Tourism News Articles
NYC Latest Tourism News
As we wrap up 2021, we look back at a year full of challenges, but also a time with many green shoots of growth—the return of Broadway, the return of international travelers, the return of New York City tourism. Even in the context of the Omicron variant, there remains plenty of supporting data indicating an ongoing return for New York City. Despite the high-profile Broadway cancellations of the last few days, and the early end of the Rockettes's run, a look at the Broadway League's new resource for schedules shows the majority of shows going forward as planned. (And grosses have been up, while capacity holds steady.)
.jpg?1)
Holiday Tourism News for NYC
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.
.jpg?1)
NYC Is the #1 U.S. Holiday Tourism Destination and Other News
It's been another roller coaster news cycle for New York tourism. Omicron looks to be more contagious, but also more mild, so there's reason it think it won't be as disruptive as Delta. Travel restrictions were placed on parts of Africa, but it looks like they'll be lifted soon. The CDC has tightened Covid testing requirements for international travelers, but polls show Omicron fears won't significantly affect travel.
Omicron and the Latest for NYC Tourism
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).
NYC Tourism News Ahead of the Holidays
As we come down the homestretch on 2021 we are feeling thankful at City Guide. Thankful for the return of international tourists. Thankful for vaccines and the new treatments that will allow us to come together again. Thankful for governmental support and its promotion of our city. Most of all we are thankful for our colleagues and all our loyal partners. As we reflect with friends and family this weekend, we will feel grateful we have such a strong, vibrant community in New York City tourism, one that has better times ahead on the near horizon.
International Travelers Return to NYC and Other Tourism News
It's been a little over a week since international tourists were allowed back in and already we're starting to see the impacts. One promising note in an article on big bets by midtown restaurateurs is a report of a sushi counter already fully booked through Christmas—and that's at a place that just opened! It's all thanks to international travelers.
International Travelers Return to NYC and Other City Tourism News
Covid cases are plunging in NYC. Headlines like "Here Comes the Travel Boom" are everywhere. Delta reports a 450% surge in international bookings. Tourism research firms have shaved a year off the rebound timeline in their latest forecasts—U.S. hotels could be fully recovered by next year. At City Guide we certainly think so, and we're backing that with our newly redesigned magazines hitting the city next week.
NYC Tourism Latest
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.
Revised Rules for International Travel: NYC Tourism Latest
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.
CDC Travel Guidelines and Latest NYC Tourism News
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.
Reopening Borders and Other NYC Tourism News
The big story is the announcement that land borders between Mexico and Canada will reopen to the vaccinated November 8th (international air borders will also reopen November 8th). 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.
Tourism Happenings Magazine
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!
NYC Tourism Latest News
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.
Fall Openings and NYC Tourism News
With the return of international tourism imminent, pieces are falling into place. Airline routes will stabilize and other nations will follow the U.S.'s lead, unfreezing borders around the world. We are confident a significant traveler flow is coming our way. The timing is excellent for the city's holiday push. The return of tourism tracks other indicator's of the city's health, like the luxury sales market—which is breaking records with three months of the year yet to go. There are lots of bright points on the opening/reopening front as well.
International Travel to NYC: U.S. to Reopen Tourism
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.
NYC Reopening: Latest Tourism News
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.
.jpg?1)
Remembering 9/11, TKTS, and Other NYC Tourism News
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.
NYC Tourism Comeback
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).
André De Shields Highlights “NYC Tourism Is Back” Gathering Ahead of Return to Broadway
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.
NYC Tourism Latest
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.
'Key to NYC' and Other NYC Tourism News
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 Latest in NYC Tourism
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.
NYC Openings and Tourist Updates
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.
Openings and More: NYC Tourism Latest
Subway ridership is up and the MTA notes declining crime, back to pre-pandemic levels. (And there will be no fare hike this year.) More signs of return for NYC. The Times this week reports the city is looking to culture to lead the comeback. As the Broadway and Off-Broadway calendars fill in, and more festivals announce dates, that shift is already well underway.
Hotel Openings and More NYC Tourism News
The Met is back over 10,000 visitors a day. Hotels may not be at capacity yet, but they're getting close. As a commenter put it on the Everything To Do NYC Facebook Group this week, "The city has come alive again and it's amazing!" Once again, the reopenings and returns continue to roll in.