Cheap travel options, including cheap airplane tickets, discount hotel rooms, and cheap vacation packages help make visiting New York City affordable to many.
New York welcomed a record number of tourists in 2012, with 52 million visiting. 41 million came from within the United States with 11 million from overseas.
International tourists are of particular importance because they spend much more money on average than domestic tourists. One third of all overseas tourists visiting America come to New York City. Brazil, China, Argentina, and Australia visitor count grew at a rate of 447 percent, 442 percent, 258 percent, and 157 percent respectively since 2006.
New Yorks 52 million visitors spent $55 billion in 2012 and resulted in New York City selling a record 28 million hotel room nights. Its hotel occupancy rate was 87 percent which was the highest in the country.
The Mayor has announced that he is confident that 2013 will be another mammoth year for tourism in our city.
He claims New York is so popular because it is the nations most exciting city and during 2013, were going to keep adding to the parks and cultural institutions that bring millions of people here every year.
The following are some of the events coming up in 2013 in New York City sure to draw tourists:
Grand Central Terminal will be celebrating its 100th anniversary with a yearlong celebration that officially gets started on February 1st with the rededication of its terminal. The event will be marked by performances, celebrity appearances, and the opening of the New York Transit Museums Grand By Design multi-media installation. Historic trains will return to the terminal in May during the Grand Centennial Parade of Trains.
By late spring the Norwegian Breakaway will become the largest cruise ship to homeport in New York City year round. This will be a New York themed cruise ship. The Rockettes are set to christen the ship on May 8th and will act as godmothers to the Breakaway. Two Rockettes will sail on select cruises to meet and greet passengers.
On-board entertainment will include a New York Inspired Ice Bar complete with ice sculptures of the Brooklyn Bridge, the Chrysler Building, and the Statue of Liberty. The ships hull will sport artwork depicting Lady Liberty and the Manhattan skyline. The Norwegian Breakaway intends to be a floating piece of art that will cruise in and dock every Saturday on New Yorks West Side according to its CEO.
Citi Bike will be introduced in May and provide 10,000 bicycles to visitors at any of 600 solar powered docking stations. Smartphone apps will help tourists find bike and station availability in real time.
Clearly New York City is committed to continually evolving and reinventing itself.
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