latest tourism data

By Bastian Herre, Veronika Samborska and Max Roser

Tourism has massively increased in recent decades. Aviation has opened up travel from domestic to international. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of international visits had more than doubled since 2000.

Tourism can be important for both the travelers and the people in the countries they visit.

For visitors, traveling can increase their understanding of and appreciation for people in other countries and their cultures.

And in many countries, many people rely on tourism for their income. In some, it is one of the largest industries.

But tourism also has externalities: it contributes to global carbon emissions and can encroach on local environments and cultures.

On this page, you can find data and visualizations on the history and current state of tourism across the world.

Interactive Charts on Tourism

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Travel, Tourism & Hospitality

Global tourism industry - statistics & facts

What are the leading global tourism destinations, digitalization of the global tourism industry, how important is sustainable tourism, key insights.

Detailed statistics

Total contribution of travel and tourism to GDP worldwide 2019-2033

Number of international tourist arrivals worldwide 1950-2023

Global leisure travel spend 2019-2022

Editor’s Picks Current statistics on this topic

Current statistics on this topic.

Leading global travel markets by travel and tourism contribution to GDP 2019-2022

Travel and tourism employment worldwide 2019-2033

Related topics

Recommended.

• Hotel industry worldwide
• Travel agency industry
• Sustainable tourism worldwide
• Travel and tourism in the U.S.
• Travel and tourism in Europe

Recommended statistics

• Basic Statistic Total contribution of travel and tourism to GDP worldwide 2019-2033
• Basic Statistic Travel and tourism: share of global GDP 2019-2033
• Basic Statistic Leading global travel markets by travel and tourism contribution to GDP 2019-2022
• Basic Statistic Global leisure travel spend 2019-2022
• Premium Statistic Global business travel spending 2001-2022
• Premium Statistic Number of international tourist arrivals worldwide 1950-2023
• Basic Statistic Number of international tourist arrivals worldwide 2005-2023, by region
• Basic Statistic Travel and tourism employment worldwide 2019-2033

Total contribution of travel and tourism to gross domestic product (GDP) worldwide in 2019 and 2022, with a forecast for 2023 and 2033 (in trillion U.S. dollars)

Travel and tourism: share of global GDP 2019-2033

Share of travel and tourism's total contribution to GDP worldwide in 2019 and 2022, with a forecast for 2023 and 2033

Total contribution of travel and tourism to GDP in leading travel markets worldwide in 2019 and 2022 (in billion U.S. dollars)

Leisure tourism spending worldwide from 2019 to 2022 (in billion U.S. dollars)

Global business travel spending 2001-2022

Expenditure of business tourists worldwide from 2001 to 2022 (in billion U.S. dollars)

Number of international tourist arrivals worldwide from 1950 to 2023 (in millions)

Number of international tourist arrivals worldwide 2005-2023, by region

Number of international tourist arrivals worldwide from 2005 to 2023, by region (in millions)

Number of travel and tourism jobs worldwide from 2019 to 2022, with a forecast for 2023 and 2033 (in millions)

• Premium Statistic Global hotel and resort industry market size worldwide 2013-2023
• Premium Statistic Most valuable hotel brands worldwide 2023, by brand value
• Basic Statistic Leading hotel companies worldwide 2023, by number of properties
• Premium Statistic Hotel openings worldwide 2021-2024
• Premium Statistic Hotel room openings worldwide 2021-2024
• Premium Statistic Countries with the most hotel construction projects in the pipeline worldwide 2022

Global hotel and resort industry market size worldwide 2013-2023

Market size of the hotel and resort industry worldwide from 2013 to 2022, with a forecast for 2023 (in trillion U.S. dollars)

Most valuable hotel brands worldwide 2023, by brand value

Leading hotel brands based on brand value worldwide in 2023 (in billion U.S. dollars)

Leading hotel companies worldwide 2023, by number of properties

Leading hotel companies worldwide as of June 2023, by number of properties

Hotel openings worldwide 2021-2024

Number of hotels opened worldwide from 2021 to 2022, with a forecast for 2023 and 2024

Hotel room openings worldwide 2021-2024

Number of hotel rooms opened worldwide from 2021 to 2022, with a forecast for 2023 and 2024

Countries with the most hotel construction projects in the pipeline worldwide 2022

Countries with the highest number of hotel construction projects in the pipeline worldwide as of Q4 2022

• Premium Statistic Airports with the most international air passenger traffic worldwide 2022
• Premium Statistic Market value of selected airlines worldwide 2023
• Premium Statistic Global passenger rail users forecast 2017-2027
• Premium Statistic Daily ridership of bus rapid transit systems worldwide by region 2023
• Premium Statistic Number of users of car rentals worldwide 2019-2028
• Premium Statistic Number of users in selected countries in the Car Rentals market in 2023
• Premium Statistic Carbon footprint of international tourism transport worldwide 2005-2030, by type

Airports with the most international air passenger traffic worldwide 2022

Leading airports for international air passenger traffic in 2022 (in million international passengers)

Market value of selected airlines worldwide 2023

Market value of selected airlines worldwide as of May 2023 (in billion U.S. dollars)

Global passenger rail users forecast 2017-2027

Worldwide number of passenger rail users from 2017 to 2022, with a forecast through 2027 (in billion users)

Daily ridership of bus rapid transit systems worldwide by region 2023

Number of daily passengers using bus rapid transit (BRT) systems as of April 2023, by region

Number of users of car rentals worldwide 2019-2028

Number of users of car rentals worldwide from 2019 to 2028 (in millions)

Number of users in selected countries in the Car Rentals market in 2023

Number of users in selected countries in the Car Rentals market in 2023 (in million)

Carbon footprint of international tourism transport worldwide 2005-2030, by type

Transport-related emissions from international tourist arrivals worldwide in 2005 and 2016, with a forecast for 2030, by mode of transport (in million metric tons of carbon dioxide)

Attractions

• Premium Statistic Leading museums by highest attendance worldwide 2019-2022
• Basic Statistic Most visited amusement and theme parks worldwide 2019-2022
• Basic Statistic Monuments on the UNESCO world heritage list 2023, by type
• Basic Statistic Selected countries with the most Michelin-starred restaurants worldwide 2023

Leading museums by highest attendance worldwide 2019-2022

Most visited museums worldwide from 2019 to 2022 (in millions)

Most visited amusement and theme parks worldwide 2019-2022

Leading amusement and theme parks worldwide from 2019 to 2022, by attendance (in millions)

Monuments on the UNESCO world heritage list 2023, by type

Number of monuments on the UNESCO world heritage list as of September 2023, by type

Selected countries with the most Michelin-starred restaurants worldwide 2023

Number of Michelin-starred restaurants in selected countries and territories worldwide as of July 2023

Online travel market

• Premium Statistic Online travel market size worldwide 2017-2028
• Premium Statistic Estimated desktop vs. mobile revenue of leading OTAs worldwide 2023
• Premium Statistic Number of aggregated downloads of leading online travel agency apps worldwide 2023
• Basic Statistic Market cap of leading online travel companies worldwide 2023
• Premium Statistic Estimated EV/Revenue ratio in the online travel market 2024, by segment
• Premium Statistic Estimated EV/EBITDA ratio in the online travel market 2024, by segment

Online travel market size worldwide 2017-2028

Online travel market size worldwide from 2017 to 2023, with a forecast until 2028 (in billion U.S. dollars)

Estimated desktop vs. mobile revenue of leading OTAs worldwide 2023

Estimated desktop vs. mobile revenue of leading online travel agencies (OTAs) worldwide in 2023 (in billion U.S. dollars)

Number of aggregated downloads of leading online travel agency apps worldwide 2023

Number of aggregated downloads of selected leading online travel agency apps worldwide in 2023 (in millions)

Market cap of leading online travel companies worldwide 2023

Market cap of leading online travel companies worldwide as of September 2023 (in million U.S. dollars)

Estimated EV/Revenue ratio in the online travel market 2024, by segment

Estimated enterprise value to revenue (EV/Revenue) ratio in the online travel market worldwide as of April 2024, by segment

Estimated EV/EBITDA ratio in the online travel market 2024, by segment

Estimated enterprise value to EBITDA (EV/EBITDA) ratio in the online travel market worldwide as of April 2024, by segment

Selected trends

• Premium Statistic Global travelers who believe in the importance of green travel 2023
• Premium Statistic Sustainable initiatives travelers would adopt worldwide 2022, by region
• Premium Statistic Airbnb revenue worldwide 2017-2023
• Premium Statistic Airbnb nights and experiences booked worldwide 2017-2023
• Premium Statistic Technologies global hotels plan to implement in the next three years 2022
• Premium Statistic Hotel technologies global consumers think would improve their future stay 2022

Global travelers who believe in the importance of green travel 2023

Share of travelers that believe sustainable travel is important worldwide in 2023

Sustainable initiatives travelers would adopt worldwide 2022, by region

Main sustainable initiatives travelers are willing to adopt worldwide in 2022, by region

Airbnb revenue worldwide 2017-2023

Revenue of Airbnb worldwide from 2017 to 2023 (in billion U.S. dollars)

Airbnb nights and experiences booked worldwide 2017-2023

Nights and experiences booked with Airbnb from 2017 to 2023 (in millions)

Technologies global hotels plan to implement in the next three years 2022

Technologies hotels are most likely to implement in the next three years worldwide as of 2022

Hotel technologies global consumers think would improve their future stay 2022

Must-have hotel technologies to create a more amazing stay in the future among travelers worldwide as of 2022

• Premium Statistic Travel and tourism revenue worldwide 2019-2028, by segment
• Premium Statistic Distribution of sales channels in the travel and tourism market worldwide 2018-2028
• Premium Statistic Inbound tourism visitor growth worldwide 2020-2025, by region
• Premium Statistic Outbound tourism visitor growth worldwide 2020-2025, by region

Travel and tourism revenue worldwide 2019-2028, by segment

Revenue of the global travel and tourism market from 2019 to 2028, by segment (in billion U.S. dollars)

Distribution of sales channels in the travel and tourism market worldwide 2018-2028

Revenue share of sales channels of the travel and tourism market worldwide from 2018 to 2028

Inbound tourism visitor growth worldwide 2020-2025, by region

Inbound tourism visitor growth worldwide from 2020 to 2022, with a forecast until 2025, by region

Outbound tourism visitor growth worldwide 2020-2025, by region

Outbound tourism visitor growth worldwide from 2020 to 2022, with a forecast until 2025, by region

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Travel and Tourism

Travel and tourism satellite account for 2018-2022.

The travel and tourism industry—as measured by the real output of goods and services sold directly to visitors—increased 21.0 percent in 2022 after increasing 53.6 percent in 2021, according to the most recent statistics from BEA’s Travel and Tourism Satellite Account.

Data & Articles

• U.S. Travel and Tourism Satellite Account for 2018–2022 By Hunter Arcand and Paul Kern - Survey of Current Business April 2024
• "U.S. Travel and Tourism Satellite Account for 2015–2019" By Sarah Osborne - Survey of Current Business December 2020
• "U.S. Travel and Tourism Satellite Account for 2015-2017" By Sarah Osborne and Seth Markowitz - Survey of Current Business June 2018
• Tourism Satellite Accounts 1998-2019
• Tourism Satellite Accounts Data A complete set of detailed annual statistics for 2017-2021 is coming soon -->
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Previously Published Estimates

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What is Travel and Tourism?

Measures how much tourists spend and the prices they pay for lodging, airfare, souvenirs, and other travel-related items. These statistics also provide a snapshot of employment in the travel and tourism industries.

What’s a Satellite Account?

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• News Media Connie O'Connell (301) 278-9003 [email protected]

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The latest travel data.

MONTHLY INSIGHTS March 04, 2024

U.S. Travel has temporarily paused our monthly data newsletter, however, the latest travel data is still available via the U.S. Travel Insights Dashboard . This dashboard is updated each month (member login required).

