New York City has, and always will be, a major tourist location. From its various historical landmarks like Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty to its towering skyscrapers to its city streets littered in food vendors and taxi cabs. It’s one of the most featured cities in American cinema and is the topic of countless songs. In short: New York City is popular. And although this has never been a secret, this past year’s record-breaking number of tourists surprised even the most die-hard of New York loyals. Bringing in an all-time high of 60.3 million visitors this year, New York City’s tourism industry is clearly thriving.

 

In a report from New York Daily News, New York City mayor, Bill de Blasio, stated, “Not only has 2016 brought the largest number of visitors in New York history, but it also caps off seven years of strong tourism growth.” As de Blasio noted, New York City has seen a heavy increase in tourism, with last year seeing 58.5 million visitors. “More tourism means we have more people investing in New York City and are able to create more sustainable jobs for more people,” he continued. “New York is a culturally rich and diverse city, with so much to offer those who visit.”

 

According to the New York Daily News, most of the tourists (47.6 million in fact) are from within the U.S. The remaining 12.7 million visited from other countries. While this may sound like overcrowding and worry some of the more claustrophobic readers, it actually has great implications on New York’s economy. Because of the large number of visitors, the tourism industry must grow and employ more workers in order to meet demand. The number of travel and tourism industry workers totals 375,000. That’s 15,000 more jobs than last year. Obviously, more tourists means more money spent in the city. One industry that has reaped the benefits of this growth is that of the theater. Broadway, which has been one of New York’s biggest attractions, sold 7.7 million in tickets for shows this past year.
If you are one of the many millions visiting New York City before the end of the year, make sure to check out my list of holiday events and attractions in the city that are sure to make your holidays happy: http://kewhomin.org/what-to-do-in-new-york-city-this-holiday/