The city was hopping for Thanksgiving, with 8,000 participants in the parade and hundreds of thousands of spectators lining the streets to take in the action. Although the markets (and many others) have been spooked by Omicron, real data is still two weeks away and there's nothing to indicate the variant will be a game changer. In the meantime, the CDC will likely tighten up testing requirements for foreign travelers—hopefully there won't be the need to add the self-isolation period that the U.K. has just adopted. New York is taking precautions but the general guidance to get vaccinated and boosted synchs up with the city's approach—our numbers remain much stronger than the state and the nation (as the Post notes, 97% percent of Queens adults and 94% of Manhattan adults are vaccinated, followed by the Bronx, Staten Island, and Brooklyn with vaccination rates of 86.4%, 84.4%, and 82.9% respectively).

In tandem with the reopening of U.S. borders to international travelers, New York City sees another sure sign of tourism’s return with new print versions of New York’s Original City Guide magazine. The new editions coincide with City Guide’s 40th anniversary, a run that has seen the publication become the largest and most widely distributed tourist magazine in the biggest city in the nation. In a media environment that has seen so many publications turn to digital-only or shutter altogether, the resilience of City Guide’s print presence is all the more impressive.

Today marks a milestone — we are excited to be shipping our first City Guide magazine to the printer in over a year and a half. The hundreds of thousands of tourists visiting our great city this holiday season (international guests start arriving today!) will be able pick up their Guide at hotels or information kiosks and use it to decide where to eat, what shows to see, stores to visit and which attractions will wow them.

The White House has new details for the return of international travelers on November 8th. Tweaks to the guidance will make it easier for families to travel (children under 18 will be exempted from the vaccine requirement) and there will be exceptions for emergency, humanitarian, and medical reasons. Recent data shows a rise in bookings to the U.S. in tandem with reopening borders, with clear peaks at the point of reopening and again for the winter holidays. In mid-October, NYC's weekend hotel occupancy reached a pandemic-era high of over 80%. Read on for other signs of NYC and tourism comebacks.

The big story this morning is the announcement that land borders between Mexico and Canada will reopen to the vaccinated in early November. Canadians historically send more travelers to NYC than any other place save the U.K., and land borders will be easier to cross as no negative Covid test will be required. The Delta variant appears to be waning, with global rates of infection falling. Recovery is not overnight, but the U.S. economy is emerging with consumer sentiment, spending, and employment more resilient than it has been following previous surges. United Airlines's domestic capacity in December will be 91% of what it was in 2019. Their data suggests pent-up demand will be manifesting ahead of the holidays.

City Guide’s Tourism Happenings, an industry magazine, is hot off the ether. Find a calendar of fall city events and a guide to Broadway reopenings. See photos from the top of One World Observatory at the NYC Tourism Is Back celebration. Get informed on the latest from BIDs and other sponsors of the Tourism Is Back cocktail reception, including news from NYC's leading organizations. Reconnect with everything that's going on in the city now—check it out!

Covid has taught us to be humble about predictions, but the latest numbers are heartening: U.S. cases have fallen 35% in the last month. This follows many expert predictions about the Delta variant and comes with other good numbers: hotel demand and Times Square pedestrian traffic are hitting pandemic-era highs. Manhattan office leasing is at its highest level since 2019. The volume of Manhattan home sales is the highest it's been in 30 years. People are betting big on New York City.

It's "a major turning point," in the words of U.S. Travel Association President and CEO Roger Dow. The Biden Administration is finally relaxing the rules that have kept international visitors out of the city for a year and a half. The new requirements are not too onerous—vaccines and a negative Covid test, with exceptions for kids too young to be vaccinated yet. 

The city's schools are full of kids again. Vaccine mandate enforcement has gone into effect. Major Broadway players are back under the lights. Things continue to change quickly and the majority of it is for the better for tourism's return. Read on for more good news on the opening and reopening front.

Although the Delta variant's impact on the economy is drawing most of the headlines, it's worth noting the good news for New York that's out there as well. The city will not be competing with European destinations in light of new international restrictions. On the domestic front, the number one fall destination for Airbnb searchers? That would be New York City. NYC will be ready to greet these visitors—many coming for longer stretches than usual—as reopening news continues to post.

This week we're confronting the E.U.'s decision to drop the U.S. from its list of COVID-safe countries for travel. Strictly taking a tourism point of view, New York becomes an even stronger attraction for those seeking European lures without enduring passport control. The word is getting out about New York's commitment to safety, too—a round-up of top Labor Day destinations includes NYC at #5 thanks to our vaccine requirements (the Washington Post called us out as well for being a safe option).

As New York City's recovery continues and visitors begin their return, the city's tourism industry came together last night, Monday, August 30th, for the "NYC Tourism Is Back, Start Spreading Your News" cocktail reception. Popular tourist destination One World Observatory hosted the gathering along with City Guide, the region's largest in-market tourism magazine, which has been serving New Yorkers and visitors since 1982. More than 300 guests following all health and safety protocols came together while more than 30 local institutions ranging from BIDs to tourism entities to the Brooklyn Nets supported the event as sponsors.

This week's game changers for NYC include the swearing in of Governor Kathy Hochul and along with it prospects for increased NYC sway in the capital—and more cooperation between city and state leaders (admittedly the last eight years have set a low bar). The FDA's decision to provide full approval of the Pfizer vaccine, moved up from Labor Day and expected to facilitate more mandates, will hopefully tamp down case loads and increase traveler confidence. The Mermaid Parade and the West Indian Day Parade have been cancelled for this year, but there is still plenty going on.

This week's game changer is the beginning of vaccine requirements for indoor life in NYC. The Mayor's new "Key to NYC" program began yesterday, although enforcement is still a month off. For vaccinated tourists it will increase a sense of safety and it won't stop families from coming—under 12s are still welcome, just required to be masked and accompanied by a vaccinated adult. For the unvaccinated, the indoor city will become less accessible, although so much is now outdoors that they should still be able to drink, dine, and otherwise get around.

The Governor is gone and the auto show is canceled. Again, lots of changes in a short span of time. Neither will have much downward drag on tourism's gradual return, with reports from malls and a major retailer that traffic has been ticking up in the last week. As the Delta variant intensifies in unvaccinated parts of the country, the reopening of international borders will be pushed back, increasing the opportunities for domestic travel. We do need to get through this period of hesitation, but on the other side there will be more and more draws for visitors to NYC.