New York State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli’s office released a report on May 23, pointing out that due to poor public safety and high prices, the number of tourists in New York City has not yet returned to the level before the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to DiNapoli’s report, in 2023, the number of tourists visiting New York City was 62.2 million, a growth of 9.7% compared to 2022. However, it is still 6.6% lower than the 66.6 million visitors in 2019 before the pandemic. Domestic tourists are also a key factor driving the recovery of the tourism industry in New York City. In 2023, the number of domestic tourists in New York City was 50.6 million, an increase of 7% over 2022 but still 5% lower than in 2019.
Regarding international tourists, the number was 11.6 million last year, showing some growth compared to the previous year, but a significant decrease of 14% compared to 2019.
The report highlighted that before the pandemic, tourists from China accounted for the largest share of international visitors and spent the most. However, due to the longer implementation of epidemic control measures in China and related travel bans, the number of Chinese tourists sharply declined, and their spending power decreased significantly. Their average expenditure in New York City dropped from $3,000 in 2019 to $2,036 in 2023.
Currently, the largest number of tourists in New York City comes from the UK, ranking first, while the number of tourists from China ranks ninth.
Compared to 2019, the tourism-related industries in New York City, including restaurants, bars, hotels, and entertainment venues, saw a reduction of nearly 30,000 employees, a 10% decrease. The tourism-related retail industry saw a decrease of 9,172 employees, down by 16.8%. The hotel occupancy rate is 81.6%, ranking first nationwide but still lower than 89.6% in 2019. However, due to the immigration crisis, the city government has reserved hotel rooms to accommodate undocumented immigrants, leading to a significant 47% increase in the hotel industry’s gross profit from 2022 to 2023.
The number of tourists in New York City has not only fully recovered but also lagged behind other competitors such as London and Paris, both of which had more tourists in 2023 than in 2019. The report indicated that the survey showed that New York City had a “relatively low sense of security” and high prices. Despite fewer tourists currently compared to before the pandemic, it is expected that tourists will bring a record-breaking $4.9 billion in tax revenue to New York City this fiscal year (ending in June), a 16% increase from the 2020 fiscal year (July 2019 to June 2020).
The poor public safety in New York City may deter tourists, as reflected in several notable attacks on tourists: on Christmas Day last year, two teenagers from Paraguay were inexplicably stabbed at Grand Central Station; in February this year, a man from Brazil was slashed in the neck at a Queens subway station; earlier this month, a woman from Pennsylvania was randomly stabbed in the chest at Times Square. Therefore, DiNapoli urged state and city leaders to focus on improving public safety to make New York an ideal and safe tourist destination.
In response to DiNapoli’s report, the NYC Tourism+Conventions Bureau stated that they expect tourist numbers to fully recover by 2025, reaching 68 million visitors, exceeding the pre-pandemic figure in 2019. The tourism bureau also refuted the report’s claim that Chinese tourists originally held the largest share of international visitors, pointing out that even before the pandemic, British tourists held the largest share.