NYC Officials Expecting Huge Leap in International Tourists

Image: Aerial view of Central Park sitting amid New York City skyscrapers, New York. (photo via iStock/Getty Images E+/naphtalina)
Image: Aerial view of Central Park sitting amid New York City skyscrapers, New York. (photo via iStock/Getty Images E+/naphtalina)
Rich Thomaselli
by Rich Thomaselli
Last updated: 12:56 PM ET, Sun July 24, 2022

All the iconic landmarks are there, Broadway shows returned to The Great White Way last year, Restaurant Week savings are currently in full swing … all that was missing from New York City was the tourists.

Now, apparently, they're coming back.

In droves.

NYC & Company officials told the New York Post they project 8.3 million international visitors this year - not back to 2019 levels but a whopping 207 percent increase over last year's total of 2.7 million tourists who visited from outside the United States.

NYC & Company is the official tourist arm of New York City.

In addition to the more than 8 million global visitors, NYC is expecting 48.2 million Americans to visit in 2022 for a total more than 56 million tourists, which would be a huge boost to lodging, restaurants and attractions in the city.

Officials also told the Post they expect 9 million business travelers this year.

Chris Heywood, executive vice president for NYC & Company, said visitors from the United Kingdom are the key.

"The UK is a critically important market. It is typically our number one source of international travel," Heywood said.


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Rich Thomaselli

Rich Thomaselli

Associate Writer

Editor Associate Writer true 9281 14744 Rich Thomaselli has written for TravelPulse since 2014 and has been a professional journalist for nearly 40 years. His work has appeared in USA Today, the New York Times and New York Yankees publications. He is an 11-time writ

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