How tourists to New York City spend their money

Visitors to New York City spend more money on accommodations than any other tourism-related cost including shopping, eating, and entertainment.

A new report released by NYC & Company, the city’s official tourism board, highlights tourism growth in the past six years.

The report outlines where the city’s record 52 million visitors spent the most money in 2012. Ten billion dollars were spent on sleeping in the more than 90 thousand hotel rooms. NYC & Company has not yet responded to a inquiry from Skift whether accommodation spend also accounts for hostels and apartment rentals.

Another $8 billion was spent towards shopping, $7.4 billion on restaurants, and $6.8 billion on transportation. Only $4.2 billion was spent arts and entertainment.

The report comes as part of the organization’s efforts to position travel as a top priority for the incoming mayor in 2014; the report was sent to the campaign headquarters of eleven mayoral candidates.

It’s worth noting that New York City tourism has risen in conjunction with increased travel worldwide. It seems only natural that one of the world’s largest and most recognized cities would see visitor numbers rise as millions travel for the first time.

The full report from NYC & Company is embedded below: