A recent report shows that despite a slight increase in tourism numbers in New York City in 2025, overall visitor arrivals have not yet returned to pre-COVID-19 pandemic levels. The actual number of visitors fell by three million compared to the record in 2019, with the decline in international tourist numbers being a major contributing factor.
According to the travel magazine “Travel the World” (TTW) citing the latest report from the NYC Tourism + Conventions, influence of “tariff policies and negative comments about traveling to the United States” had a noticeable cooling effect on the international tourism market in New York in 2025, with a nearly 5% drop in international tourist numbers compared to 2024.
The report indicates that in 2025, New York welcomed approximately 64.7 million tourists, a mere 0.3% increase from the previous year. This figure not only fell short of the expected target of 67 million people but also failed to surpass the historical record of 66.6 million visitors set in 2019, demonstrating a lackluster recovery in tourism.
In 2025, the number of international tourists in New York dropped from 12.9 million in 2024 to 12.3 million. Declines were seen in markets such as Canada (-19%), Germany (-10%), France (-7%), Mexico (-5%), Spain (-5%), China (-4%), and the UK (-3%). On the other hand, Italy, Brazil, and Australia saw modest growth of 1% to 2% in tourist numbers.
Domestic tourism, on the other hand, emerged as the “sole bright spot”. The report highlights that domestic leisure travel saw an annual increase of around 1.5% in 2025, reaching 52.2 million people, and is expected to further rise to 53.3 million in 2026, surpassing the 2019 levels.
The Partnership for NYC, a business elite organization, pointed out that high-end and luxury hotel occupancy rates experienced the largest increase. Some high-end travelers were willing to pay up to $1,000 per night for accommodation, contributing economically three times more than the average tourist.
Julie Coker, CEO of NYC Tourism + Conventions, warned earlier that international tourists’ spending accounted for about 50% of the city’s tourism consumption and was “indispensable” to the New York economy. She predicted that the reduction in international tourists would result in over $4 billion in direct spending losses.
The report estimated that tourism spending supported over 60% of employment in the entertainment industry, about 30% of jobs in the food and beverage sector, and over 5% of job opportunities in the retail industry.
Andrew Rigie, Executive Director of the NYC Hospitality Alliance, urged city and state governments to increase investment in tourism promotion. He emphasized that New York was irreplaceable, especially with the upcoming 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States and the FIFA World Cup in 2026. Rigie stressed that now is a crucial moment to invest in tourism and ensure that New Yorkers share in the economic benefits.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup will host some matches and the championship final in New Jersey, which is expected to bring a new wave of tourism to New York City at that time.