The U.S. Travel Insights Dashboard , developed in collaboration with Tourism Economics, is supported by more than 20 data sources. The dashboard is the most comprehensive and centralized source for high-frequency intelligence on the U.S. travel industry, tracking industry performance, travel volumes and predictive indicators of recovery including air and lodging forecasts, DMO website traffic, convention and group trends, travel spending and losses, traveler sentiment, among others to measure the health of the industry.

Key Highlights January 2024:

• Travel appetite started the year on a softer note, but overall growth continued. Air passenger growth remained positive, up 6% versus the prior year but lower than the double-digit growth seen through 2023. Foreign visits remained strong, up 24% YoY.
• Hotel room demand continued a trend of slight contraction falling 1% versus the prior year, while short-term rental demand grew 1%, a lower rate than 2023.
• A particular bright spot was that group room demand within the top 25 markets displayed solid growth of 9% relative to the prior year.
• The outlook for the economy remains fairly optimistic due to the strength of the labor market, looser financial conditions and healthy household and nonfinancial corporate balance sheets. This has filtered through to slightly higher consumer sentiment in February.
• Sentiment is also growing for upcoming leisure travel in 2024. The share of travelers reporting having travel plans within the next six months increased to 93% in January from 92% in December, according to Longwoods International’s monthly survey.
• Travel price inflation (TPI) fell slightly in January as a result of falling transportation prices. Sticky services inflation should see relief from decelerating wage growth. However, upside risks stem from rising healthcare costs, supply chain disruptions and slowing labor supply. Source: U.S. Travel Association and Tourism Economics

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Quarterly Consumer Insights

Additional monthly insights are available through the full U.S. Travel Monthly Data Report, exclusive to members. Please inquire with  membership  if you are interested in learning about becoming a member of U.S. Travel Association. 

International tourism, number of departures

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Middle East & Africa

Weekly hotel results: Chilly winter ahead for Auckland hoteliers

The country’s major hotel market has had a bumpy autumn and looks to be heading into winter below 2023’s levels.

Air NZ passenger numbers up but domestic down

Air New Zealand says it carried 1.67 million passengers in March 2024, up by 3% on the same month last year.

Retail spend dips in April – Worldline

Spending through core retail merchants in Worldline New Zealand’s card payments network during April 2024 showed a slight decline compared to the same month last year.

Weekly hotel results: Queenstown holds up over autumn

Can internationals help make up for any softening in domestic demand this ski season?

Te Pae “outstripping expectations”, contributes an estimated $110m since opening

More than 200k people have attended events at Te Pae Christchurch Convention Centre since its opening two years ago.

ASB Classic reports record results, expects more

The ASB Classic in Auckland over summer generated record ticket sales, broadcast numbers, and sponsorship deals.

NZ cruise market 81% of pre-Covid, on track for full recovery – CLIA

The number of New Zealanders taking cruise holidays has recovered to 81.2% of pre-pandemic levels, according to the Cruise Lines International Association.

Weekly hotel results: NZ falls below 2023

Occupancy, ADR and RevPAR over the whole country are now consistently tracking below last year.

Chinese business travel to NZ on the rise

Business travel between China and New Zealand is on the rise, with a 106% increase in corporate clients for the first three months of 2024 compared to last year.

“We had to make decisions quickly” – Stats NZ insights boss on the suspension of MRTEs

Jason Attewell says the department had to move quickly to find savings in its budget, which led to the sudden suspension of the Monthly Regional Tourism Estimates. 

Westpac: Households cutting discretionary spend, recreation “especially weak”

But the bank says tourism continues to buck the trend as the post-pandemic recovery in travel continues.

Airbnb reveals NZ’s top winter destinations

Queenstown is the country’s most sought-after winter destination, followed by city breaks in Auckland and Christchurch, according to Airbnb.

Air NZ downgrades guidance as domestic softens, competition heats up

The airline says the ongoing softening of its domestic market and a highly competitive North American route could take up to $50m off its full-year profit.

More Kiwis visiting Fiji

The number of New Zealanders visiting Fiji during January and February 2024 is up 15% on the same months last year, says Tourism Fiji.

Weekly hotel results: Wellington lifts off 2024 low

Wellington’s hotel market hit a 2024 low in early April but has managed to bounce back – at least for now – according to figures from STR. 

Rotorua spa & wellness visitor spend to exceed $400m by 2028 – report

The destination’s spa & wellness industry generated $278m in visitor spend in 2023.

CPI: Domestic airfares rise, international fall

Domestic air transport prices for the March 2024 quarter rose 0.1% compared with the same period last year, according to Stats NZ’s latest Consumers Price Index.

Auckland Airport passengers 90% of pre-Covid…

Passenger numbers at Auckland Airport reached 1.69 million in March 2024, up 12% from the previous year and a recovery of 90.4% compared with the same month in pre-Covid 2019.

…as Queenstown Airport internationals exceed 2019 by 27%

International passenger numbers at Queenstown Airport totalled 70,118 in March 2024, up 26.9% on the same month in pre-Covid 2019.

TECNZ more cautious on tourism revival, pushes out full recovery

Tourism Export Council of New Zealand has taken a more conservative outlook on the pace of the country’s tourism recovery.

Chinese New Year boosts visitors to 3.1 million – Stats NZ

Chinese New Year helped drive visitor arrivals from China in February 2024, lifting that market to a four-year high as its recovery from the pandemic continued.

International airfares drop 15%, domestic tick up

The price of international air transport has dropped 15.1% in March 2024 compared with the same month last year, according to Stats NZ’s selected price indexes.

Aus to NZ business travel bookings up 15% – FCM

Bookings from Australia to New Zealand have grown 15% in the first three months of 2024 compared with the same period last year, according to data from Flight Centre Travel Group’s large-market business travel division FCM Travel.

Hospo spend up in March – Stats NZ

Spending in the hospitality category was $1.35m in March 2024, a 0.7% % increase compared with the same month last year, according to electronic card transaction data from Stats NZ.

Domestic travel spend sentiment negative, overseas trips positive – survey

Kiwis’ intentions to spend on domestic travel remain negative but people are more positive about heading overseas, according to Tony Alexander’s latest spending plans survey.

Weekly hotel results: Christchurch holds as city markets fall below 2023

Christchurch was the only metropolitan market to start April above the results for the same period last year, according to figures from STR.

Up to 200 fewer cruise calls next season – Lloyd

There could be up to 200 fewer cruise ship port visits to New Zealand next season in part due to cost increases in a globally competitive market, says Jacqui Lloyd.

Value of hotels, motels consents down 65% in Feb

The value of building consents issued for hotels, motels and other short term accommodation for February 2024 was $8m, a decline of 65.2% from the same month last year.

Transport, postal, warehousing Q4 emissions drop

Seasonally adjusted transport, postal, and warehousing emissions decreased 2.6%, or 44 kilotonnes in the December 2023 quarter compared with the previous quarter, says Stats NZ.

Global tourism, travel set for record $18tn in 2024 – WTTC

“We’re no longer talking about recovery,” says the global industry group, with the sector now supporting 348 million jobs – more than in pre-Covid.

Sales of art, recreation by Māori up 84% – Stats NZ

The value of art, recreation and other services sales by Māori authorities and related businesses in the December 2023 quarter was $68m, according to data from Stats NZ.

Weekly hotel results: Auckland falls furthest, with signs of wider weakness

Occupancy across Auckland’s hotel market fell sharply as summer ended and autumn took hold, according to figures from STR.

Auckland Stadiums sees 220k visitors

More than 220,000 visitors flowed into Auckland Stadiums’ three venues, Go Media Stadium Mt Smart, Western Springs Stadium, and North Harbour Stadium.

Accom, food services filled jobs up 2.8%

Filled jobs in accommodation and food services increased by 2.8% in February 2024 compared with the same month last year, according to Stats NZ.

Air NZ passenger numbers 92% of pre-Covid

Air New Zealand carried 1.3 million passengers in February 2023, a recovery of almost 92.2% on the same month in pre-Covid 2019 and up 8.7% on 2023.

International student numbers near two-thirds of pre-Covid peak, China leads

More than 39,000 international student visa holders are currently in New Zealand, about 62% of the pre-Covid peak, according to government figures.

Accom, food services among top providers of part-time, flexible work

Accommodation and food services businesses are among the top employers offering part-time work, according to figures from Stats NZ.

Weekly hotel results: National occupancy, ADR slip out of summer

Occupancy and ADR across New Zealand have dipped from their February highs, according to figures from STR.

HWT launches Waikato destination dashboard

Hamilton and Waikato Tourism has launched a digital dashboard with information about visitor spend, accommodation, economic indicators and border crossings.

NZ ends 2023 in recession

Seasonally adjusted gross domestic product fell 0.1% in the three months ended December 2023, according to Stats NZ, driven by weak consumer spending and wholesale trade. 

North American market exceeds pre-Covid, airfares fall 12% – Auckland Airport

Fierce airline competition on North American routes has driven a 12% fall in airfares and a record number of arrivals from that region at Auckland Airport.

Overseas visitors spend $13bn in 2023, narrowing deficit

Spending by overseas visitors in New Zealand helped narrow the annual current account deficit for 2023, according to Stats NZ.

Hauraki Coromandel rebounds from weather woes with record $35m Feb visitor spend

Visitor spend in Hauraki Coromandel hit more than $35m in card transactions in February, exceeding pre-Covid, according to its regional tourism organisation.

International visitor arrivals crack 3 million, US now exceeding pre-Covid

The major US market is now tracking above pre-Covid, up 20% on January 2020.

Weekly hotel results: Queenstown ends summer on occupancy high

Average weekly occupancy across the resort hit 94% in February, according to STR.

Queenstown Airport internationals 27% above pre-Covid in Feb

Queenstown Airport saw 211,941 passenger movements in February, up 6.9% on the same month in 2019.

Auckland Airport internationals close in on peak

Passenger movements at Auckland Airport totalled close to 1.6 million in February 2024, a recovery of 91.4% from the same month in pre-Covid 2019.

Majority of Kiwis engage with the arts – study

A cultural participation survey conducted for Manatū Taonga Ministry for Culture and Heritage has found that 97% of Kiwis participate in at least one or more activities relating to the arts.

Hospo spend rises to $1.3bn in Feb – Stats NZ

Consumer spending in hospitality was $1.27bn in February, according to Stats NZ electronic card transaction data for the month.

APAC air travel demand up 45% – IATA

Air travel demand across Asia Pacific rose 45.4% in January 2024, compared to the same month last year, according to the International Air Transportation Association.

10 May 2024   Hassle-free Tours / Hobbiton

Two new lotr films “fantastic” news for tourism – operators, 10 may 2024   akiaki / tia / trenz, trenz 2024: tia, grow tourism launch akiaki to boost industry sustainability, 10 may 2024   on the job / people, on the job: thl expands farnsworth’s role, coombes returns to travel, soho hire… and more, 10 may 2024   aial / rotoruanz / tau, auckland airport, tau, rotoruanz partner to drive double destination visitation from aus, 10 may 2024   hotels / str, 10 may 2024   roundup, friday 10 may.

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Robust recovery in European tourism: 2024 ushers in increased arrivals and spending

Foreign tourist arrivals and nights exceed 2019 levels in the first quarter of 2024. Sporting events, high travel demand and inflation to drive tourist expenditure to record levels.

BRUSSELS – Europe’s tourism industry is experiencing a robust recovery in the first months of 2024. Based on data from reporting destinations, foreign arrivals (+7.2%) and overnights (+6.5%) in the first quarter of the year surpassed 2019 figures. This continues the upward trend observed in 2023, which recorded foreign arrivals 1.2% below 2019 levels, and nights just 0.2% below. The recovery is largely driven by strong intra-regional travel fuelled by Germany, France, Italy, and the Netherlands. This is coupled with demand from the US, which continues to be Europe’s most important long-haul source market.

This is according to the latest edition of the “European Tourism Trends & Prospects”quarterly report released by the European Travel Commission (ETC). This report monitors the performance of European tourism in the first quarter of the year and the macroeconomic and geopolitical factors impacting the industry’s outlook on the continent.

