New York City — New York City’s tourism industry continued showing remarkable strength in 2024, moving closer to a full recovery with an estimated total economic impact of $79 billion across the city and state economies, including more than $51 billion in direct spending by travelers (not adjusted for inflation). This economic activity supported over 388,000 leisure and hospitality jobs—approximately 9 percent of the New York City workforce—and benefited thousands of small and minority-owned businesses across all five boroughs. Visitor spending generated more than $6.8 billion in tax revenue, which helped save each New York City household around $2,000 in 2024.

Today, New York City Tourism + Conventions, the official destination marketing organization for the five boroughs, released its final forecast for the year. The city will have welcomed 64.3 million travelers by the end of 2024, reaching 97 percent of its record-setting 2019 visitation level of nearly 67 million.

“With nearly 65 million visitors this year—the second highest figure in our city’s history—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,” said New York City Mayor Eric Adams. “New York City remains a dynamic hub for tourism, drawing tens of millions of visitors from around the globe and bringing in $79 billion in economic impact. Whether visiting for business or pleasure, the five boroughs have everything you need, from conference halls to theaters to restaurants and hotels—New York City remains the heartbeat of innovation, culture and opportunity. And we’re looking forward to beating our own tourism record next year with a full recovery.”

“New York City’s tourism sector continues to thrive, reflecting the resilience and global appeal of our city,” said Julie Coker, President and CEO of NYC Tourism + Conventions. “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. This recovery supported over 388,000 leisure and hospitality jobs, and generated more than $6.8 billion in tax revenue, benefiting local businesses. As we look ahead to 2025, we expect this momentum to continue, further strengthening NYC’s role in driving the state and local economy.”

“As we reflect on the success of New York City’s tourism industry in 2024, it’s clear that the growth we’ve seen has had a positive ripple effect on small businesses and New York households alike,” said New York City First Deputy Mayor Maria Torres-Springer. “The nearly $51 billion in direct spending by visitors has supported thousands of local businesses, from restaurants and shops to cultural institutions and retailers. Moreover, the $6.8 billion in tax revenue generated by tourism will save households approximately $2,000 this year. We look to 2025 with optimism and remain committed to achieving a full recovery that benefits all New Yorkers.” 

New York City’s tourism growth in 2024 was driven by strong domestic travel, particularly overnight stays, and an increase in European travelers. Despite this growth, challenges remain, including exchange rates, visa access and air travel capacity, which continue to impact business travel and long-haul international markets. 

New York City’s tourism outlook remains positive heading into 2025, with modest growth expected and leisure travel forecast to exceed pre-pandemic levels. New York remains the most visited city in the United States and a top destination for international markets and major events. 

Economic Impact

Visitor activity generated an economic impact of $79 billion across the city and state economies, including over $51 billion in direct traveler spending (not adjusted for inflation). This impact spans multiple sectors, including accommodations, dining, entertainment, sports, live theater, arts and cultural attractions, retail and transportation.

Visitor Growth

New York City welcomed a record 64.3 million visitors in 2024. 

• The international visitor mix remains incredibly diverse, with international visitors accounting for 13 million of the total arrivals and roughly 50 percent of spending across the five boroughs in 2024. 
• The city saw growth from historically strong markets, including the United Kingdom, Canada, Mexico and Western Europe, supported by robust flight access from Europe.
• The United Kingdom remains the largest source of international travelers, at 1.1 million visitors, followed by Canada, at approximately 1 million. 
• France, Brazil and Italy complete the top five feeder markets, with more than 700,000 visitors each.
• China is New York City’s sixth largest market, with 609,000 visitors. 
• Germany, Mexico and Australia account for more than 500,000 visitors each. 
• Spain completes the top 10 visitor markets, at 494,000 visitors.
• Domestic travel accounts for 51.3 million visitors, just 2 million visitors short of the 2019 benchmark. Top feeder markets include the New York City tristate area, Philadelphia, Washington, DC, Boston and Los Angeles.
• Overnight visitation growth has been the driver of domestic visitation, outpacing day-trip visitation growth. Overnight visitation accounts for 52 percent of domestic visitors, totaling 26.5 million trips in 2024.
• Day-trip visitation reached 24.8 million visitors in 2024, marking a full recovery to the 2019 level.
• Business travel is expected to grow to 12.5 million visitors in 2024 and 13.1 million in 2025. The sector is anticipated to reach pre-pandemic levels in 2026 due to the economic constraints and the shifting attitudes about face-to-face meetings. 
• As of December 7, NYC Tourism + Conventions has booked more than 1,200 meetings and events through 2030, accounting for more than 295,000 room nights citywide. 

