The major question for tourism right now is whether Omicron is another Delta—suppressing travel and spending—or whether this variant will prove to be a milder version with less effect on New York City. Early reports are favorable from a tourism perspective.

City Guide congratulates Mayor-Elect Eric Adams, who will be inaugurated as the 110th Mayor of New York City. We are hoping an influx of strong leadership will guide midtown and the broader city through our immediate challenges. On the tourism front there are some encouraging signs. National bookings are on the rise ahead of the November 8th border re-openings. Covid concerns are ebbing. Allianz Partners recently analyzed more than 2 million roundtrip itineraries and found Americans' top choice for Thanksgiving weekend is NYC. City Guide will be ready for the arrivals. This week we are putting together new print editions of the magazine, which will appear all around the city starting a week ahead of Thanksgiving.

On November 8 international travelers will be eligible to return. Already, international searches on U.S. travel are spiking. The CDC has just released its latest guidance and it clears holiday gatherings and travel for the vaccinated. U.S. travel numbers were better than expected in September, reaching pandemic-era peaks, and traveler intent remains strong. The Lincoln Square BID notes foot traffic in the neighborhood has nearly doubled as arts and culture have returned. Charlotte St. Martin, president of the Broadway League, reports most of September's 77 performances were sold out or close to full. These confluences of factors bode well for an active holiday season in NYC.

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.

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.

There’s less traffic, so things are a bit easier for pedestrians, and you don’t have to worry as much about the reckless drivers in Midtown, for example. The Upper East Side has a reputation for being safe, charming, and a bit luxurious too. You are away from some of the city's touristy areas, but you can always get there if you’d like to. The following are some general things visitors should know about staying on Manhattan’s Upper East Side.

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.

New York is becoming the perfect vaping destination for many tourists, as you can now legally vape in public in the city. The new law allows vaping in hotel rooms, common restaurant areas, sports arenas, workplaces, adult clubs, and any other places allowing legal vaping.

We knew there would be speed bumps on the road to recovery and we're experiencing a few now. Caution over the Delta variant, rising case loads in non-vaccinated parts of the country, the CDC's new recommendations, and the continuing restrictions on international travel are all hitches on our way. But they're just hitches. The city's attractiveness to visitors remains strong. The full lineup for the August 21st Homecoming Concert has been announced and it's phenomenal. Expect to see tourists flowing into the city for that event, in addition to many more upcoming returns and openings.

There haven't been many ticker tape parades through downtown in recent years, making today's celebration all the more inspiring. At 11am, the city will celebrate our "Hometown Heroes" with a big thank you to healthcare, transit, and all the other frontline workers who kept the city going through the pandemic. Although we are not clear of COVID yet, the success of the July 4th weekend bodes well for recovery.

This week's breaking news is the Governor's announcement that when New York reaches 70% adult vaccination most COVID restrictions will be lifted. In as little as two weeks we could be done with capacity restrictions, social distancing, cleaning requirements, health screenings, and contact tracing. The city is changing so quickly already but this will accelerate it.

An informal exploration through Brooklyn, Queens, and Manhattan this past weekend revealed a shifting attitude towards masks in the city. After many months of citywide discipline, a lot more faces are suddenly visible. (The CDC is onboard with it—the latest guidance is that fully vaccinated people don't need to be masked outdoors under the right conditions.) The plummeting of the COVID rate in the city further reflects the changing times. Accordingly, capacities are expanding, and there's more opening news...

New York City was hit early and hard by the COVID-19 pandemic. The city shut down in March 2020, and in many ways, has remained closed since then. The city is starting to see signs of life once again, however, and it may be the case that 2021 is one of the most compelling times to see the city. The following are some of the biggest reasons to visit New York in 2021.

The world's smallest art masterpiece. The famous art you're probably carrying in your wallet. New York City’s unique resilience. The Behind The Experience video series discovers these and more little-known city secrets hidden inside the Museum of the City of New York.