Commenting on the report’s publication,  Miguel Sanz , ETC’s President, said:  “The early figures for 2024 reveal a positive outlook for European tourism this year. Consumer travel spending is set to rise notably across Europe, hitting record numbers in the coming months. This boost will support the travel and tourism businesses heavily impacted by the pandemic years and ongoing economic instability. Still, high prices and geopolitical risks remain key hurdles for tourism, as the sector as a whole also strives to adopt more responsible practices to benefit the locals and preserve the environment.”

Strong rebound for European tourism, but disparities remain

Year-to-date data shows that destinations in Southern Europe are leading the recovery in terms of international visitor numbers compared to 2019 levels, including Serbia (+47%), Bulgaria (+39%), Türkiye (+35%), Malta (+35%), Portugal (+17%), and Spain (+14%). These destinations offer competitively priced holiday experiences, often combined with milder winter temperatures.  Nordic countries  are also witnessing an uptake in tourist activity, as overnight stays grew above pre-pandemic levels. This increase is particularly evident for Norway (+18%), Sweden (+12%), and Denmark (+9%). This high interest is partially driven by winter sports tourism and the allure of the Northern Lights.

Meanwhile, countries in the Baltic region continue to lag behind due to challenges caused by the war in Ukraine, with Latvia registering the lowest post-pandemic international arrivals (-34%), followed by Estonia (-15%) and Lithuania (-14%).

Data from the first few months of 2024 also shows an uneven long-haul source market performance. The US and Canada continue to dominate, mirroring trends from 2023. There was also an increase in travellers from Latin America, particularly Brazil, during the first quarter of the year. Conversely, though the APAC region shows signs of improvement compared to last quarter, recovery remains modest and uneven. While Chinese travellers are beginning to return to Europe, recovery from Japan is still slow.

Despite challenges, consumer demand remains strong

Inflationary pressures and geopolitical uncertainties remain significant concerns for the European tourism industry. The war in Ukraine continues to impact tourism flows, particularly in Central and Eastern Europe. Meanwhile, the war between Israel and Hamas now significantly affects travel from Israel to Europe, with Israeli arrivals down 54% on last year in Q1 across reporting destinations. For tourism industry professionals, accommodation costs (59%), business costs (52%) and staff shortages (52%) are seen as the biggest challenges.

Conversely, online social conversations surrounding travel in Europe have overwhelmingly positive tones, surpassing discussions about other global regions such as the Americas, Africa, and Asia-Pacific in early 2024. Highlights include praise for seasonal beauty, outdoor adventures, and unique cultural events like Carnival celebrated across European countries.

Consumer data also shows that travel remains a top priority in 2024. Both intra-European and long-haul tourist spending increased in early 2024. Forecasts indicate that travellers will spend 742.8 billion euros in Europe this year, a 14.3% increase compared to 2023. This can be attributed to both inflation and evolving travel preferences, with travellers potentially opting for longer stays or more diverse experiences. Germany will be a main source of traveller expenditure, accounting for 16% of total spend in Europe in 2024.

Paris Olympics and Euros 2024 expected to drive demand in France and Germany

This summer will bring two major sporting events to Europe: the Olympic Games in France and the UEFA European Football Championship in Germany. The Olympics are expected to attract a surge in domestic and international tourists, with the impacts extending beyond the city of Paris itself. Inbound spending growth is projected at 13% for Paris and 24% for all of France on 2019 levels. The Euros will be less concentrated in the German capital, with games taking place across ten cities. This is expected to offer a more dispersed benefit, with all participating cities poised to experience a significant rise in tourism revenue.

Vicky Karantzavelou

Vicky  is the co-founder of TravelDailyNews Media Network where she is the  Editor-in Chief . She is also responsible for the daily operation and the financial policy. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Tourism Business Administration from the Technical University of Athens and a Master in Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Wales.

She has many years of both academic and industrial experience within the travel industry. She has written/edited numerous articles in various tourism magazines.

• Vicky Karantzavelou https://www.traveldailynews.com/author/vicky-karantzavelou/ Airlink to implement New Distribution Capability (NDC)
• Vicky Karantzavelou https://www.traveldailynews.com/author/vicky-karantzavelou/ Trip.com Group expands presence in the Middle East with strategic initiatives and new regional office
• Vicky Karantzavelou https://www.traveldailynews.com/author/vicky-karantzavelou/ JetBlue announces Puerto Rico expansion, new Mint service to three cities, and three new destinations
• Vicky Karantzavelou https://www.traveldailynews.com/author/vicky-karantzavelou/ Hyatt reports First Quarter 2024 results: Net Income was $522 million

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Published: May 05, 2024

California remains the #1 state for tourism

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW : New data released today shows that California continues to have the largest market share of tourism in the nation, with travel spending in the state reaching an all-time record high of $150.4 billion last year.

SAN FRANCISCO – Governor Gavin Newsom and Visit California CEO Caroline Beteta today announced that travel spending in the state reached an all-time high of $150.4 billion last year, surpassing the record $144.9 billion spent in 2019. This comes after the state retained its title as the  world’s 5th largest economy  and had a  population increase , both of which are directly tied to California’s nation-leading tourism and entertainment industries.

VIDEO: Gov. Newsom makes announcement at the top of the Golden Gate Bridge

WHAT GOVERNOR NEWSOM SAID : “From our world-renowned coastline, to the world’s tallest trees, to our iconic cities and theme parks, California is the nation’s coming attraction. Visitors from all over the world are coming here to experience the wonder of the Golden State, boosting our economy and creating good-paying jobs for years to come.”

BY THE NUMBERS : The Economic Impact of Travel in California, prepared by Dean Runyan Associates and released by Visit California, detailed spending that is 3.8% higher than 2019 and 5.6% higher than 2022.  Spending exceeded 2019 levels in a majority of counties.

WHAT VISIT CALIFORNIA CEO BETETA SAID : “California tourism is back where it belongs – setting records and providing for the workers, business owners and all Californians who depend on the travel industry as a cornerstone of our state’s economy. The industry has once again proved its ability to recover from any challenge, whether it be economic or environmental. California continues to be the largest, most diverse and most resilient tourism economy in the United States.”

WHAT THIS MEANS : California has the largest market share of tourism in the nation. The new travel-spending record generated $12.7 billion in state and local tax revenue by visitors in 2023, marking a 3% increase over 2019. Tourism created 64,900 new jobs in 2023, bringing total industry employment to 1,155,000.

California remains the  5th largest economy in the world  for the seventh consecutive year, with a nominal GDP of nearly $3.9 trillion in 2023 and a growth rate of 6.1% since the year prior, according to the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. California’s per capita GDP is the second largest among large economies.

In addition to visiting the state, more people are moving to California. Earlier this week, Governor Newsom  announced  the state’s population is increasing for the first time since the pandemic.

The Golden State, which has the most equitable tax system in the  entire country , is #1 in the nation for new  business starts , #1 for access to venture capital  funding , and the #1 state for tourism  spending ,  manufacturing ,  high-tech , and  agriculture .

• Regional Support Office for Asia and the Pacific (RSOAP)
• Member States in Asia and the Pacific
• SUSTAINABLE TOURISM OBSERVATORIES (INSTO)

According to the first UNWTO World Tourism Barometer of the year,  international tourism ended 2023 at 88% of pre-pandemic levels , with an estimated 1.3 billion international arrivals .  The unleashing of remaining pent-up demand, increased air connectivity, and a stronger recovery of Asian markets and destinations, are expected to underpin a full recovery by the end of 2024 (UNWTO Tourism Barometer January 2024 – Press Release) .

An estimated 1286 million international tourists (overnight visitors) were recorded around the world in 2023, an increase of 34% over 2022. International tourism recovered 88% of pre-pandemic levels, supported by strong pent-up demand (UNWTO Tourism Barometer January 2024-Excerpt) .

International tourism is expected to fully recover pre-pandemic levels in 2024, with initial estimates pointing to 2% growth above 2019 levels. This central forecast by UNWTO remains subject to the pace of recovery in Asia and to the evolution of existing economic and geopolitical downside risks (UNWTO Tourism Barometer January 2024 – Press Release) .  

Asia and the Pacific reached 65% of pre-pandemic levels, with a gradual recovery since the start of 2023 following the reopening of several markets and destinations. However, performance among subregions were mixed, with South Asia recovering 87% of pre-pandemic levels and North-East Asia, 55% (UNWTO Tourism Barometer January 2024-Excerpt) .

There is still significant room for recovery across Asia. The recent reopening of several source markets and destinations is expected to boost recovery in the region and globally (UNWTO Tourism Barometer January 2024- Excerpt) .

Read more on the UNWTO Tourism Barometer (January 2024 excerpt) here .

About the UNWTO World Tourism Barometer

The UNWTO World Tourism Barometer is a publication of the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) that monitors short-term tourism trends regularly to provide global tourism stakeholders with up-to-date analysis of international tourism. The information is updated several times a year and includes an analysis of the latest data on tourism destinations (inbound tourism) and source markets (outbound tourism). The Barometer also includes three times a year Confidence Index based on the UNWTO Panel of Tourism Experts survey, which provides an evaluation of recent performance and short-term prospects for international tourism.

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Annual Report 2023

New York City Tourism + Conventions is the official destination marketing organization and convention and visitors bureau for the five boroughs of New York City. Our mission is to invite the world and energize the City, building equitable, sustainable economic prosperity and community through tourism for the mutual benefit of residents, businesses and visitors.

Letter from OUR Chairman and CEO

Welcome to our 2023 Annual Report.  The story of New York City tourism is one of resilience and tenacity. This report is a record of the creative energy, relentless determination and innovative collaborations that are, once again, returning the tourism and convention industry to reliable growth in visitation, spending, jobs and economic impact.   The numbers bear out the story. Last year saw robust growth in visitor volume, up almost 10 percent from 2022. The forecast for 2024 calls for moderate but healthy growth at 4 percent. Looking further out, indicators point to consumers continuing to prioritize travel spending giving confidence to our projection that 2025 visitation is likely to exceed 68 million for the first time, almost 2 million more than our prior record.  Challenges to this level of growth remain and must be continually monitored and addressed. Ongoing economic pressures, geopolitical tensions and competing destinations factor strongly, but also perceptions of safety and shrinking city contract funds strain resources and reduce marketing reach. As we continue to navigate these challenges and the road to full tourism recovery, we are guided by our strategic priorities and an enduring commitment to celebrating the rich diversity of the five boroughs as the greatest destination in the world. One of our greatest advantages is the partnership with you, our members and stakeholders. It is your investment that fuels our programming and enriches our content. It is our promise to continue delivering a robust suite of benefits, insights and sales opportunities to grow your business as your one-stop shop for maximizing tourism impact. As we look to the exciting year ahead and major events like America250 and FIFA World Cup 26, we are more grateful than ever for your engagement and support. Charles Flateman Chairman New York City Tourism + Conventions ‍ Executive Vice President The Shubert Organization Fred Dixon President and CEO New York City Tourism + Conventions

Pathing recovery: 2023 data

New York City’s tourism and convention industry performance was marked by steady recovery patterns across all sectors—day and overnight, domestic and international, as well as leisure and business travel.

Travel Performance 2019–2023

Strong fundamentals sustain travel to New York City in 2023 and lay the groundwork for continued growth.

By the end of 2023, overall visitation had reached 93% of 2019 benchmark levels. Monthly visitor trends returned to typical seasonal patterns, rising from the winter doldrums of January, warming up in spring and summer, and then taking off with the return to school, work and shoulder-season travel from September through December 31. The final numbers for 2023 reached 62.2 million visitors—11.6 million international and 50.6 domestic. This was a 9.6% increase over 2022 levels, driven by the strong return of international travel (up 23%). The domestic day-trip market was a key driver of success at 24.6 million, while overnight reached 25.9 million.

Travel Benchmarks 2021–2023

The City and the travel industry have moved past the worst effects of the pandemic. Despite tremendous progress, full recovery is just out of reach.

