A bite of the Big Apple

No city in the world can match New York City’s unparalleled energy. With Broadway shows, outdoor movies or concerts, tours of museums or historical attractions, cuisine from every world culture, there is always something fun, exciting and inviting to do here.

Last year, New York City welcomed a record 56.4 million visitors, whose activities generated $61.3 billion in economic activity – this year, it is expected to welcome 58.1 million visitors.

New York City has the highest share of overseas travel to the US - more than twice that of comparable US city destinations, with international visitor spending averaging more than $18 billion annually and growing in popularity in established and emerging markets in Europe, Asia and South America.

Tourism is the city’s fifth largest industry and it is home to more than 103,000 hotel rooms. There are endless opportunities in each of the city’s five boroughs - the Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens and Staten Island – to discover something new.

In addition, the city’s airports are the nation’s most popular port of entry with 67 million annual visitors expected by the end of 2021.

Growing the family segment is a key focus since the launch of the city’s Official NYC Family Ambassador programme in 2009, and family travel to New York City has increased by 30.3 per cent since then. The programme was created to help position New York City as a safe, welcoming, family-friendly destination, encourage families to visit year-round and invite those who have already visited New York City to return and enjoy all of the new attractions it has to offer.

On July 27, this year, the vision for a comprehensive redesign of New York’s LaGuardia Airport was unveiled. Slated to break ground in 2016, the airport will be transformed into a single, structurally unified main terminal with expanded transportation access, significantly increased taxiway space and best-in-class passenger amenities. The airport is expected to be completely rebuilt by 2021.

NEW ATTRACTIONS

Trump Golf Links at Ferry Point, Bronx was unveiled in April 2015 as New York City’s only tournament-quality golf course. The public Jack Nicklaus Signature Design 18-hole course offers views of the Manhattan skyline, East River and the Whitestone and Throgs Neck Bridges, and the course includes amenities such as a clubhouse, snack bar and driving range.

New York Wheel St. George, located on the northeastern side of Staten Island near the St George Ferry Terminal, will be the tallest observation wheel in the world at 630 feet and the only one in New York City. The wheel will accommodate up to 1,440 people per ride, welcoming as many as 30,000 visitors per day and an anticipated 4 million visitors per year. The wheel is expected to open in 2017.

NEW RETAIL

Brookfield Place Lower Manhattan opened in March 2015 as a retail and dining destination that includes 300,000 square feet of retail space, a 30,000-square-foot dining terrace, a 30,000-square-foot French-inspired marketplace called Le District, and six critically acclaimed restaurants. Luxury retailers include Diane von Furstenberg, Burberry, Hermès and Saks Fifth Avenue.

Westfield World Trade Centre Lower Manhattan will be one of the most complete retail destinations in New York City when it opens in spring 2016. It will provide Lower Manhattan with 350,000 square feet of fashion, culinary and artistic experiences and will be home to a diverse mix of 150 global and local fashion, lifestyle, technology and culinary brands; an exquisite collection of casual and upscale dining; a range of New York-centric services and amenities powered by state-of-the art technology; and must-see cultural  experiences.

Pier 17 South Street Seaport, Manhattan will create 40 percent more open space that will showcase expanded views of the New York Harbour, the Statue of Liberty, Brooklyn and Lower Manhattan when it opens next year. The new Pier 17 building will feature a glass façade encompassing a wide range of stores, restaurants and neighbourhood shops.

THE HOTEL SCENE

New York City is seeing growth in select service properties, new boutiques and design-driven hotels and the renaissance of luxury accommodations in Manhattan, according to a report released by NYCGO Insider Guides.

The city’s dynamic hotel sector performed at record pace last year, selling over 32.4 million room nights and attracting over 22 million hotel guests. Today, the active inventory for visitor accommodations stands at over 103,900 rooms creating opportunities for short visits or extended stays.

Looking forward, the pipeline of new hotel capacity will bring at least another 20,000 rooms online in the next
 three years.

In the past year, the city has gained by the addition of 22 new hotels bringing over 4,000 rooms online for visitors to enjoy. This includes several milestones in new luxury including The Knickerbocker, the Park Hyatt New York, The Baccarat Hotel & Residences and the first New York Edition.

Diverse neighbourhoods are also attracting exciting new developments, including the opening of the first Residence Inn in the Bronx. There are several new properties in Williamsburg and Downtown Brooklyn, Long Island City and Flushing in Queens, the north shore/St George area of Staten Island as well as the Lower East Side, Meatpacking and upper Manhattan neighbourhoods. Midtown Manhattan is again the site of new developments on both the east and west sides of Fifth Avenue, including the debut of the new 1 Hotels brand near Central Park.