NYC & COMPANY EMBARKS ON SALES AND MEDIA MISSION IN SOUTH KOREA AND JAPAN

—Three-City Mission Spotlights New York City’s Five Boroughs with
Trade and Press Activities in Seoul, Osaka and Tokyo—

Seoul, South Korea (November 18, 2019) – NYC & Company, New York City’s official destination marketing organization, is leading a tourism delegation to Seoul, Osaka and Tokyo this week, spotlighting iconic sites and new developments, as well as hidden gems across the City’s five boroughs, to key travel trade and media audiences. The mission takes place beginning today through November 22. In 2019, New York City is expected to welcome a combined 761,000 visitors from these critical Asian visitor markets.

“We are so excited to be in Japan and South Korea this month to promote our iconic and hidden-gem NYC offerings, especially during this monumental year for New York City,” said Makiko Matsuda Healy, NYC & Company’s Managing Director, Tourism Market Development. “From major new openings to iconic attractions that have been reinvented, New York City always offers our visitors extraordinary opportunities that will stay with them for a lifetime.” 

2019 has been a monumental year for New York City, with major developments and openings including Hudson Yards, the largest private real estate development in the history of the United States; the Statue of Liberty Museum; the TWA Hotel at John F. Kennedy Airport in Queens; and the Empire Outlets in Staten Island. Last month, The Museum of Modern Art unveiled a renovation and expansion that increased the museum’s gallery space by one third, while the Empire State Building has been undergoing renovations including a reimagined Observatory Experience and “NYC: Above and Beyond,” a new interactive experience opening later this month in partnership with NYC & Company, designed to provide personalized travel itineraries to visitors.

Next year, The Metropolitan Museum of Art and American Museum of Natural History will commemorate 150th anniversaries, while the New York City Marathon will celebrate 50 years. In May, the New York Botanical Garden will debut the first large-scale exhibition of Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama’s engagement with nature, including new works created specifically for the exhibit. Additional  2020 developments include the observation deck Edge at Hudson Yards, and an expansion to the iconic Apollo Theater in Harlem.

Last month NYC & Company kicked off its most expansive global tourism marketing campaign to date, reinforcing New York City’s incomporable welcoming spirit with the iconic Statue of Liberty depicted in out of home advertisements running across 22 global markets. “Famous Original New York City” is now deployed in Seoul through December 31 in partnership with Asiana Airlines (with more coming in spring 2020), and in the Greater Tokyo area through November 24, with travel partner HIS.

“We are pleased to launch the latest and largest installment of our ‘Famous Original’ global tourism campaign in South Korea and Japan to inspire visitors to choose New York City now for their next holiday,” said NYC & Company Chief Marketing Officer Nancy Mammana, who is joining the trade delegation in Tokyo.

2019 is expected to be the tenth consecutive year of tourism growth for New York City, with 66.9 million visitors expected including 53 million domestic travelers and 13.9 million international visitors. The City is expecting to welcome 411,000 South Korean visitors and 350,000 Japanese visitors this year, representing almost 3 percent growth in both markets, over 2018.

New York City has the most active hotel development pipeline in the United States, with approximately 123,000 hotel rooms currently and another 20,000 rooms on the way. Recent hotel openings include Conrad New York Midtown, Equinox Hotel Hudson Yards, Hotel Hendricks, Hotel Indigo Williamsburg and Moxy East Village. Next year, the City will welcome new brands Aman, Six Senses, and Virgin Hotels, among others.

New York City tourism partners participating in the sales mission include Broadway Inbound; BSE Global/Barclays Center; Disney on Broadway; Empire State Building; Gray Line CitySightseeing New York; Hotel Beacon, Hudson Yards Experiences; IHG; The Museum of Modern Art; New York Hilton Midtown; The Pierre, a Taj Hotel; and The Whitney Museum of American Art.

In addition to leading a tourism sales mission to Seoul, Osaka and Tokyo, NYC & Company’s global communications team, represented by International PR Director Britt Hijkoop, will conduct a media mission in Seoul and Tokyo to connect with key travel and lifestyle journalists in the region, updating them on the latest destination highlights in the City’s five boroughs. 

About NYC & Company:

NYC & Company is the official destination marketing organization and convention and visitors bureau for the City of New York, dedicated to maximizing travel and tourism opportunities throughout the five boroughs, building economic prosperity and spreading the positive image of New York City worldwide. For all there is to do and see in New York City, visit nycgo.com.