Over the past three years, we have witnessed key market segments pacing at different rates. First to recover was the domestic market accounting for the largest share of visitors and reaching 95% of 2019 benchmark levels. This activity was supported in each of the past three years by the leisure travel market pulled back into the City by the dynamic activity in places to dine, shop, eat, explore and stay. International travel has seen mixed results across the more than 20 origin markets that keep New York City the largest international destination in the US. The rapid recovery rates each year since 2020 have brought the international market back to 86% of benchmark. The business travel market, typically accounting for over 20% of the market, is also continuing to pull back up to 2019 levels.

International Visitation

With the most global mix of international markets, New York City is pacing back to record levels of visitation.

Looking at the top 10 inbound markets provided solid evidence of how international travelers are drawn to New York City. Between 2022 and 2023, visitation saw increases across all world regions. Canada and Mexico together grew by 42% year over year, reaching 98% of pre-pandemic levels. The overseas markets continued to grow, up 21% compared to last year and reaching 86% of overall benchmark levels. The UK remains in top position with more than 1 million visitors. European markets including France, Italy, Germany and Spain benefited from regular and direct air routes into our three international airports bringing in over 2.3 million visitors combined. The Asia-Pacific region highlighted Australia and China staying in the top tier. From Latin America, Brazil remained the most dynamic source market.

Hotel Performance

Overnight visitors to New York City are driving strong hotel room demand and high room rates.

Hotel performance continues to improve each year since the 2020 pandemic disruptions. Domestic leisure visitation has recovered most quickly across all five boroughs and classes of hotel service. Transient and group business events began to push demand and rates up during the spring and fall activity periods. Overall performance, however, reflects the slower recovery of longer staying international travelers from APAC and LATAM regions. Visitor accommodations in hotels averaged over 120,000 rooms in active inventory throughout the year (rooms used for shelter/emergency uses are not included in these calculations). By year-end, room nights sold (demand) had reached 36.1 million, a 7% year-over-year increase. Citywide occupancy rates averaged 81.6%, 10% above 2022, but still below 2019 record levels. Following national trends, the average daily rate (ADR) pulled ahead of pre-pandemic levels and continued the year-over-year increases.

Marketing Strategies

Through innovative branding strategies and an unwavering commitment to showcasing NYC’s dynamism and diversity, we promoted the five boroughs as the world’s most aspirational and welcoming destination.

Reenergizing Our Brand for a New Era

As of March 2023, we are New York City Tourism + Conventions. The introduction of our new name and brand system marks a significant moment for our organization. With our new brand, we aim to capture the essence of New York City in its entirety: an ever-expansive destination that offers diverse and authentic experiences that enrich the traveler and benefit all New Yorkers. This shift strategically positions us to continue leading the City’s nearly $65 billion tourism economy. It makes clear our purpose and mission as the official tourism organization for one of the world’s greatest destinations—our commitment to New York City has never been greater.

We launched digital media campaigns to help build awareness of our new name and branding. We also created a new welcome video to drive leisure visitation along with a new video targeted at business event planners, which features those planners describing why NYC is the ideal destination to host events. The videos capture the essence of “What’s Good in NYC” and have been well received in our events and speaking engagements.

The new NYCtourism.com website debuted in June with a refreshed look, bringing the new brand fully to life and providing a more intuitive experience for users, while still housing all the information visitors and our business audiences need to experience the best of the five boroughs. To spread awareness of the new site, we deployed out-of-home media (printed and digital bus shelters and LinkNYC screens) targeting locals and in-market visitors as well as a digital campaign (activating social media, account-based marketing, native display and outstream video) to reach B2B audiences to boost membership growth, convention and event bookings, tourism development inquiries and newsletter sign-ups.

Leveraging Our Complete Marketing Ecosystem

Our teams work constantly to inspire and inform potential visitors about the unique appeal of NYC as a destination. Our marketing ecosystem, anchored by our new website, serves as the central hub for travelers, locals and businesses seeking to explore the vibrant offerings of New York City. Our website emphasizes a user-centric approach, leveraging partnerships with leading travel marketing platforms and enhancing engagement with tools like QR codes, itineraries, video and other immersive content. Our email marketing program prioritizes subscriber engagement, sharing tailored messages for our various audiences. Our social media presence includes multiple platforms: Instagram, Facebook, X, TikTok, WeChat and Weibo for leisure travelers and LinkedIn for business audiences. NYC Tourism + Conventions also makes use of our substantial out-of-home media inventory through JCDecaux and Intersection to advertise vibrancy programs, amplify content and promote our partnerships.

Promoting the Breadth of Experiences Only Found in NYC

Content shared through our channels reinforces our commitment to celebrating New York City’s richness and diversity, ensuring a compelling presence in the digital landscape.

Our Webby Award–winning culinary content offering, Savor NYC SM , is updated monthly, along with a bimonthly feature on our social channels. Now our evergreen dining platform, Savor NYC focuses attention on the City's incredible dining scene to firmly reinforce NYC’s reputation as the dining capital of the world. The platform is an all-encompassing resource for locals and visitors, providing themes that highlight distinct cuisines, multicultural neighborhoods, seasonal dining and culinary offers. Savor NYC also showcases major citywide events and holidays through a culinary lens. Each month, the initiative receives promotion through owned, paid and earned media—including our website, social channels, email newsletters and LinkNYC screens. To date, the Savor NYC landing page on NYCtourism.com has earned over 270,000 unique page views. 

Our retail hub, Shopping in NYC , is updated quarterly and supported by long-form retail social videos featured bimonthly on our channels. Our team published several articles in support of this category, including “Immerse Yourself in the Luxury of Madison Avenue,” which invites readers to explore and shop the tony Upper East Side enclave; “Your Ultimate Guide to Holiday Shopping,” sponsored by Starbucks, featuring suggestions on the best locations across the City to purchase seasonal gifts; and a refresh of “25 Essential Soho Shops,” consistently one of our website’s best-performing pieces of content. In the meantime, our dedicated retail social coverage highlighted a wide swath of venues, including The Museum of Broadway Shop, The Shops at Rockefeller Center and holiday window displays of iconic retailers like Bloomingdale’s, Nordstrom, Saks Fifth Avenue and Macy’s. Posts across Instagram, Facebook, X and YouTube were focused on promoting shopping and retail, netting 361,000 impressions and 13.2 million engagements.

Arts & Culture

Arts and culture institutions and events across the five boroughs receive promotion through our quarterly guide , featuring prominent placement on our site and in social, as well as in our consumer- and business-facing newsletters. Each offers a variety of seasonal highlights, promoting the incredible depth and diversity of the City’s cultural milieu. Among the many institutions and organizations we covered this year were the Brooklyn Museum for their Spike Lee retrospective; artist Michael Richards’ show at the Bronx Museum; the New York Philharmonic; a performance by the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater; the Barkley Hendricks exhibition at the Frick Madison; costumes from the musical Six at The Museum of Broadway; and work from the show by artist Leslie Martinez at MoMA PS1. The Fall 2023 edition garnered 194,000 impressions and nearly 4,000 engagements alone.

Hip-Hop in NYC

We created an incredible array of content in support of the citywide celebrations of the 50th anniversary of hip-hop . That content now lives on the evergreen hip-hop hub on our website, serving as a resource for NYC visitors interested in exploring all aspects of the culture. The hub showcases inspirational stories, guides to hip-hop–themed small businesses, murals, interviews with notable figures and an interactive map with touchpoints to experience hip-hop culture across all five boroughs. Among our most important features are comprehensive guides to hip-hop history across the City; highlights of important moments in hip-hop from The Apollo Theater in Harlem; and interviews with Ralph McDaniels of Video Music Box , Debra Harris of Hush Hip Hop Tours and Rocky Bucano of The Hip Hop Museum. In addition, the team created a stunning printed map, promoted on over 150 bus shelters across the City, featuring the names of artists and places that helped shape and promote the movement. The team also inked a partnership with NYC radio celebrity Angie Martinez. We conducted our first-ever Instagram Live interview with her, and she recorded ads promoting the hip-hop hub on NYCtourism.com, distributed over Spotify. So far, the promotion has resulted in well over 100,000 unique page views.

It’s Time for Culture

Our It’s Time for Culture SM campaign, which ran in May 2023, supported the cultural community by showcasing unique value-added opportunities for arts lovers during one of the City’s prime moments on the cultural calendar. The program featured 103 events across 82 participants, and coincided with the International Contemporary Furniture Fair, Frieze New York and NYCxDesign, offering a robust set of options for cultural visitors. It’s Time for Culture was promoted via NYCtourism.com, organic social media posts, a press release and targeted pitching, email newsletters, print and digital bus shelters, and LinkNYC screens. Paid media included ads on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, CTV, native display and SEM. In total, the program drove 115,000 landing page visits, delivered 62 million impressions on our out-of-home ads (valued at $578,000) and 7.5 million impressions for our digital paid media.

Check-In NYC

Like all of our content-driven initiatives, this ongoing series is published and promoted across both our web and social channels. As part of our mission to support NYC hotels and inspire visitation, #CheckInNYC covers a wide variety of the City’s accommodations, highlighting various hotel options, amenities, neighborhoods, new and renovated properties and only-in-New-York experiences that visitors can enjoy on a seasonal basis. Holiday- and NYC Winter Outing–themed content performed notably well. Over our social channels alone, the series has earned nearly 500,000 impressions and a 4.2% engagement rate—more than 2.5% higher than our average.

Other Content Initiatives

The team’s always-on efforts include a wealth of articles, posts and promotions that address our constituent audiences, aimed at inspiring potential travelers from diverse backgrounds to visit NYC. Each of these receives promotion through owned and paid media, including via our website, over our social channels and in our email newsletters.  In honor of U.S. Travel’s National Travel and Tourism Week, we compiled a list of six unmissable walking tours across the five boroughs to highlight in a media campaign that included a roundup article on NYCtourism.com, a social media series on Instagram and a weeklong LinkNYC flight. The tours included in the campaign reflect the diversity of NYC, covering Black arts and culture in Harlem, the global flavors of Astoria, the rich history of Mott Haven, sustainable eateries and shops in Williamsburg, the living history of Richmond Town in Staten Island and the Chassidic Jewish community of Crown Heights. We highlighted the Guides Association of New York City throughout the campaign as a resource to find guides who specialize in a range of tours across the five boroughs. Broadway and Off-Broadway productions, attractions and arts organizations of all types also receive ongoing coverage on our channels, in addition to dedicated promotion in our vibrancy campaigns.

Encouraging Sector Spending During Shoulder Periods

In 2023, we conducted two editions each of NYC Broadway Week SM , NYC Off-Broadway Week SM and NYC Restaurant Week®, complemented by the return of NYC Hotel Week SM and NYC Must-See Week SM , which are part of our expansive NYC Winter Outing SM program. Over 800 organizations participated in the NYC Winter Outing 2024 programs—a record. Member businesses were very active in promoting the program on email and social media posts, which we further amplified across all NYC Tourism + Conventions channels.

Our hallmark vibrancy initiatives support our members by increasing shoulder-season demand, offering visitors and locals the opportunity to enjoy experiences at an attractive price point during traditionally slow periods across hotels, restaurants, Broadway productions, Off-Broadway shows, museums, cultural institutions, attractions and tours. ‍ NYC Tourism + Conventions social published 140 organic posts throughout the NYC Winter Outing 2024 messaging cycle (Nov 14–Feb 4), earning 3.2 million impressions and 20,200 engagements.

Eighty-seven members participated in aggregate in our “Social Splash” campaigns dedicated to each program. In addition, 35 restaurants were nominated in our first-ever “Best Menu Award,” with many spots actively participating on their social channels to get out the vote. In 2024, the campaign creative for all programs was updated to incorporate our new brand design and creative system.

Growing our Audiences

Our strategic partnerships with a diverse array of organizations assist us in promoting NYC to potential travelers from around the world while nurturing a deeper appreciation for the City's rich experiences.

