New York City’s tourism recovery in 2022 reached 85% of record visitation levels in 2019 (pre-pandemic), according to NYC & Company, the official destination marketing organization for the city. It total, an anticipated 56.4 million travellers will have visited the by the end of the year, representing a 71.4% increase over 2021.
“New York City is not coming back – we are back,” said New York City Mayor Eric Adams. “After being the hardest hit of any city in the country during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, nearly 57 million travellers visited the greatest city in the world (in 2022), and that’s because every day we show more creative energy and success… We can’t wait to welcome even more visitors in 2023…”
New York will see 47.4 million domestic and 8.9 million international travellers visit the five boroughs – with international visitation alone more than tripling over 2021.
Moreover, the city expects to attract 61.7 million visitors in 2023.
“New York City has always proven itself to be resilient, and we have every reason to remain optimistic about tourism,” said NYC & Company President and CEO Fred Dixon. “With $40 billion in direct spend and a 71.4% increase in visitation, New York City as a destination has clearly demonstrated that its recovery pace is among the strongest in the country and that normal visitation patterns are returning.”
Several factors contributed to the city’s tourism rebound:
• Throughout 2022, New York saw a steady return of visitors across all five boroughs
• The demand for hotels remained strong and was supported by a steady increase in midweek business travel
• Meetings and conventions activity increased citywide with the Javits Centre seeing a 15% increase from August to December compared to the same period in 2021
• In addition, the resumption of airline service routes, the continuation of infrastructure investments throughout the pandemic, and the addition of new tourism offerings, programs, and major events across the five boroughs have been critical to attracting visitors back to the City.
Hotels and hospitality
At the time, hotel performance grew throughout 2022 and is forecast to reach nearly 32 million room nights sold, just 20% below 2019 record levels. For the week ending Dec. 10, hotel demand recovered 96% of the 2019 benchmark with over 800,000 room nights sold. Hotel occupancy was over 90% and the Average Daily Rate (ADR) was over US$400, which translates to a recovery of 124% of 2019 rates.
And tourism and hospitality-related jobs in accommodations, restaurants, shops, museums, theatre, transportation and attractions across all five boroughs also saw steady improvement—although still below pre-pandemic levels—with a roughly 13% increase. As of October, there were over 410,000 people employed in the full leisure and hospitality sector, accounting for 9% of all jobs in the City. The hotel sector, more specifically, also saw an increase in job strength, reaching 37,300 through October, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
New York City’s five largest international markets in 2022 were the United Kingdom (754,000), Canada (656,000), France (607,000), Brazil (520,000) and Spain (413,000).
Looking ahead
Ongoing investment across New York’s five boroughs will support ongoing tourism growth, says NYC & Company, with projects to include a multibillion-dollar slate of improvements at LaGuardia, Newark-Liberty and John F. Kennedy airports; a new Moynihan Train Hall; and an expanded Javits Centre to host business meetings and conventions.
More than 11,000 hotel rooms will be added to the City’s inventory in the next three years and new attractions, museums, tours, and other offerings continue to launch across the City.
New York will also benefit from major events in the coming years, including the celebration of the 50th anniversary of the birth of hip-hop beginning in 2023 and the hosting of the FIFA World Cup in 2026.