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NYC Mayor promotes youth hostels as a way to rid city of illegal hotels and rentals

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Youth hostels would bring a separate set of vices that are different, though not necessarily better, than what's already filled the market need.

-Samantha Shankman

Associated Press
Feb 15, 2013 1:52 am

Mayor Michael Bloomberg says he wants to legalize for-profit youth hostels in New York City to help attract more young tourists.

The mayor said in his State of the City speech Thursday that his goal is to attract 175,000 more young tourists a year to New York.

The city estimates a record 52 million tourists visited last year. Bloomberg has made tourism an economic-development priority during his 11 years in office.

Speaker Christine Quinn and other City Council members have recently complained about buildings being rented out illegally as hotel rooms. Bloomberg says he aims to work with the council on the youth hostel issue.

Copyright (2013) Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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  • red

    First he creates a task force to shut “illegal” hostels down.. only illegal thing about them is the 3-unrelated persons rules that applies to for profit hostels, but not nonprofit– somehow a danger only in for profit hostels.. but now that he’s substantially profited on these closures and destroyed many small businesses that tried to abide by city regulations (minus the rule), he suddenly has a change of heart? Maybe when the city revoked the HI Hostel’s nonprofit certificate and they sought legal representation in the matter applying pressure to his office, since they’re the oldest and most established hostels in this city and infact an international company, maybe then he finally saw the necessity?

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