New York City is hoping to achieve its goal of attracting 50 million visitors per annum by the end of 2012, despite a projected dip in 2009.
Last year saw 47.5 million international arrivals – 1.3 million of which came from the UK.
Although NYC&Company, New York’s official marketing organisation, has predicted a 5% drop in visitors for this year, it remains bullish.
Senior vice-president for tourism and convention development Fred Dixon said the original estimate had been a drop of 10%, but a spate of hotel openings has helped keep prices down and encourage last-minute bookings.
One in five bookings are now made within a month of travelling.
“Hoteliers have kept up with investment despite the recession and we’ve had more rooms open in the past 16 months than any of the previous 10 years,” said Dixon.
The current average daily rate in the city is $279, but Dixon stressed it could be as low as $150 outside of Manhattan.