NYC Seeks to Bring Back Tourists to Revitalize City’s Economy

By Yehudit Garmaise

 Fred Dixon, the president and CEO of NYC & Company, which promotes tourism to the city, today launched NYC Winter Outing, for the third year in a row, to revitalize the city’s tourism industry and “increase spending across businesses great and small in all five boroughs during the winter season,” he said today at the Empire State Building.

In addition to providing discounted rates to the city’s tourist attractions, restaurants, and entertainment offerings, this year, Dixon is doing something different, which is to “encourage visitors to visit a variety of neighborhoods across the city,” said Mayor Eric Adams, who not only pointed out Brighton Beach’s large Russian-speaking population and the city’s Caribbean community, but he added, “Right here, when you look at Brooklyn, it has one of the largest Jewish populations of many different Jewish communities.”

“In New York City, we have so much beauty, we have it all, and we are going to sell this good product that we have” to tourists, who in 2019, supported more than 400,000 jobs, and injected $78.2 billion into the local economy, Mayor Adams said.

In addition to inviting visitors to choose New York City as their destinations of choice this winter, Dixon and Mayor Adams encouraged New Yorkers to book “staycations right here in the city” for cost-effective and fun vacations.

“You don’t need to go to Paris,” said Mayor Adams, who mentioned the beautiful views of the city at the Empire State building’s Observatory that all New Yorkers should enjoy. “This is the city to be in.”

Adams added that New Yorkers who choose to “explore the city and be entertained right here at home” are significantly helping the city to recover by supporting local businesses and contributing to the city’s economy.

“When you go into a restaurant, you are supporting the cook, the chef, the restaurant employee, a dishwasher, and the basic economy in our city,” Mayor Adams said. “These are real jobs, and it shows what we can do just by going out and enjoying ourselves, and at the same time, contributing to our economy.”