Reaching More Audiences Through Strategic Partnerships

Each of our partnerships showcase the breadth of activities available in the five boroughs, providing incremental support to our member businesses. Promoting cultural celebrations, sporting events and performing arts and working alongside travel and culinary institutions allows us to expand our audiences and the reach of our content. NYC Tourism + Conventions enables partners to promote their event or project through our digital and out-of-home marketing channels in exchange for providing equal exposure for our content through the partner’s website, newsletters and events.

Entertainment and Performing Arts

St. ann’s warehouse and monsoon wedding.

Monsoon Wedding is a stage musical adaptation of the acclaimed 2001 film of the same name, directed by Mira Nair. Telling the story of an Indian family as they prepare for a lavish wedding ceremony in Delhi, the cast and crew all represented the South Asian diaspora. NYC Tourism + Conventions partnered with St. Ann’s Warehouse to boost our Asian and South Asian content by including our South Asian guides, itineraries and content in their dedicated emails, ticket confirmation emails and social media posts.

And Just Like That…

This past summer celebrated the 25th anniversary of Sex and the City and the second season of Max’s spinoff And Just Like That . NYC Tourism + Conventions partnered with the franchise to celebrate this moment by coordinating lighting displays at the Empire State Building, Javits Center, One Bryant Park, One World Trade Center and Pier 17 in exchange for promotion in Max’s owned channels. Our brand and partnership was mentioned in the show’s official media release. Our shopping guides were featured on their social accounts, and they shared illuminated building images, tagging @nyctourism and the participating buildings. Additionally, our team participated in the Empire State Building lighting ceremony alongside actress Sarah Jessica Parker, confirming our role in enhancing the City’s tourism and cultural appeal.

The Life of Pi featured NYC Tourism + Conventions as a partner of the show on their website and drove to our Asian Experience content hub through dedicated social media posts, post-trip emails and inclusion on their website. In turn, the Life of Pi was promoted in our B2C newsletter content during AAPI Heritage Month in May.

BroadwayCon

BroadwayCon is an annual convention that brings together theater fans, professionals and performers to celebrate the world of Broadway. The event provides a unique opportunity for fans to connect with each other and with the Broadway community while celebrating their love for theater. We partnered with BroadwayCon to amplify our outreach for NYC Broadway Week. We delivered 1 million LinkNYC screen impressions, an event listing on our official website and social media support in exchange for a sponsorship logo inclusion, a dedicated digital screen amplifying NYC Broadway Week, social media promotion of our messaging and a dedicated post-conference email to attendees highlighting the program.

Chelsea Film Festival

The Chelsea Film Festival returned to NYC this year with a celebration of New York City’s cultural and cinematic landscape. They hosted the world premiere of our Local Legends film series, followed by a panel featuring our SVP of Content and DiversityInitiatives, Rondel Holder. This 11th anniversary of the Chelsea Film Festival had over 2,500+ submissions. Local Legends was one of 18 Indie Episodic films shown at this festival that garnered a 10,000 in-person attendance. We marketed this festival with 2 million LinkNYC impressions, an event listing on NYCtourism.com and a presence in NYC Tourism + Conventions’ Fall Guide in exchange for a screening of our Local Legends series at the festival, logo inclusion in event communications and banner ads in event emails.

New York Comedy Festival

We continued our partnership of the New York Comedy Festival by promoting the festival on LinkNYC screens, social media and in our consumer newsletters in exchange for promotion of our comedy guide through the festival's email channels. Our video content was also aired in the event venues.

SummerStage and Park Jams

Already a partner for our Hip-Hop in NYC content hub, NYC Tourism + Conventions partnered with Mass Appeal—already a partner for our Hip-Hop in NYC content hub—for the SummerStage Park Jams event on June19, celebrating the 50th anniversary of the genre as well as Juneteenth. The event took place at Rumsey Playfield in Central Park and featured performances by renowned hip-hop artists such as DJ Premier, Grandmaster Flash and Kid Capri, among others. We provided support for the event with out-of-home placements, social amplification, paid digital media and an event listing on our website. In return, we received partnership designation, logo presence on screens during the event, a dedicated call-out at the event, and access to tickets and VIP privileges. We also licensed our NYC Parks mark in celebration of hip-hop starting in a park to develop merchandise that was sold at the event and online.

Rock & Roll Hall of Fame

NYC Tourism + Conventions partnered with the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame for its Induction Ceremony on November 3 at Barclays Center. The event was also featured in our Hip Hop 50 campaign as it honored DJ Kool Herc, a pioneering figure in the foundation of hip-hop. We provided an event listing, paid social amplification, inclusion on LinkNYC screens and Taxi TV inventory and email newsletter inclusion in exchange for an ad in the digital program for the event, an email and social post promoting our hip-hop content to their membership, and logo inclusion in the credits on the Disney+ stream of the event. This exchange served as a fitting conclusion to our yearlong celebration of hip-hop, reinforcing NYC’s stature as a city that embraces and champions diverse musical legacies.

James Beard Foundation and Queens Night Market

NYC Tourism + Conventions partnered with the James Beard Foundation and Queens Night Market to promote an exciting culinary event at the newly opened Pier 57 dining venue operated by the James Beard Foundation. As part of the AAPI Heritage Month celebration, Queens Night Market hosted a special evening at Platform by JBF. We supported the event via an event listing, social media promotion and inviting community members featured in our Asian Experience content.

Multicultural

Black gotham experience.

We partnered with City Hall’s Public Design Commission and Black Gotham Experience (BGX) on the promotion and rollout of BGX’s short film, Epicenter . The film covers the history of NYC’s City Hall through the lens of the experiences of Black New Yorkers and debuted in February in commemoration of Black History Month. We promoted the film on LinkNYC screens and in email and social posts in exchange for attribution in the film and in social posts promoting the film, as well as rights and clearances to share a cutdown of the film in our social channels.

Harlem Week

This annual festival celebrates the rich history and culture of Harlem through in-person and virtual events. Ahead of the event’s 50th anniversary in 2024, we once again supported the program with social and editorial content in exchange for sponsor designation.

Diwali on the Hudson

Our collaboration with Diwali on the Hudson, in partnership with the Desai Foundation, marked a significant milestone as we joined forces for their 10th-year capstone event celebrating Diwali in NYC. This occasion marked the first-ever celebration of Diwali as a public-school holiday in the City. We gained valuable exposure by sharing our South Asian Guide on social channels owned by Diwali on the Hudson.

In celebration of the largest annual sporting event in NYC, we partnered with the United States Tennis Association (USTA) to promote the US Open on our homepage and in our summer guide, as well as with influencer and social coverage during Fan Week. In return, the USTA promoted our site on USOpen.org, included our banner ad in their Insider email newsletter and aired our 30-second destination video to their audience of 500,000 tennis fans.

TCS New York City Marathon and NYRR Midnight Run

We continued our partnership with New York Road Runners (NYRR) with promotion of the TCS NYC Marathon. NYRR promoted our marathon viewing guide across their owned channels, including push notifications via their app, email inclusions and within their social media posts. This year’s marathon saw 51,453 runners from across 131 countries reach the finish line. The marathon app was downloaded 480,000 times and had a social media following of 859,000. In turn, we promoted the NYRR New Year’s Eve Midnight Run, adding the event to our website’s event listings and showcasing it on targeted social media posts.

JP Morgan Tournament of Champions

The JP Morgan Tournament of Champions is a professional squash tournament that features the world’s best squash players. Held January 18–25, this year marked the 26th year of the tournament at Grand Central Terminal.  NYC Tourism + Conventions provided several assets to the tournament, including a custom restaurant guide around Grand Central, access to our Delegate Pass, a welcome letter from the Mayor and video assets shown at City Winery, where the watch party took place. The tournament included our logo and links to NYCtourism.com in newsletters and social media posts and promoted the Delegate Pass to their attendees.

FIFA recently announced MetLife Stadium as one of the host venues for soccer matches for the CONMEBOL Copa America 2024, which will be promoted through NYC Tourism + Conventions social channels. Matches include Chile vs Argentina (June 25), Uruguay vs Bolivia (June 27) and the semifinal match (July 9). Looking to the FIFA World Cup 26™, New York/New Jersey was awarded the final match on July 19, 2026, along with seven other matches, cementing our region as the most important stage for the world’s biggest events.

Kayak and Priceline

On October 5, Kayak and Priceline invited NYC Tourism + Conventions to create an engaging familiarization trip for 100 airline partners who were brought to NYC in celebration of the airline community. In return, we received prominent exposure throughout the event and the opportunity to present to the participants.

Expanding the Reach of NYC Marks at Home and Abroad

NYC Tourism + Conventions aligns with many organizations to reach audiences, featuring the City’s unique character in a variety of goods from well-known brands. In 2023, we entered our ninth year of partnership with the iconic New YorkCity brand Only NY. They continually reinvent and promote the NYC Parks, TheCity of New York Department of Sanitation (DSNY) and NYC marks, keeping consumers interested in quintessentially New York City brands and institutions.We are excited to work on a partnership to highlight their 10th year as a licensee in 2025.

The collaboration between NYC Tourism + Conventions and Mass Appeal in Q3 enhanced the impact of the Hip Hop 50 celebration. Through this partnership, we successfully extended licensing rights for the NYC Parks and “Made in NYC” marks. This move enabled the production of exclusive apparel items, aligning with our business objectives and showcasing the City’s hip-hop culture. These products sold out during the Park Jams events as well as Hip Hop 50 Live at Yankee Stadium. They continue to be featured on Mass Appeal’s website and contribute to our broader goal of promoting New York City's cultural richness on a global scale. In Q4, we partnered with NYC streetwear apparel brand TIER to launch an exclusive capsule collection featuring our new logo. The partnership marks the first of its kind for NYC Tourism + Conventions since the organization rebranded. The limited travel capsule collection, which features an interpretation of New York City’s new logo, brand identity and color palette, comprises hoodies, sweatpants, socks and baseball hats. The collection was promoted through our owned channels, out-of-home placements and social media channels. The partnership also included a love letter to NYC by TIER founder Nigeria Ealey. Shared on NYCtourism.com, this collaboration was also featured in Complex , Essence and Travel and Tour World .

NYC Around the World

NYC Tourism + Conventions focuses efforts on attracting both leisure and business travel. By showcasing NYC as the world’s foremost destination for business events, engaging with the travel trade, generating positive press and empowering member success, we help the City maintain its allure on the global stage.

Attracting Longer-Staying, Higher-Spending International Travelers and Meeting Delegates

Since their hiatus during the height of the pandemic, we have now fully restored our network of 17 international in-market representative agencies doing important work on the ground to build visitation and promote our members across 26 countries. These representatives sell our destination to top leisure travel trade, business event organizers and local media outlets throughout their regions. The teams’ efforts in these markets have resulted in a steady increase in lead generation and bookings for all manner of business events, such as meetings and incentive trips. Some markets are offering standout results. Brazil and Mexico are leading the incentives market from the financial, automotive, retail and pharmaceutical sectors, with short booking windows of 30 to 120 days. NYC has also secured hosting rights for various incentives from Singapore, Thailand and Australia, with potential interest from Malaysia and Indonesia for events in May and September. Canada, the United Kingdom, France and Western Europe are pivotal markets for corporate events and meetings, and leads from these regions, particularly in the technology, financial and insurance sectors, will be an important focus for our team through 2026.

This robust sales activity in market, together with our award-winning tourism campaign, kept NYC and our members front of mind for travel audiences around the world. The 2022–2023 iteration of our global marketing campaign, which had 16 distinct market executions that featured travel partners, drove more than 1 billion ad impressions and 1.7 million trips. The campaign was refreshed for 2023–2024, once again featuring Lady Liberty as the ultimate icon of our great city, beckoning potential travelers to NYC. Out-of-home advertisements and media placements launched in January for the latest iteration and will continue to run through 2024.

Showcasing NYC as the World’s Premier Business Events Destination

The Convention Development team remains focused on returning group business to NYC, engaging meeting planners at trade shows and sales missions, and promoting NYC in major markets at home and abroad.

Our Marketing team supports these efforts with media buys that amplify team activities, resulting in over 6 million ad impressions. We also produced a dedicated video for this audience to reinforce the message that NYC is where successful meetings happen.

