New York is maintaining its appeal as a destination for the European public. And after two years of low profile in its European outbound markets, the American metropolis is back with a marketing and communications campaign. This comeback is all the more necessary as New York - like other destinations around the world - will have to make do without the Asian and now Russian markets.
France, a key market
Before the pandemic, New York received 13.5 to 13.6 million international tourists. Either from 18% to 29% in total number of visitors depending on the season. Of these, the United Kingdom generated 1.27 million travellers, followed by France, Italy and Spain. France with 820,000 visitors and Germany (610,000). The French market collapsed in 2020 and 2021, falling to 133,000 and then 90,000 visitors last year.
" New York will always be resilient and will always be back in the race because of its spirit of reinvention. We are personally convinced of this, as are the authorities in our city. Because we all know that tourism is a major driver of our economy" underlines Fred Dixon, Chairman of NYC & Companythe tourism agency for metropolitan France. Some 30 million are injected into promotional campaigns in the most important markets, such as France.
The forecasts are very optimistic for the return of visitors from France. " For example a fantastic range of flights from Paris and Nice with dozens of daily flights. And we're offering new attractions, we've created tours outside Manhattan to discover our five districts. We also have a host of new hotels" adds Chris Heywood, Executive Vice President, Global Communications NYC & Company.
According to Fred Dixon, the French market is set to return to pre-crisis levels this year, with some 515,000 visitors (60%). Before reaching the 750,000 visitor mark in 2023.
International business travel still hesitant
But there is still one big unknown. That ofrapid return of business travellers. " This is certainly the market that will be the most difficult to win back." Fred Dixon readily admits. Before the crisis, New York hosted 6.2 million delegates at congresses, conferences and meetings.. Admittedly, the city councillors of the largest city in the United States are seeing a resurgence in meetings and conferences. But this is essentially a phenomenon confined to the domestic.
Nevertheless, with a host of new hotels and the recent expansion of the Javits Centerthe New York Convention and Exhibition Centre, the city is hoping to quickly regain its status as a major tourist destination. privileged positioning in international MICE markets.
Hotel capacity is once again on the rise. " We had a total of 123,000 hotel rooms in 2019. This figure fell to 88,000 rooms in 2020, but we should break the 120,000 barrier again this year.. With 12,000 more rooms planned over the next three years" says Chris Heywood.
Over 2021/2022, the city has seen or will see the opening of 29 new establishments. These include the Marriott Renaissance Harlem, the Virgin Hotel, the Barrière Fouquet's Hotel, the Ritz-Carlton, the Aman New York and the Hard Rock Hotel. 54 other hotels are officially planned. All the more reason to return to this exciting metropolis.
