NYC & COMPANY EMBARKS ON THREE-CITY TRAVEL TRADE MISSION IN QUEBEC CITY, MONTREAL AND TORONTO

5/5/15


NYC & COMPANY EMBARKS ON THREE-CITY TRAVEL TRADE MISSION IN QUEBEC CITY, MONTREAL AND TORONTO



— New York City’s Official Tourism Organization Joins 13 Travel Industry Partners to Promote New York City to Influential Travel Trade in Canada this Week—



Toronto, ON (May 5, 2015)—NYC & Company, New York City’s official marketing, tourism and promotion organization, today kicks off a three-city Canadian sales mission in Quebec City with events highlighting the City’s five boroughs as a premier travel destination.  Tomorrow, NYC & Company will launch its next iteration of the NYCGO Insider Guides, with a feature on Manhattan’s Flatiron District.  NYC & Company is also promoting value offerings during the City’s summer travel season with the launch of its new “Hello Summer” promotional campaign (details at www.nycgo.com/summer).



“NYC & Company looks forward to being in Canada this week to promote the ‘new’ New York City to one of our most important international markets,” said Makiko Matsudo, Senior Vice President, Global Tourism Development, NYC & Company. “In addition to so many new developments this year, the City’s iconic sights and hidden gems continue to draw record numbers of visitors.”



This week, NYC & Company representatives will meet with members of the travel trade in Quebec City, Montreal and Toronto, to discuss a diverse array of product, including new New York City developments one of the leading international source markets for NYC. Highlights that will be shared include the Whitney Museum of American Art, which opened May 1 in the Meatpacking District; the One World Observatory, opening in Lower Manhattan on May 29 atop the new One World Trade Center; the new St. George development in Staten Island debuting in late 2016 and in 2017; new hotel development; retail openings; and more. This year, NYC & Company is also showcasing its new “Free in NYC” guide at www.nycgo.com/free, which highlights the best free activities New York City has to offer. The portal, which lists free museums, activities for children, TV tapings, tours, and more, is an ideal source when planning a lower-cost NYC itinerary. 



“This is a very exciting and affordable time to visit New York City,” said Reagan Stulbaum, Vice President, Tourism Development, USA and Canada, NYC & Company.   “We are in the midst of a huge revitalization of the city and there are unprecedented free and low-cost options across all our boroughs.  This, combined with easy access to our City, allows Canadians to do more for less.”



“As the tourism representative for New York City in Canada, we look forward to stimulating more travel to all five boroughs this year from Canada, one of the City’s most lucrative sources of international travel,” said Charmaine Singh, President, Connect Worldwide Canada. “In addition to the incredible hotel development across all five boroughs and new product in Lower Manhattan, there is something new in every neighbourhood for even the most seasoned traveler to NYC to experience when visiting the city.” 



In 2014, New York City welcomed a record 56.4 million visitors, whose activities generated $61.3 billion in economic activity. Tourism, the City’s fifth largest industry, sustained more than 359,000 tourism related jobs. Currently home to more than 102,000 hotel rooms, New York City offers visitors more options to experience and stay in many of the City’s vibrant neighborhoods across all five boroughs. New York City has the highest share of overseas travel to the U.S. (more than twice that of comparable U.S. city destinations), with international visitor spending averaging more than $18 billion annually and growing in popularity in established and emerging markets throughout the world. In addition, the City’s airports are the nation’s number one port of entry.



In 2014, NYC welcomed approximately 1,139,000 visitors from Canada; for 2015, NYC & Company is forecasting about a 2.8% increase to approximately 1,171,000.



On March 18, 2015, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, NYC & Company Board of Directors Chairman Emily Rafferty and NYC & Company president and CEO Fred Dixon announced that New York City is on the “Road to 10 Million More Visitors,” targeting 67 million annual visitors by the end of 2021.



Organizations accompanying NYC & Company on the sales mission this week include: Big Bus Tours New York, Broadway Inbound, Chicago the Musical, Circle Line Sightseeing Cruises/World Yacht, Courtyard by Marriott/Residence Inn Manhattan Central Park, Empire State Building Experience, ICS 1-800-Book-A-Limo, Marriott International, Millennium Broadway Hotel New York, New York Water Taxi/Circle Line Downtown, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Metropolitan Opera, and The Ride.



For the latest update on activity in Canada this week, please follow @nycgo_ca on Twitter. For more information on visiting NYC, go to nycgo.com. For resources for the travel trade, go to nycgo.com/traveltrade. 



About NYC & Company:
NYC & Company is the official marketing, tourism and partnership organization 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 more information, visit nycgo.com.
 



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Contact:NYC & Company / Chris Heywood 212-484-1270
                NYC & Company / Marsha Mowers 416-341-9923