Here at home, our Destination Services team supports meetings and events throughout the year, including major annual shows hosted in the five boroughs each year like the National Retail Federation, New York Toy Fair and Comic Con. In total, business events bring nearly 6 million visitors to the City, boosting business not just for hotels but restaurants, attractions and service providers as well. This year the team revamped the Destination Services tool kit, which contains several complimentary resources for business event professionals to assist in their planning and to help promote their events in NYC.

Inspiring and Driving Leisure Travel Through the Trade

Engaging the travel trade to drive leisure business is a major focus for our team. We showcase NYC and our members by hosting familiarization trips for top product managers and top-selling travel agents, leading sales missions (in over 12 major international markets in 2023), targeting high-value market segments (like luxury and long stays) and by providing educational and business development opportunities for trade and members.

The New York City Travel Trade Academy (TTA) was relaunched in Q2 of 2023, educating the travel trade on how to package and sell the five boroughs to potential visitors. The content is now available in 10 languages: German, Spanish, Portuguese, Japanese, Korean, Italian, French, Chinese, Hindi and English.

Our Tourism Development team also curates unforgettable experiences for niche market segments. For the luxury segment, the team fosters partnerships with industry-leading associations like Serandipians and Virtuoso, and attends key luxury trade shows like ILTM. A partnership with IGLTA also elevates New York City's profile within the LGBTQ+ travel community, highlighting tailored programs and resources for this market. Efforts to welcome Muslim travelers have been well received by the trade in the Middle East and Southeast Asia market, including promotion of the NYC Halal Travel Guide, the ability to filter restaurants to find halal offerings on our website and dedicated Muslim traveler-friendly content on NYCtourism.com. We are also committed to specifically engaging and welcoming the growing Black travel market by participating in the Black Travel Summit and successfully hosting our inaugural Black travel familiarization trip in February 2024.

The City is preparing to host the 2024 Student & Youth Travel Association’s (SYTA) conference this coming August. This is a terrific opportunity to reinforce NYC’s status as the most popular student and youth destination in North America. NYC Tourism + Conventions is hosting several business expos and reverse sales missions in the City. Members can connect with international buyers locally, saving them time and travel expenses. The travel trade and media representatives also get to discover the five boroughs in person and learn about new services, experiences and travel products across the City. In February 2024, NYC Tourism + Conventions executed two reverse sales missions and business expos, welcoming 40-plus clients from Germany, Switzerland, Austria, the Netherlands, Spain and Mexico. The team is planning more reverse sales missions and business expos later in the year with buyers from Ireland, the United Kingdom (March 25–29), France and Italy (June 16–20) and South America (August 19–23).

Keeping NYC Aspirational by Driving Positive Press Around the Globe

The Global Communications Team is constantly working to position New York City as a premier destination for leisure and business travel worldwide, evidenced by the more than 13,000 media stories they were able to affect, influence or place in 2023. Some of the year’s top themes targeted the rebound of international and business travel, a citywide celebration of hip-hop’s 50th anniversary, ways to visit NYC affordably and shoulder-season promotions showcasing our vibrancy programs featuring the hotel, restaurant, theater, attractions and arts sectors. In addition, the Global Communications team maintains a comprehensive crisis communications strategy at all times, which includes close coordination with city agencies, members, partners and stakeholders to coordinate and disseminate information relevant to the tourism industry during emergencies including weather-related situations. Media relations outreach engaged approximately 900 journalists in target feeder markets to develop highly individualized stories that speak to New York City’s diverse visitor mix. Efforts included the Visiting Media program, which hosted over 260 group and individual visits, composed of site visits, tours and hotel stays across all five boroughs, supported by our members and partners. Our more than two dozen What's New media briefings in 10 markets provided a broad update on major events, programs, and openings citywide as a source of inspiration for future stories. Global media coverage of New York City illustrates the breadth, depth and value of a visit, drives urgency to visit and reinforces the importance of tourism as a major economic driver that benefits all New Yorkers.

SUPPORTING THRIVING COMMUNITIES

We are committed to promoting sustainable tourism, cultural enrichment and economic empowerment. Through strategic partnerships, fundraising initiatives and support programs, NYC Tourism + Conventions fosters an ecosystem where local businesses flourish, neighborhoods thrive and diversity is celebrated.

Advancing Sustainability Dialogue and Best Practices

With our extensive public transportation network and density, NYC is an excellent choice for travelers mindful of sustainability. To support industry efforts to become more sustainable, we are proud to be a member of U.S. Travel’s Sustainability Committee and have ongoing partnerships with Climate Week NYC: The Nest Climate Campus, the World Travel & Tourism Council and The Climate Group. Our editorial team also publishes content on sustainability topics for both our consumer and business audiences.

Supporting Arts, Culture and Community Through the New York City Tourism Foundation

The breadth of the arts and culture scene across the five boroughs is one of the greatest strengths and advantages of our destination. Building awareness of these offerings is an ongoing commitment and supporting the wide variety of small but burgeoning nonprofit arts and cultural organizations that distinguish our city from others is another important tactic. We raise funds through our charitable arm, the New York City Tourism Foundation, to provide grants to local nonprofit, arts and cultural organizations for their own tourism and marketing efforts to build audience and awareness. The Foundation’s primary source of funding is our annual gala, held in December, where we honor industry leaders that have made a lasting impact. The 2023 edition raised over $600,000. Last summer we added a more casual and accessible fundraising event called Summer Soiree. Both of these events will return in 2024.

Empowering Member Success

NYC Tourism + Conventions’ 1,800+ members have access to a suite of business-building tools and resources. Our Membership and Events teams organize webinars detailing ways to reach consumers, travel trade and business event planners. In-person events like the annual meeting, business card exchanges and executive mixers foster professional connections with fellow members. Our Events team shares regular opportunities for members to join the Convention and Tourism Development teams at trade shows and sales missions, and members can work with us to be showcased in familiarization trips and site inspections.

We host regular webinars, our Member Talks, which cover topics from accessibility to gender-expansive hospitality training. Last year, we created a series of educational webinars called Meet the Market to educate our members on specific market segments and international regions, which also served to drive interest in joining a sales mission or deep engagement. The team hosted nine Meet the Market sessions the past year, a cross departmental effort between Membership, Events, Tourism Development and international office representatives. Markets and travel segments covered included Asia, Latin America, Northern Europe, Southern Europe, Australia/New Zealand, Canada, student travel and Black travel. Nearly 100 members went on to engage for the first time in sales missions, familiarization trips and trade shows after attending a session.

The Small Business Members Scholarship Program, now in its second year, is designed to provide qualified small businesses and cultural organizations with the necessary support and opportunity to participate in international sales missions and reverse sales missions with NYC Tourism + Conventions while sharing the true diversity of NYC experiences with the global trade. Following a comprehensive evaluation process, nine members were awarded the 2024 small business and cultural trade engagement scholarships. Additionally, through the membership portal of NYCtourism.com, members can access up-to-date market profiles and travel trend insights. Our Research team works on monthly updates to the New York City Tourism Barometer, also available to members providing information on visitor activities and spending, plus data on hotel performance, flight capacities, jobs and other helpful data. The Trend Report, published yearly each fall, provides additional detailed insights including visitation forecasts, hotel performance, traveler sentiment and global market updates.

Supporting Small Businesses Through Storytelling and Education

New York City’s variety of experiences is unmatched—a quality reflected in our members and their contributions to the City’s rich diversity. Through content on our website, social media campaigns, virtual education sessions and award-winning videos like our NYC Local Legends series, we uplift NYC’s multicultural communities to spread tourism’s economic benefits, connecting locals and visitors to the experiences that give the City its unique character. Our Tourism Ready program provides no-cost, valuable educational programming to the business community across the five boroughs on how to work with the travel trade to expand business opportunities. Through a series of free sessions, hospitality businesses learn to attract and manage group travel. These sessions also help expand tour operators’ offerings—encouraging repeat visitation and deeper exploration of the City’s neighborhoods, resulting in greater equity in tourism and economic impact. NYC Tourism + Conventions staff and members regularly participate in educational sessions and in-person experiences, learning about topics like LGBTQ+ and gender, land acknowledgements with the Lenape Center, Hispanic heritage, Diwali, accessibility, Black history and more.

2024 Strategic Priorities

In the year ahead, our work promoting the greatest city in the world will be driven by our core mission following four priority focus areas.

Continue positioning NYC as the world’s most aspirational and welcoming travel destination while influencing exploration of all five boroughs

We will continue to promote the vibrancy of all that NYC has to offer in a meaningful, consistent way across all of our channels, helping to keep our destination continually top of mind for travelers and prospective travelers around the world. Our Global Communications team will continue to work with key media outlets and influencers both locally and internationally to drive immediacy and demand, focusing on product and destination updates and promoting a positive image of NYC around the world. These updates will continue to stress not only all the can’t-miss seasonal developments and openings the City has to offer but also the new shows, restaurants, exhibitions and attractions that continue to provide a multitude of reasons to visit the five boroughs now—reinforcing that NYC is one of the most robust and diverse destinations in the world. We will also focus on promoting value and family-friendly ways to experience the City across all sectors in response to the economic challenges facing many of our key feeder markets while continuing to uplift opportunities that appeal to luxury or affluent travelers, again demonstrating the diversity of experiences available in NYC. Our social channels will continue to feature always-on content showcasing the exciting array of happenings in NYC at any given moment as well as ongoing content that supports each of our membership sectors. In addition to our internal team of experts, this content is developed by our award-winning Creator Squad, representing outstanding local voices across the categories of food, hotels, shopping, Broadway, culture and more. We will continue to showcase local businesses of all sizes, as well as community leaders and business owners across the five boroughs, to help promote neighborhood exploration and cultural diversity. Our Global Communications and Social Media teams will continue to support our signature marketing initiatives, including our vibrancy campaigns, to help drive traffic and sales to the hundreds of participating member businesses.   Alongside this work, our ongoing content initiatives will continue to showcase the diverse cultural fabric of our destination, inclusive of our seasonal guides and content platforms such as The Asian Experience in NYC, The Black Experience in NYC and The Latino Experience in NYC. These platforms showcase small businesses throughout the five boroughs, helping drive curiosity and exploration, and provide ample inspiration for visitors to return. They also appeal to first-timers eager for authentic cultural experiences to pair with visits to iconic sites. Our Marketing and Tourism teams are also focused on deeper audience development across key segments, such as luxury, Black travel and LGBTQ+. Our new luxury strategy includes refreshed content on our B2C site as well as a new B2B section exclusively for the luxury travel trade, featuring a specially curated selection of luxury product, resources and guides. We will also create a Luxury Travel Trade Council to create tighter connections with the luxury trade, ensuring they have ongoing product updates and that our organization has the latest insights into this impactful segment. Additionally, we will build on the success of our first Black Travel FAM that cut across our Tourism Development, Global Communications and Convention Sales teams, bringing leaders in Black media, leisure travel and business events into the City for an immersive destination experience. We will continue our engagement with the LGBTQ+ community, focusing our consumer messaging on NYC as a safe, welcoming destination, particularly as we ramp up to WorldPride in Washington, DC, in 2025, looking toward creating visitors’ pre- and/or post-event experiences. Our focus on student and youth travel has never been more important. We will host the 2024 Student and Youth Travel Association (SYTA) conference this August and will continue to focus on value and family-friendly travel moving forward. Other highlights include our partnership with the film Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire this March and a wealth of forthcoming content features about the City’s historic sites as we look forward to the 400th anniversary of the founding of NYC in 2025 and the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States in 2026.

