NEW YORK tourism chiefs have appealed for a $25 million
state handout as the city battles to recover from the devastating effects of
September 11.
NYC & Co president Cristyne Nicholas has asked
politicians to effectively double the amount New York has to spend on marketing
next year after official projections forecast a 14% decline in visitor numbers
for 2001 compared with 2000 – down from 37.4 million to 32 million. The slump
in numbers is expected to cost the city $400 million in lost taxes.
Speaking before the State Legislature’s Tourism, Arts &
Sports Development Committee, Nicholas said New York’s tourism outlook “has
taken a dramatic turn for the worse.”
To address the crisis Nicholas also asked the state to
support a sales tax free week exempting retail goods under $1,000 in the week
of January 20 – the week of Martin Luther King’s birthday.