-year project that cost over $1.5 billion. This center located in Manhattan has recently been equipped with a green roof of more than 28,000 m², which has become a sanctuary for the birds of New York. Event participants can also understand the efforts made by this structure to reduce its energy consumption (more than 3,000 solar panels have, for example, been installed on its roofs).

Airports undergoing modernization

Major transformations have recently been carried out at the airports of LaGuardia (dedicated to domestic flights), Newark and John.F.Kennedy, which have recently been equipped with new terminals.
. LaGuardia is undergoing an extensive renovation program. The new Terminal B has 35 boarding gates and new shops and restaurants including Shake Shack and FAO Schwartz. Its terminal C will open in the coming months. Delta is also investing heavily in the modernization of Terminal D. It should be added that New York’s third airport will also be linked to the city center by a rail service (AirTrain), probably from 2025.
. Newark, later this year, will open a modernized Terminal A, offering 33 new departure gates directly connected to a multi-level car park. Also later this year, Newark will lay the groundwork for a new 2.5-mile elevated subway/shuttle system that will reduce travel time from the airport to downtown.
. Terminal 8 at JFK airport will be inaugurated next December with more than 12,000m² of new and renovated spaces, intended for American Airlines and British Airways. Scheduled to open in 2026, construction of JFK’s new Terminal 1 will also begin this year. It should also be remembered that an agreement was signed two years ago between Delta Air Lines and JFK International Air Terminal to expand terminal 4 at the airport; this agreement also provides for the demolition of terminal 2.

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