In New York City, a surge in tourists from the United States offset declines in international and business travel, helping to push tourist tax revenues above pre-pandemic levels.
Last year, 62.2 million people visited New York, State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli said in a report released Thursday. (Unsplash) {{^userSubscribed}} {{/userSubscribed}} {{^userSubscribed}} {{/userSubscribed}}
Last year, 62.2 million people visited New York, State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli said in a report released Thursday. Though that’s down from 66.6 million in 2019, those visitors are expected to generate a record $4.9 billion in sales and other tourism-related tax revenue this fiscal year, up 16% from 2020, thanks in part to higher rates for hotel rooms and other services.
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The coronavirus pandemic crippled America’s largest city since early 2020, killing thousands of residents, devastating office and retail markets and forcing many to flee to the suburbs or other states. The city has been recovering slowly but surely, with tourists returning to Broadway shows, museums and other tourist attractions.
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Tourism officials had hoped to surpass pre-pandemic levels this year, but a slower-than-expected recovery in international travel has forced them to push back their projections to 2025. In that year, the city expects to welcome 68 million tourists, DiNapoli said.
“A full recovery in the travel industry will not be realized until international and business travelers return in full,” DiNapoli said. “City and state leaders must focus on keeping New York an attractive and safe travel destination for individuals and families from around the world.”
International tourists account for about 20% of the city’s annual visitors. In 2020, international tourist numbers fell 82.2% to 2.4 million, due mainly to a decline in tourists from China, where the virus originated, as many countries imposed travel restrictions. They then recovered to 11.6 million last year, but that’s still down 14.1% from before the pandemic.
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Meanwhile, domestic travelers are driving the recovery: 50.6 million U.S. visitors came to the country last year, up 7% from 2022.
The report said domestic and international business travel is recovering slower than leisure travel, falling from 3.4 million in 2019 to 400,000 in 2021 before rising to about 2.3 million.
Additionally, New York City’s overall tourism industry is still down 10.4% compared to pre-pandemic levels, employing about 30,000 fewer people, DiNapoli said.
Despite the slow recovery, New York is expected to remain the largest tourist destination in the United States, with 33 million overnight visitors in 2023, surpassing Las Vegas (26 million) and Los Angeles (21 million).
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News / World News / US News / New York City’s tourist tax revenue hits $4.9 billion, surpassing pre-pandemic levels
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