New York City Expects Record High Tourism in 2013

New York City is likely to draw 54.3 million visitors in 2013, an all-time high in tourism in the five boroughs and a 54% increase since Mayor Michael Bloomberg took office twelve years ago.

Mr. Bloomberg, said that the city is on pace to reach 55 million annual visitors by the end of 2014, one year ahead of his administration’s target date. The number of people visiting the city increased roughly 3% in 2013, compared with 2012, and there are about 19 million additional annual visitors since 2002.

In 2013, 11.4 million visitors traveled from outside the U.S., a financial benefit for the local economy because international tourists tend to spend more than domestic travelers. The number of international tourists increased 4.6% from the earlier year and about double since Mr. Bloomberg took office.

City officials estimate the overall economic impact of tourism in 2013 to be $58.7 billion. Direct visitor expenditure is projected to be $39.4 billion, up from $36.9 billion in 2012. According to the city, the number of hotel room nights sold in 2013 is expected to reach 30 million, an increase of 1 million compared with the previous year. Compared with 87.6% in 2012, average hotel occupancy in 2013 is expected to be 87.8%.