After reporting an all-time record 56.4 million visitor arrivals in 2014, New York tourism officials have set another ambitious target for the next six years.
NYC & Company president and CEO Fred Dixon has set a goal of 67 million visitors by 2021, with a raft of new marketing programmes set to kick in across all five major boroughs of the city.
The Big Apple generated $61.3 billion in 2014 from 44.2 million domestic and 12.2 million international visitors.
Alicia Glen, New York deputy mayor, announced a new marketing strategy to realize the ambitious target, building on the existing NYCGO Insider Guide programme which showcases Queens, the Bronx and Brooklyn.
The ‘Road to 10 Million More Visitors’ will focus on targeting the emerging markets of China, India, Brazil and Spanish-speaking Latin America.
There will also be a push to attract more major sports events to New York City, such as the 2016 NCAA Wrestling Championships and the 2016 and 2017 NCAA Men’s Basketball Championships.
For the upcoming summer season a new ‘Free in NYC’ campaign will highlight free and low-cost attractions and activities such as free museum entry, TV show tapings, free tours, and parks and gardens.
NYC & Company will also promote the Big Apple as a destination for meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions with the ‘Make it NYC’ meetings campaign, building on the 6.1 million meeting delegates who visited in 2014.
