It’s a tourism de force.
The Big Apple ushered in a whopping 64.3 million visitors in 2024 — and is on track to bounce back to pre-COVID tourism levels next year, officials said.
This year’s comeback marked the second-highest tourist count in city history, and reflected a 3.5% increase in visitors from 2023, according to a report from the New York City Tourism + Conventions group.
“New York remains the most visited city in the United States and a top destination for international markets and major events,” said the report, released this month.
The number of travelers this year fell just short of 2019’s record-setting 66.6 million — but 2025 will bring even more sightseers to the five boroughs, the city’s official tourism organization predicted.
More than 67 million visitors are expected to be welcomed into the Big Apple in 2025, marking a a “full recovery” back to pre-pandemic levels, per the report.
“New York City has once again solidified its position as the premier destination in the nation and one of the top travel spots in the world,” Mayor Eric Adams said in a statement, “and we’re looking forward to beating our own tourism record next year with a full recovery.”
The pre-pandemic year of 2019 saw the highest number of tourists scrambling to New York City to date. It marked the city’s tenth consecutive record-breaking year for visitors, according to the New York State Comptroller’s Office.
The COVID-19 pandemic “decimated the tourism sector, causing the number of travelers to the city to drop significantly,” according to the state comptroller’s office. “As a result, visitor spending dropped by nearly three-quarters, costing the city $1.2 billion in lost tax revenues in 2020.”
Tourism dollars generated over $6.8 billion in tax revenue this year, which saved New York households an average of $2,000 each, according to the mayor’s office.
Tourists spent $51 billion directly, including on lodging, dining, entertainment and art and cultural attractions, the New York City Tourism + Conventions report found.
Those spending dollars included Broadway show tickets, with attendance expected to reach 12.5 million by the end of 2024 — up 9% from last year, but still down 8% from 2019, the tourism bureau said.
Through November 2024, the city’s 700-plus hotels sold 24.1 million room nights – a 4.1% increase from last year, though still 6% under 2019’s level.
The average daily cost of a room this year was $303, up 4.9% from 2023, the report added.
“In 2024, we saw growth in both visitation and spending, reaching an estimated total direct spend of more than $51 billion across the city and state,” NYC Tourism + Conventions President and CEO Julie Coker said in a statement.
“This recovery supported over 388,000 leisure and hospitality jobs, and generated more than $6.8 billion in tax revenue, benefiting local businesses,” Coker added. “As we look ahead to 2025, we expect this momentum to continue, further strengthening NYC’s role in driving the state and local economy.”
Many of this year’s 51.3 million domestic visitors hailed from other cities – like Boston, Philadelphia and Los Angeles, according to the report.
The Big Apple also saw an increase in European travelers, with about 13 million international arrivals — representing 50% of spending across the five boroughs, the organization said.
Most international travelers hailed from the U.K., with about 1.1 million visitors in 2024, followed by Canada at 1 million and France, Brazil and Italy with more than 700,000 tourists each. China followed with about 609,000 visitors, and Germany, Mexico and Australia accounted for about 500,000 visitors each, according to the report.
This year is also on track to be the busiest year ever for airports, the tourism group found, noting that October 2024 already marked the most bustling October of all time, with 4.3 million international passengers flowing through the New York City area’s commercial airports.
“Despite this growth, challenges remain,” the tourism report found, “including exchange rates, visa access and air travel capacity, which continue to impact business travel and long-haul international markets.”
At the same time, more than $20 billion is being invested across JFK, LaGuardia and Newark Liberty International airports to “improve travelers’ experiences and support continued growth,” the report said.