Sustainably restore visitation, spending and business events

Our marketing campaigns will continue to center around two primary tranches: vibrancy campaigns designed to support our member businesses during key need periods, and our global tourism campaign designed to drive direct bookings to NYC through partnerships with airlines and tour operators around the world. Our vibrancy campaigns comprise NYC Restaurant Week, NYC Broadway Week, NYC Must-See Week, NYC Off-Broadway Week and NYC Hotel Week. These programs will continue under the NYC Winter Outing umbrella in January/February, providing more incentive to drive overnight visitation during our most critical needs period. We will continue to strive for more participation in these programs across all five boroughs to help support as many businesses as possible through the outreach efforts of our Membership and Government Affairs teams. We will also build on our support of those businesses with a suite of tools, including social media campaigns and menu-engineering tips to help them achieve as much success as possible. Further, we will continue to secure airline and rail partners to support the program, as well as the assistance of other brands that can help increase promotional reach and awareness. We will repeat our iconic NYC Restaurant Week program in July/August, as well as NYC Broadway Week and NYC Off-Broadway Week in the fall. And thanks to the invaluable support of our partner Bloomberg Connects, we will once again launch our It’s Time for Culture program this October, designed to provide a moment in the spotlight for our participating cultural members and give culture-lovers around the world a powerful reason to visit NYC at that time of year. We will continue our global tourism campaign, designed to drive direct travel bookings in our key feeder markets through the support of impactful airline and tour operator partnerships. We will develop refreshed creative that continues to iterate on the wildly popular Lady Liberty, leveraging key learnings from our 2023 SMARI results, proving that this imagery resonates with consumers at home and abroad. Our goal will be to continue spreading this effort across as many markets as possible, leveraging our international out-of-home media, courtesy of our partnership with JCDecaux, as well as digital media where possible and across key owned channels. Augmenting these efforts, our Tourism Development team will continue to work with the travel trade to train them on the latest developments in the City to promote a rich, five-borough product offering. They will continue connecting our members to the trade at key trade shows throughout the year, with a renewed effort on Reverse Sales Missions and Business Expos in tandem with our Global Communications and Convention Sales teams. This will allow us to bring more critical players into the market to experience NYC firsthand and engage with a wider variety of our member businesses. Our Convention Sales team will remain steadfast in its focus on bringing in big events of all sizes to NYC from around the world. The team plans to meet and exceed its room-night goals, continuing to grow our current and new relationships with clients both domestically and internationally to bring events to the City and confirm definite hotel room nights for our members.​ As part of this effort, the team will streamline trade show participation and increase participation in regional and national industry activities to best connect with business event professionals on the ground and encourage them to bring their next event to NYC​. In partnership with the Creative/Content and Marketing teams, Convention Sales will update and expand its suite of marketing collateral and sales tools, as well as its ongoing B2B advertising campaigns, which is designed to drive lead generation and traffic to our Meeting Planner website for continued engagement. The team will also continue to grow its partnerships with key industry associations to keep NYC top of mind as a business event destination unlike any other in the world.

Fueling business growth through increased member engagement

We will continue to develop new and enhanced opportunities for deeper engagement with our member businesses to help drive sales and awareness. First, we will maintain a regular cadence of Business Card Exchanges across the five boroughs to create ongoing opportunities for members to network and discover new opportunities for partnerships and business building. We will also continue our popular Member Talks series, both in person and virtual, providing our members with the information and tools they need to stay competitive. We are also developing new opportunities for members to showcase their product offerings and initiatives across our ecosystem through more integrated content and ad sales opportunities, as well as sponsorships of our corporate events, such as our annual NYC Tourism Foundation Gala, our Annual Meeting, Tristate Meeting Planner Event, Member Talks, Tourism Ready, Reverse Sales Missions and Business Expos and more.

Lay the groundwork for forthcoming big events to maximize tourism impact

In 2025 and 2026, New York City will be the site for some of the biggest celebrations the world has ever seen. NYC Tourism + Conventions is already working to ensure the foundation is created now to optimally leverage them for the benefit of our members and our destination. In May 2024, we will announce our upcoming history platform to media and travel trade around the world at IPW, designed to commemorate both the 400th anniversary of the founding of NYC in 2025 and the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States in 2026. This history platform, Founded By NYC, will commemorate both anniversaries by celebrating the unmatched creativity, innovation and influence New Yorkers have had over the world since our city’s founding. In our creative and content, we will uplift underrepresented voices and stories, particularly those of the Lenape Indian tribe, free and enslaved Black Americans, and women. Our content will cut across our editorial and social channels through an ongoing release of articles, interviews and photo galleries, celebrating the City’s past, present and future, and encouraging travelers to make their own history in NYC. Our platform will also include a partnership with the iconic Broadway musical Hamilton , because what better way to tell the story of NYC’s place in our nation’s founding than with the help of the story that started it all? This partnership will come to life in a variety of ways, with more details to be announced. As our America250 celebrations culminate in summer 2026, NYC and New Jersey will be home to the global celebration of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Eight matches will take place at New York New Jersey Stadium (MetLife Stadium), from Group Stage Matches starting June 13 to the Finals on July 19. As part of the festivities, there will be NYNJ Fan Fest events in every borough as well as many other tournament-related events. We look forward to leveraging this enormous opportunity to not only positively showcase our destination on a global stage but to encourage visitors to come early, explore more and stay longer.

2023 Financials

During the 12-month period ending June 30, 2023, NYC Tourism + Conventions recognized $21 million of the revenue received from the City through the city contract and an additional $11.6 million in other public funding, including additional funding from the City, the American Rescue Plan and New York State funds. Revenue from the private sector—including membership—totaled an additional $11.2 million. In FY24 and beyond, the company’s city contract is subject to further PEG reductions, which are expected to negatively impact revenue by at least an additional $3 million per year over the next four years.

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Volusia tourism leaders celebrate 10.1 million visitors in destination 'reset' year

DAYTONA BEACH  ― Volusia County attracted 10.1 visitors in 2023, down from a record 10.6 million in 2022 , according to figures from the Daytona Beach Area Convention & Visitors Bureau.

The news was announced at a celebration event to mark National Travel & Tourism Week on Wednesday at Hard Rock Hotel.

Area tourism officials and other local leaders praised the strength of the area’s leading industry as they also acknowledged increasing competition for travelers as the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic continues fade into the past tense.

“That number reflects what we have been calling a ‘reset’ year, so we’re actually very pleased,” said Lori Campbell Baker, executive director of the Daytona Beach Area CVB. “The world has reopened. International travel is booming.”

Volusia's 2023 visitor total surpassed pre-pandemic 2019

As Florida emerged as one of the first states to re-open for tourists in the wake of pandemic-era restrictions, Volusia County’s record-setting 10.6 million visitor total in 2022 was the destination’s highest annual count since logging 10.2 million in 2018.

Although the 2023 visitor total failed to match that record high, Baker pointed out that it was better than the pre-COVID 2019 total of the 9.8 million.

“As always, we’re working to bring that total up,” she said. “Everything we do is geared toward attracting overnight visitors.”

In addition to a decline in visitors, Volusia County’s tourist development tax collections for the fiscal year that concluded on Sept. 30 finished 3.51% below the year-end total for 2021-22, according to figures from the Volusia County Revenue Division.

For the previous fiscal year that concluded on Sept. 30, 2022, record-high overall tourism bed-tax collections of $33.7 million countywide were more than 20% higher than the previous year, which also set a record.

The county collects a 6% tourism tax on hotels and lodges with half of the revenues going to fund the county-run Ocean Center convention complex in Daytona Beach. The other half goes to the county’s three tourism ad authorities to market their respective areas — the Daytona Beach/Halifax area, Southeast Volusia and West Volusia — as tourist and special event destinations.

Tourism trend also evident in statewide visitor total

The trend in Volusia County also is evident in statewide numbers.

In 2023, Florida welcomed an estimated 135 million tourists according to the Visit Florida tourism marketing agency. That's down from 137.4 million the year before, but up from 131.1 million in 2019, the last full year of data before the pandemic.

At Wednesday’s event, the contributions of the area’s tourism industry were heralded by host Bob Davis, president and CEO of the Lodging & Hospitality Association of Volusia County.

After nearly 60 years as a hotelier and tourism leader, Davis emphasized that connection among hotel owners, managers, small businesses, elected officials and educators was essential for success.

“It takes all of us together, working to make Volusia the No. 1 county in Florida,” Davis said. “We’re all in this together. We all have a part to play.”

That theme was echoed in presentations by leaders of the county’s three tourism advertising authorities representing the Halifax area, West Volusia and Southeast Volusia.

In case you missed it: After two record-setting years, Volusia tourism weathers downturn in 2023

There also were updates from Cyrus Callum, director of aviation and economic resources at Daytona Beach International Airport, Ocean Center Director Lynn Flanders and Volusia County Manager George Recktenwald.

Recktenwald offered thanks to county staff members and area businesses for contributing to the recovery from beach damage sustained during back-to-back tropical storms Ian and Nicole in fall 2022.

“The last 18 months touched us like never before,” said Recktenwald, adding that the future still holds the prospect of “significant investment” to ensure the condition of the area’s beaches. Yet he, too, was optimistic.

“The businesses, the hotels and the county’s environmental staff have acted swiftly to repair the damages,” he said. “Things are looking positive.”

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China market update: tourism data rebounds.

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Asian equities were higher overnight, led by Mainland China’s reopening following its Labor Day holiday, though Japan was closed for Children’s Day, South Korea was closed for Substitution Holiday, and Thailand was closed for Coronation Day.

The Ministry of Culture and Tourism reported “total domestic travel in China was 295 million person-times, a year-on-year increase of 7.6% and an increase of 28.2% versus 2019” and the “total cost of domestic tourists traveling was 166.89 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 12.7% and a growth rate of 13.5%” versus 2019.

Real estate policy support continues to be amplified as Shenzhen clarified home purchase restriction adjustments after Beijing’s similar move last week received media attention. Hong Kong had a choppy morning but grinded higher to close near intra-day highs on high volumes that were 146% of the 1-year average.

Mainland investors were active via Southbound Stock Connect, buying a healthy net $650 million worth of Hong Kong-listed ETFs and stocks, including the Hong Kong Tracker ETF, which was a large net buy. The ETF purchases require market makers to hedge, which spiked short-selling turnover, though it wasn’t outright short-selling but hedging.

Hong Kong’s most heavily traded stocks by value were Tencent, which gained +1.59%, Meituan, which gained +0.50%, Alibaba, which gained +0.38%, CNOOC, which fell -2.68%, and AIA, which gained +1.87%. I sense that trading desks’ mood appears to be picking up though skepticism about the rally remains high, which is great news to me. Going from underweight to neutral would be a big move for Chinese equities. Over the last five trading days, three US-listed China equity ETFs received net inflows, i.e. increases in shares outstanding. Meanwhile, three had net outflows and decreases in shares outstanding, including one that lost -8.5% of their shares outstanding last week. The pain trade is higher, in my opinion!

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Mainland China reopened after bring off since last Tuesday. Shanghai and Shenzhen rose and stayed there on strong breath (i.e. advancers versus decliners) and good volume that increased to 130% of the 1-year average. Railroad stocks were higher following the implementation of surge pricing. Foreign investors bought a healthy net $1.29 billion worth of Mainland stocks, including Kweichow Moutai, which saw significant net buying.

CNY made a strong move versus the US dollar, closing today at 7.21 CNY per USD versus last Tuesday’s 7.24 CNY per USD, indicating appreciation.

The April Caixin Services PMI release of 52.5 versus expectations of 52.5 and Marchs’ 52.7 received little attention overnight.

President Xi arrived in France today to talk trade with President Macron.

Interestingly, Geely Automobile is looking to pursue an IPO of its electric vehicle (EV) brand Zeekr in the US.

Berkshire Hathaway’s BRK.B annual shareholder meeting is a big event for Chinese investors, many of whom will be making the pilgrimage to Omaha. Chinese financial media noted the company’s massive cash position and Warren Buffett’s comments on waiting to deploy it.

