Strong domestic travel and a robust luxury market propelled New York City's tourism industry in 2025.
According to the latest 2025 tourism data announced at New York City Tourism + Conventions’ Annual Meeting for member businesses at the Manhattan Center last week, tourism generated $84.7 billion in total economic impact for New York City last year.
That figure includes $55.6 billion in direct spending. What's more, the economic activity supported a whopping 397,000 jobs, while tourism generated $7.5 billion in tax revenue.
NYC hosted 65 million visitors last year, up 0.7 percent from 2024.
Domestic travel accounted for 52.4 million visitors, up 1.7 percent over the previous year, led by the top five feeder markets: New York City tristate area, Philadelphia, Washington, DC, Los Angeles and Boston.
On the flip side, international travel declined slightly, accounting for 12.5 million visitors, down 3.2 percent from 2024. Still, the decline was smaller than previously forecasted due to ongoing global challenges.
Plus, visitation actually increased year over year from the UK (1.3 percent), Italy (5.5 percent) and Mexico (1.8 percent).
"In 2025, New York City’s tourism economy proved resilient despite global challenges, underscoring the enduring appeal of the five boroughs," Julie Coker, President and CEO of New York City Tourism + Conventions, said in a statement.
Brooklyn Bridge in New York City. (Photo Credit: Rebecca Chamblee)
"The international visitor market is crucial to our economy, accounting for 50 percent of tourism spending. Despite international declines, we saw growth across all our economic impact metrics: total direct visitor spending was more than $55 billion, which generated nearly $85 billion in economic impact for our city, flowing into hotels, restaurants, cultural institutions, retail and small businesses across all five boroughs," said Coker. "The impact of the tourism industry remains critical to the entire city."
Forecasting More Tourism Growth for 2026
Looking ahead to 2026, New York City is projected to welcome 66.3 million visitors, a 2 percent increase over 2025.
Domestically, travel is expected to increase to 53.4 million visitors, surpassing record 2019 levels. Meanwhile, international travel is expected to rebound to 2024 levels at 12.9 million visitors and the city is projecting growth from all top 20 international markets.
This summer's 2026 FIFA World Cup will play a key role for the city's tourism industry, with the matches expected to drive 1.2 million visitors to New York and New Jersey, generating $3.3 billion in economic impact, including $1.8 billion in direct spending. This will also contribute to some 26,000 jobs.
Additionally, officials are expecting business travel to grow to 12.8 million visitors, signaling a nearly 2 percent increase over 2025.
"Next year, we expect domestic travel to surpass record 2019 levels, signaling a major milestone and emphasizing the strength of our regional drive markets," said Charles Flateman, Board Chair of New York City Tourism + Conventions and Executive Vice President of The Shubert Organization.
"The domestic market accounts for 80 percent of our visitation and overnight trips now account for 51 percent of this segment, contributing to New York City’s position as first in hotel occupancy in the U.S. market."
For the latest travel news, updates and deals, subscribe to the daily TravelPulse newsletter.
Topics From This Article to Explore
