New York City's tourism arm, NYC & Company, will spend $30 million on what it calls its biggest marketing campaign ever to bring tourists back to the Big Apple as the pandemic eases. The campaign will kick off in June with a still-to-be-determined name.
In a virtual news conference under the "NYC Reawakens" banner, Mayor Bill de Blasio said the coming summer will be "exciting and energetic" with tons of outdoor activities. He said the city has been counted out many times in the past but has also shown amazing resilience. He said that a high point will be the return of Broadway theater, now scheduled for the fall.
Roger Dow, CEO of the U.S. Travel Association, said that the investment by the city is a sign that "we are beginning the road back." He said that travel and tourism to New York always comes back quickly - and better than ever. "Once again," he said, "New York City has taken the lead."
There are already signs of accelerating activity in the city, according to a number of presentations. That includes a vibrant outdoor dining scene even as restaurant capacities are now at 50 percent; a rapidly increasing number of attractions opening like Coney Island and many museums; and a proliferation of outdoor entertainment.
New attractions include a heritage center at the Louis Armstrong House in Queens and an observatory at the new One Vanderbilt skyscraper near Grand Central Station. There will also be a large new Harry Potter store with many interactive experiences and a wide variety of merchandise.
And soon to come are a number of high-profile hotel openings including an Aman, a Margaritaville in Times Square, a second Ritz-Carlton and a second Ace Hotel, this one in Brooklyn.
Fred Dixon, CEO of NYC & Company, said that the campaign would initially aim at domestic visitors since even in normal times they represent 80 percent of arrivals. As international restrictions ease, the campaign would move in that direction.
And there will be changes, said Dixon, with an enhanced focus on inclusion, accessibility and sustainability. There will also be a bigger emphasis on spreading out tourism - geographically around the city's five boroughs and by increasing the appeal of off-season and midweek travel.
An early start to the campaign will be a Wish You Were Here in NYC program with New Yorkers being able to send personalized email invitations to their friends and families. Dixon said he hoped the city would see half of the visitors it had in 2019 this year - 36.4 million - with new records starting to be set for 2024 with a projection of 69.3 million arrivals that year.
While a number of hotels have closed permanently, Dixon said the city would soon have 110,000 rooms, not far from the pre-pandemic level of 122,000. Occupancy has been above 50 percent for the past few weeks, he said, with weekends seeing an even higher percentage.
And, said Dixon, there are infrastructure improvements like the new Moynihan Train Hall at Penn station, a brand new LaGuardia airport and major improvements to both Newark Liberty and John F. Kennedy airports. There are now over 19,000 Citi Bikes available for rental at 1200 stations around the city with a target of 40,000 bikes in the near future.
On the meetings and convention front, said Dixon, Javits Center is completing an addition of 1.5 million square feet, which will mean a total of three million square feet. And the facility will feature a one-acre rooftop farm.
One of the first big events to make New York's reawakening, said Dixon, will be the commemoration of the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 attack with events all over the city.
Many packages aimed at tourism will be forthcoming like Restaurant Week in July, Neighborhood Getaway tours with special offers and a collaboration with the new film "In the Heights," from Lin-Manual Miranda, creator of "Hamilton," the hit Broadway musical. It opens June 11.
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