The Hang Seng and Hang Seng Tech indexes gained +0.55% and +0.92%, respectively, on volume that increased +24.35% from Friday, which is 146% of the 1-year average. 296 stocks advanced while 189 declined. Main Board short turnover increased +34.06% from Friday, which is 145% of the 1-year average, as 18% of turnover was short turnover (Hong Kong shore turnover includes ETF market makers’ hedging). The value factor outperformed the growth factor. The top-performing sectors were Utilities, which gained +1.88%, Industrials, which gained +1.69%, and Health Care, which gained +1.60%. Meanwhile, Real Estate fell -2.38%. The top-performing subsectors were media and capital goods. Meanwhile, Real Estate services and food & beverages were among the worst-performing. Southbound Stock Connect volumes were light as Mainland investors bought a net $650 million worth of Hong Kong-listed stocks and ETFs, including the Hong Kong Tracker ETF, which was a large net buy, and the Bank of China and Li Auto, which were small net buys.

Shanghai, Shenzhen, and the STAR Board gained +1.16%, +2.07%, and +1.33%, respectively, on volume that increased +6.97% from last Tuesday, which is 130% of the 1-year average. 4,435 stocks advanced while 762 declined. All factors were positive as the growth factor and small caps outperformed the value factor and large caps. All sectors were positive, including Consumer Staples, which gained +3.22%, Health Care, which gained +2.91%, and Consumer Discretionary, which gained +2.47%. The top-performing subsectors were motorcycles, chemicals, and chemical fibers. Meanwhile, telecom, oil & gas, and computer hardware were among the worst-performing sectors. Northbound Stock Connect volumes were light, as foreign investors bought a healthy net $1.29 billion worth of Mainland stocks, including Kweichow Moutai, which was a large net buy, and LXJM and China Merchants Bank, which were small net buys. Meanwhile, Midea Group, Focus Media and Nari-Tech were moderate net sells. CNY and the Asia Dollar Index were higher versus the US dollar. The Treasury curve steepened. Steel gained while copper was off.

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Last Night's Performance

Last night’s exchange rates, prices, & yields.

• CNY per USD 7.20 versus 7.24 Friday
• CNY per EUR 7.77 versus 7.79 Friday
• Yield on 1-Day Government Bond 1.44% versus 1.43% Friday
• Yield on 10-Year Government Bond 2.31% versus 2.30% Friday
• Yield on 10-Year China Development Bank Bond 2.40% versus 2.41% Friday
• Copper Price -1.06%
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EXCLUSIVE: Meta Coming To Cheyenne; Multibillion-Dollar Data Center Planned

Cowboy State Daily has confirmed social media giant Meta Platforms Inc., billionaire Mark Zuckerberg’s conglomerate that owns Facebook and Instagram, is building a multibillion-dollar data center in Cheyenne.

May 09, 2024 10 min read

CHEYENNE — The secret is out.

Social media giant Meta Platforms Inc. — billionaire Mark Zuckerberg’s conglomerate that owns social networking sites Facebook, Instagram, What’sApp and other platforms — is building what could become the largest high-tech project in Wyoming in south Cheyenne.

When construction on its sprawling enterprise data center is completed in three years, it could become the largest multibillion-dollar investment ever in a single high-tech project in the Cowboy State.

Meta has targeted Wyoming because of the cool weather that’ll keep its super-heated enterprise system chilled a few degrees cooler than what is typical with water systems and proximity to a major high-speed internet trunk line that runs alongside a rail track in southern Wyoming from one side of the state to the other.

The social media company also has taken an eye to the business-friendly climate of the Cowboy State that gives sales tax exemptions for certain-sized data centers, according to several business and government officials interviewed by Cowboy State Daily.

These officials have signed nondisclosure agreements, or NDAs, to keep their mouths zipped about the huge enterprise data center coming to Cheyenne’s newest business park along South Greeley Highway, called the High Plains Business Park, which takes up roughly 1,300 acres overall.

Construction on the Meta complex recently began on the west side of the highway on 945 acres that the company bought last year near the permanently closed Intermountain Speedway, with work on a competing Microsoft data center happening on the east side.

Neighbors Not Fans

While those in the know are silent under the restrictions of their NDAs, the people who live in the Bison Crossing subdivision near the southern edge of the project are talking.

“It’s Meta,” said an elderly lady who was carting her trash out to the front of her house at 1436 Dayshia Lane about the huge project happening just beyond her property.

“There’s going to be a whole bunch of cars coming here from Colorado to work,” said the lady, who complained about the nonstop rumbling from heavy earth moving equipment coming from behind her house. “Today, it’s real bad.”

“It’s Meta,” said Bruce Riter, a tradesman in the construction industry who lives with his wife Rachel along Redhawk Drive in the Bison Crossing neighborhood.

Riter said that he was told about his new corporate neighbor by construction industry sources who bid on parts of the multibillion-dollar deal to build the first phase of the 800,000-square-foot Meta facility.

Other phases are expected to triple the size of the center in coming years.

“Oh, hell no, we don’t want it here. We bought our house 18 years ago and we could look out the back of our house into somebody else’s backyard, where cattle grazed,” said Rachel Riter of the grasslands that once grew behind her home as far as the eye could see.

“Nobody is happy about it,” she added.

“For 18 years we could look out at nothing from our hot tub, and now it’s going to be an industrial park,” Bruce Riter said, adding he’s not much of a fan of Meta’s social media platforms. “I don’t like what it does to kids or society. I’m not a Luddite, but …”

Biggest High-Tech Project

The construction project is viewed as one of the biggest high-tech investments ever in the Cowboy State, and is widely considered one of the reasons why the nation’s largest energy companies are building sprawling solar farms nearby along the highway leading south to Colorado along South Greeley Highway.

An enterprise data center is a data center that is owned and operated by a single organization to support its information technology needs. The facility contains physical infrastructure such as servers, racks and network systems that process internal data.

Meta, the backer of the project, began snooping around the area more than six years ago.

Economic development officials in the region refer to the project as “Project Cosmo,” which is run by a mysterious limited liability company formed with the state called Goat Systems Inc.

Goat Systems has hired Oregon-based Fortis Construction Inc. as the general contractor for the project, which recruited other workforce tradesmen to help.

Fortis is in the business of working on secretive projects, like the Meta one.

These projects can range from building a nanotechnology center in Oregon to make high-tech things for Japanese conglomerate Hitachi Ltd., to building a manufacturing facility for synthetic DNA products for California-based Twist Bioscience Corp.

Meta spokesman Ryan Moore was not immediately available to comment on the company’s plans to open an enterprise data center in Cheyenne.

New Signage

On Cheyenne’s southside, there’s a newly installed wooden sign off South Greeley Highway that points to 1800 High Plains Road, where Fortis began setting up a perimeter of fencing in some spots to keep snoopy people out of the area.

Until a few weeks ago, there was no High Plains Road. The old Speedway Drive turnoff from the highway has disappeared.

The plan is to eventually extend the new city-owned High Plains Road 5 miles to the west and hook it up with the High Plains Road exit off Interstate 25, where the Southeast Wyoming Welcome Center is located.

“That’ll take 10 years to eventually do,” said Betsey Hale, chief executive officer for the Cheyenne-Laramie County Corp. for Economic Development (LEADS), who is familiar with the project.

Fortis is said to employ roughly 800 workers on the project at the business park.

Just after the sun rose at 6 a.m. Thursday, a steady stream of white trucks with Fortis signage and Oregon license plates were seen driving back to the new business park where earthmovers and scrapers were digging up the land beyond the recently closed Intermountain Speedway.

During construction, Fortis plans to take over some of the speedway, which Coldwell Banker says is for sale at $2.1 million or for lease at 30 cents a square foot, to store some of its trucks, equipment and other material as a staging area for the massive project, according to economic development officials and a commercial broker knowledgeable about the racetrack property.

Meanwhile, Fortis and its small army of contractors have begun ripping up the grasslands to make way for Meta’s 945-acre first phase of construction.

High Plains Road that enters from the South Greeley Highway will initially bend south and connect with Parsley Drive off Terry Ranch Road, which connects with the I-25 exit to the east where fireworks stores are located near the Colorado border.

NDAs All Around

Everyone ranging from Cheyenne Mayor Patrick Collins and Laramie County Commissioner Gunnar Malm to Bailey Wheeler, a commercial broker with Coldwell Banker in Cheyenne, and Hale are keeping mum about the secretive project in south Cheyenne.

“I think it’s just one of those things that we can’t discuss until there’s public knowledge,” Wheeler told Cowboy State Daily.

LEADS owns and runs several business parks in the Cheyenne area, including the High Plains Business Park.

A press conference is planned for early July to announce the mystery and officially identify the enterprise data company, Collins told Cowboy State Daily.

Keeping secrets on business deals are not new for Cheyenne officials.

They’ve been to this rodeo before.

In recent years, Cheyenne area officials signed NDAs on projects involving Microsoft Corp. when it expanded to the Cheyenne Business Parkway area south of Interstate 80 near Campstool Road and the Burlington Trail; and with the North Range Business Park with 400 acres that Cheyenne recently annexed from Laramie County near the Dyno Nobel fertilizer plant on the city’s western edge, located just south of I-80.

LEADS and government officials dubbed the Cheyenne Business Parkway expansion as “the Bronco Philly Project,” which was a reference to Microsoft’s plans to build data centers in this eastern outskirt of Cheyenne.

Before the wraps were taken off, Microsoft’s plans to build more data centers in the North Range Business Park were called “Project Equality.”

Microsoft also has data centers in three other LEADS-run business parks encircling Cheyenne.

“This has been great for a community that hasn’t been historically reliant on the minerals industry like other counties in Wyoming,” Malm told Cowboy State Daily. “We’ve carved out a niche community in the tech sector.”

Collins said that because the smaller 400-acre parcel adjacent to the North Range Business Park was annexed by the city, the next step is to annex the adjoining North Range Business Park. The move is seen as a benefit to business park tenants because of a huge discount they’ll receive on water and sewer rates, he said.

Going For The Gold

Annexation new industries into the city isn’t new for Cheyenne. Last year, the city brought the High Plains Business Park into its fold, a sure tax revenue benefit for the city as well.

But that could become the farthest edge of the city to the south.

“I don’t see the city really going beyond Chalk Bluff Road. I’d be surprised if we’d even go beyond south of Terry Branch Road,” said Collins, who cited the high expense of delivering sewer and water through the rolling hills and tough terrain beyond the High Plains area.

With the massive data centers now rooted in the region, Cheyenne sees a need for more power production to be dispatched over its electrical grid.

The energy-guzzling centers in the region are expected to triple the electricity consumption to more than 1,000 megawatts annually in the next five years, said Collins, citing utility forecasts.

“The fastest growth is happening in Cheyenne,” he said.

Customers For Wind, Solar

Another underlying trend factoring into luring data centers to the region are clean energy supplies for the data centers, considered a marketing selling point for the huge corporations that own them.

Canada’s Enbridge Inc. is in the beginning stages of getting permits to build a $1.2 billion solar project capable of generating up to 800 megawatts of electricity and considered the largest in Wyoming.

That project will blanket the hilly grasslands to the east of South Greeley Highway with 1.2 million solar panels. Enbridge has stated that it wants to sell some of the electricity to super-sized data centers in the area, but won’t name any until it has a contract in hand.

The deal to sell the power is likely with Black Hills Energy, the Wyoming provider of electricity and natural gas for South Dakota-based Black Hills Corp., which has a power substation in the area, and which in turn would sell the power to data centers located along the South Greeley Highway corridor.

Another power provider is located on the western side of South Greeley Highway near the intersection of Chalk Bluff Road, where a 150 MW solar farm was recently built.

In September, that operation was bought by Atlanta-based Southern Co. from QCells USA Corp. The acquisition is the 30th solar project for Southern, but its first in Wyoming.

The project is scheduled to begin supplying electricity to Black Hills soon.

Hale said that the region is exploding with growth and the power requirements are substantial. Taken together, seven data centers have located in LEADS-owned business parks and provided $20 million in sales taxes paid on power, and more than $2.4 billion in capital investment since they were opened several years ago.

“We’re seeing a lot of energy companies contacting us, ranging from micronuclear reactors to hydrogen and natural gas plants,” she said. “There’s lots of stuff going on. I’ve been around 40 years. None of these parks have been built overnight.”

Pat Maio can be reached at [email protected] .

In case you missed it

Pat Maio is a veteran journalist who covers energy for Cowboy State Daily.

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