New York City Welcomes Record 60.3 Million Visitors in 2016

by Donald Wood
Last updated: 4:30 PM ET, Mon December 19, 2016

On Monday, NYC & Company and New York City Mayor Bill De Blasio announced that the city had surpassed 60 million visitors for the first time, marking the seventh consecutive year of tourism growth.

In total, New York City hosted an all-time record 60.3 million visitors, including 47.6 million domestic visitors and 12.65 million international visitors. The 2016 total is 600,000 visitors higher than the original expectations and 1.8 million more visitors than last year's 58.5 million.

The rise in visitors also helped create an additional 15,000 jobs in the travel and tourism industries, bringing the total to more than 375,000 jobs in New York City.

As for the tourism forecast heading into 2017, NYC & Company officials believe New York City will welcome approximately 61.8 million visitors, including 48.7 million domestic travelers and 13.1 million international visitors.

"Not only has 2016 brought the largest number of visitors in New York City history, but it also caps off seven years of strong tourism growth and 15,000 more jobs for New Yorkers," Mayor de Blasio said in a statement. "More tourism means we have more people investing in New York City and are able to create more sustainable jobs for more people. New York is a culturally rich and diverse city, with so much to offer those who visit. I look forward to continue promoting this beautiful city and welcoming all those who visit in the future."

"We are proud to exceed our forecast this year and welcome an all-time record 60.3 million visitors, achieving a new tourism milestone for New York City," NYC & Company CEO Fred Dixon said in a statement. "The appeal of the 'New' New York alongside our classic attractions continue to draw travelers from every corner of the globe. We invite visitors and locals to take advantage of all the nonstop and affordable NYC experiences on offer this winter as well as the opportunities to discover our City's multicultural neighborhoods in all five boroughs."

Part of the tourism industry's success was in the hotel sector, which grew in 2016 by 1.2 million to an all-time record 34.9 million hotel room nights sold by year's end. While New York City is already home to more than 111,000 hotel rooms, it is expected to add 24,000 new hotel rooms by the end of 2019.

To ensure this year's success translates into even more in 2017, NYC & Company unveiled the new "Nonstop NYC" program which expands on its existing programs, including NYC Restaurant Week, NYC Broadway Week, NYC Off-Broadway Week and an all-new NYC Attractions Week.

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