Hotel Performance

New York City’s hotel sector demonstrated strong performance in 2024 across all five boroughs.

• The city remains the top performer in hotel metrics among the 25 largest U.S. markets.
• Through November 2024, the City’s more than 700 hotels sold 34.1 million room nights, marking a 4.1 percent increase year-over-year though still 6 percent below the 2019 level.
• The average daily rate (ADR) for 2024 stood at $303, up 4.9 percent from 2023.
• Hotel occupancy for 2024 was 83.9 percent through November.
• As of December 7, there were approximately 122,600 active hotel rooms citywide, with an additional 52 hotels and 8,500 rooms planned by 2027.
• Room nights sold are expected to approach 40 million in 2025, nearing pre-pandemic levels.

Tourism Infrastructure

• New York City remains the largest point of entry to the United States. It operates the world’s busiest airport system, with more than 2,900 weekly flight arrivals across John F. Kennedy International Airport, Newark Liberty International Airport, LaGuardia Airport and Stewart International Airport. More flights arrive through New York City airports than any other destination in the United States.
• Air traffic at LGA, JFK and EWR airports now exceeds pre-pandemic levels. October 2024marked the busiest October of all time at the Port Authority’s commercial airports, with 12.4 million passengers. Approximately 4.3 million passengers flew internationally during the month, making it the busiest October ever for international travel.
• For the second year in a row, the Port Authority’s commercial airports are on track for their busiest year ever. Through the first 10 months of 2024, airports managed 122.1 million passengers. This outpaced the same period in 2023 by more than 1.5 million passengers.
• More than $20 billion is being invested across JFK, EWR and LGA airports to improve travelers’ experiences and support continued growth.
• The New York City subway system rebounded, reaching 1 billion trips before the end of 2024. October was the busiest October for New York City Transit since the pandemic, with nearly 114 million subway rides and over 40 million bus rides, which was 10 million more subway rides and 3 million more bus rides than the previous year.
• The Metropolitan Transportation Authority is putting more than 500 new subway cars into service through 2025.
• Citi Bike access continues to expand to meet growing rider demand, adding bikes in the Bronx, Queens, Brooklyn, Harlem, Midtown and Downtown Manhattan. With the completion of this expansion, the Citi Bike system will grow to more than 36,000 bikes and 2,400 stations.

Additional Insights

• The arts and culture sector continued to see the opening of new venues and exhibits. Employment in the arts and culture sector grew by 5 percent year-over-year to approximately 89,500 jobs.
• By the end of 2024, Broadway attendance will reach approximately 12.5 million, up 9 percent from last year but still down 8 percent from the 2019 level. 
• Broadway grosses for 2024 were an estimated $1.5 billion, up 6 percent from 2023 and down 5 percent from 2019.

Tourism demand is projected to grow modestly in 2025 and is on track to surpass pre-pandemic levels, with 67.1 million travelers, marking a full tourism recovery.

About New York City Tourism + Conventions

New York City Tourism + Conventions is the official destination marketing organization (DMO)[GU1] and convention and visitors’[GU2] [TT3] [AR4] bureau (CVB) [GU5] [TT6] for the five boroughs of New York City. Our mission is to invite the world and energize the City, building equitable, sustainable economic prosperity and community through tourism for the mutual benefit of residents, businesses and visitors. For all there is to do and see in New York City, visit nyctourism.com.