New York City crossed 50 million tourists mark in 2012; 55 million goal for 2013

New York City had a record tourism year in 2012, despite a huge dampener like Hurricane Sandy. According to numbers released by NYC’s tourism office today, the city crossed its goal of 50 million tourists, coming in at 52 million, and hopes to cross 55 million in 2013.

Some topline numbers:

• 52 million visitors in 2012, a new all-time high and a 2.1 percent increase over 2011.
• Visitors generated an estimated $55.3 billion in economic impact to the city’s economy, with direct spending reaching $36.9 billion.
• New York City overseas market share at a record high of 33 percent of all U.S. international visitors. Each market share point represents an additional $750 million in direct spending by tourists in NYC.
• In 2012, it had an estimated 41 million domestic visitors and 11 million international visitors.
• It sold a record 29 million hotel room nights and generated a record $504 million in hotel tax revenue, and the overall hospitality industry across all five boroughs now employs 356,000 New Yorkers.
• In the tourism industry, average annual earnings are higher than $52,000 – roughly $7,000 more a year than average earnings in the entire local economy.
• It has a new goal of 55 million visitors and $70 billion in economic impact by 2015.
• Visitors from Brazil, China, Argentina and Australia have grown 447 percent, 442 percent, 258 percent, 157 percent, respectively, since 2006.
• NYC’s hotel room inventory continues to expand – with 91,500 active rooms. The city’s hotel occupancy remains strong at 87 percent, the highest in the nation.

Press conference with NYC mayor Michael Bloomberg announcing the NYC tourism numbers (starts after minute 7:00):