In exactly one week, on November 8th, the USA will open its borders again to conventional travelers from the EU and Schengen area. The opening of the most popular long-distance travel destination of the Swiss population was eagerly awaited – not only by those willing to travel, but also by the travel industry. At the top of the list of US travel destinations, as usual, is New York City. Travelnews spoke to Fred Dixon, President & CEO of the tourism marketing company NYC & Co., on the phone about the city’s comeback.
–
Mr Dixon, how did you react to the announcement that the country would open up to Europeans on November 8th?
Fred Dixon: We were of course delighted with this news. The European source market is extremely important to us. We therefore immediately sought contact with these markets again and traveled to London for the “Brand USA Travel Week” and the “World Travel Market”, holding a few meetings with organizers and the media in Hamburg and Frankfurt in between. This time it was not enough for a visit to Switzerland. But we are also looking forward to the valued travelers from Switzerland and were pleased to see that the flight program to the USA and especially to New York will also be restarted from Switzerland.
What are your expectations for the rest of 2021?
We honestly have high expectations. The fourth quarter is traditionally very strong in New York – we are known for Christmas shopping, the Macy’s Thankgiving Day Parade at the end of November or the “Tree Lighting” at the Rockefeller Center, which will take place on December 1st this year. These events already attract many Americans; now we assume that many Europeans will seize the opportunity for a short trip to New York before the end of the year.
At this point you have to say something about the Covid restrictions on site. How do they currently look?
These seem to me to be very similar to those in the DACH region. In other words, there are very few restrictions for people who have been vaccinated. There is one important difference in New York to the general rule for the USA: To enter the USA, people aged 18 and over must be vaccinated. In New York, however, certain activities require people to be vaccinated when they are 12 or older. An unvaccinated person under the age of 18 is of course allowed to come into town, but will not be able to access restaurants or indoor attractions, for example. Children under 12 years of age who cannot or are not allowed to vaccinate are then required to wear a mask.
This means that you have to present proof of vaccination to visit museums, Broadway shows or restaurants from the age of 12. Attention: It is enough if you have only received the first of two vaccine doses.
What about the mask requirement in general?
There is no statutory mask requirement in New York City, but businesses can decide for themselves whether to enforce a mask requirement. This means that you can dine here and there without a mask, elsewhere this is required, depending on the discretion of the provider / host. For example, it is currently still mandatory to wear a mask for Broadway shows. So you should certainly have masks with you, but you may not need them.
In this context I should also mention that there are now many more outdoor areas in bars and restaurants in New York. There used to be a lot less that in our city, but the pandemic has brought people outdoors and thus significantly increased the offerings outside, whether at street level or on roof terraces. In the coming winter, the supply may be a little less temporarily, but basically there is now much more opportunity to consume outside and therefore mask-free.
–
So everything is not back to normal.
Of course not, but we are still very optimistic. All museums are open, over 30 Broadway shows are on, shops are open, the situation is under control. Apart from small Covid-related inconveniences, you can enjoy New York to the full as usual.
How about the prices? Have they increased or decreased?
Many hotels and attractions have kept their price level, and the better-known providers in particular have retained their “price integrity”. Of course, attempts have been made and are still being tried here and there with discounts to stimulate demand. The winners are certainly the “early gamblers”, who benefited early on from still low airfares and also from low tariffs in the hotel sector. Average room rates in New York City in the fourth quarter will be at their highest levels for 2021, but still below pre-pandemic rates. Since we assume – and also hear from tour operators – that travelers are now indulging in something more than ever, i.e. a kind of upgrading of their own travel entitlements is taking place, so there is even more for the money.
So you can say: the price / performance ratio is currently very good. So I would say now is the best time to go to New York City in a long time.
Do you have to expect capacity problems?
No, we are not that far yet. “Overtourism” will certainly not be an issue in the near future. Demand is already recovering well, but we are still a long way from previous demand figures. In addition, it is not as if New York was asleep: In recent months, new hotels – and new attractions – have also opened, so capacity has been further expanded.
Even after the almost two-year interruption in visits, there are already completely new attractions to visit. Do you have a couple of examples?
Yes where do i start? Air travelers will experience a brand new terminal in Newark, as will LaGuardia if they arrive via this airport. There’s a new roller coaster at Coney Island amusement park. The USA’s first QC Spa opens on Governor’s Island. There are countless exciting exhibitions running in the museums, currently for example on Christian Dior in the Brooklyn Museum or on Vincent Van Gogh in Pier 36. The Flatiron District has the world’s first “Harry Potter Flagship Store”. And of course there are countless new restaurants, and next year there will also be the popular “Restaurant Week” with over 400 participating restaurants. All innovations are listed in detail on our website.
–
What about new hotels?
During the pandemic, some exciting hotels have opened their doors and are now waiting to be discovered by Europeans. For example the Aman New York, a luxury hotel on posh Fifth Avenue. Nearby is the new The Langham New York. Also worth mentioning are the Riu Plaza Manhattan Times Square, the Arlo Midtown, the Japanese-inspired Henn Na New York near Times Square, the Margaritaville on Times Square or the The Wall Street Hotel New York City. The Civilian in the Hells Kitchen district is only a few weeks old.
Although we’re talking about Manhattan first. There are also exciting developments in the other boroughs, in the hotel sector as well as in the cultural and attraction sectors.
Exactly, these other boroughs should continue to be advertised …
NYC & Company recently launched the “It’s Time for New York City” campaign, the city’s largest multi-tiered global tourism marketing and advertising campaign to date. The first stages of the $ 30 million tourism revitalization campaign kicked off this summer and were initially aimed at US citizens. Now is the time to include international visitors as well.
New York City attaches great importance to celebrating the various communities in the five boroughs and has also made new offers available for this purpose, for example specific experiences with titles such as “The Black Experience in NYC” or “The Latino Experience in NYC”. In addition, we will continue to provide up-to-date information for travelers on the topics of “LGBTQ + NYC” and “Accessible NYC”. The message is clear: We are open to everyone, in all of our five boroughs. See you soon!
–
