NYC & Company, PA Of NY & NJ, OEM, and More Hold Press Briefing To Give Update on Volcanic Ash

NYC & COMPANY, PORT AUTHORITY OF NY AND NJ, OEM, AND MEMBERS OF CITY�S VISITOR INDUSTRY HOLD PRESS BRIEFING TO GIVE UPDATE ON ASSISTANCE BEING PROVIDED TO TRAVELERS IMPACTED BY VOLCANIC ASH INCIDENT

Port Authority Discusses Efforts at Two International Airports to Assist Passengers Impacted by Interruption of Transatlantic Flights

NYC & Company Announces 37 Hotel Discounts, Free and Discount Admission to 21 Museums, Cultural Organizations & Attractions, and Three Airport Transportation Discounts

New York City (April 19, 2010)--NYC & Company, New York City�s marketing, tourism and partnership organization, today joined the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, the City�s Office of Emergency Management (OEM), and representatives of the City�s travel and tourism industry, to provide an update on efforts at the City�s two international airports (JFK and Newark-Liberty) and travel incentives being offered to travelers who are impacted by the interruption of transatlantic air travel between New York City and Europe due to the volcanic ash incident. George Fertitta, CEO of NYC & Company, was joined by Christopher O. Ward, Executive Director of the Port Authority of NY and NJ, Joseph F. Bruno, OEM Commissioner at the Official NYC Information Center in midtown Manhattan.

NYC & Company today announced that it will continue to offer incentives to travelers who continue to have their travel interrupted due to the volcanic ash incident. 37 hotels and three airport transportation providers in the City will offer 15 percent discounts to travelers who have had their stay extended in New York City due to the Eyjafjallajokull volcano in Iceland. NYC & Company is also working with 21 of its member museums, cultural organizations, and attractions to provide discount or free admission for travelers who are in the City as a result of the cancellation of transatlantic flights. In all cases, visitors would show their airline ticket proving that they are stranded in the City due to the volcano incident to receive the offer. The official tourism website for New York City, nycgo.com, continues to offer visitors comprehensive information on all the various discounts being offered along with a list of free and low-cost activities this week for those who are in the City, including information on events, attractions, dining, shopping and more.

�NYC & Company is continually working with our visitor industry partners to ensure that those who are stuck in the City due to the volcanic ash incident have all the resources they need�to make things easier, we are also offering several discounts at our hotels, airport transportation providers, museums, cultural institutions and attractions,� said George Fertitta, NYC & Company�s CEO.

"The Port Authority is working closely with its airline partners, terminal operators and the Red Cross to ensure we meet the basic needs of all travelers delayed by the Icelandic volcano eruption,'' said Christopher O. Ward, the Port Authority's executive director. "We will continue to coordinate with our partners to help ease crowding and delays at our airports when flights resume. We urge all passengers to make sure they have a confirmed seat on a flight before they come to the airport."
The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey has joined with the airlines, terminal operators and the Red Cross to help passengers affected by the Icelandic volcano eruption handle the disruptions caused by flights cancellations at John F. Kennedy International and Newark Liberty International airports. Airport representatives are making sure those who need food and water receive it and are taking special steps where possible, such as providing diapers for babies and helping passengers fill prescriptions. Cots and blankets have been provided to those who need them, shower areas are being made available and we are ensuring food concessions remain open in each terminal. The agency will continue to work with our partners to help reduce delays and congestion at the airports once flights to and from Europe return.

While the earlier reports indicated the economic impact of a twelve-day suspension of travel from affected areas could total $250 million, NYC & Company is now projecting the actual economic impact to the City is approximately $30-50 million. (After weekend consultation with international tour operators, it appears that approximately 80% of the potential visitors will be rebooking and vacationing in NYC at some point in 2010.)
The 37 NYC & Company member hotels offering 15 percent discount offer this week include: Ace Hotel New York; Andaz Wall Street; The Beekman Tower Hotel; The Candlewood Suites; The Carlton on Madison Avenue; Clarion Hotel at LaGuardia Airport; Comfort Inn Manhattan; Days Hotel Broadway; Econo Lodge Times Square; Hampton Inn Manhattan/Chelsea; Hampton Inn Manhattan/Soho Village; Hampton Inn Manhattan/Times Square South; Hilton Garden Inn Tribeca; Holiday Inn Express Times Square; Hotel 373; Hotel Grand Union; Hotel Le Jolie; Hotel Wales; Hotel Wolcott; Hudson New York; InterContinental New York Barclay; Lucerne Hotel; Millennium Broadway; The New York Helmsley Hotel; The New Yorker Hotel; Nu Hotel Brooklyn; Omni Berkshire Place Hotel; The Plaza Hotel; Skyline Hotel; The Strand; The St. Regis, New York; The Surrey; Tribeca Grand Hotel; Washington Jefferson Hotel; Wellington Hotel; Wingate by Wyndham Manhattan Midtown; and Wyndham Garden Hotel Times Square South.

NYC & Company members New York Airport Service, Go Airlink Shuttle, and SuperShuttle NYC will offer a 15 percent discount for transportation to and from John F. Kennedy or Newark Liberty International Airports for passengers who are stranded here due to the incident.

19 museums and cultural organizations are offering free admission including Children�s Museum of Manhattan; Museum of Jewish Heritage; Museum of the City of New York; Museum of the Moving Image; National Museum of the American Indian; New Museum; Queens Museum of Art; Rubin Museum of Art; Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum; Staten Island Children�s Museum; Staten Island Museum; The Drawing Center; The Green-Wood Cemetery, The Metropolitan Museum of Art; The New York City Police Museum; The Noguchi Museum; The Studio Museum in Harlem; Tibet House and Wave Hill.

Two attractions including Madame Tussauds and Ripley�s Believe it or Not! Times Square will offer 50% off admission.

A comprehensive list of all the offers can be found at nycgo.com.

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 the official source on all there is to see and do in New York City, go to nycgo.com.

The Port Authority of NY & NJ
The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey operates many of the busiest and most important transportation links in the region. They include John F. Kennedy International, Newark Liberty International, LaGuardia, Stewart International and Teterboro airports; AirTrain JFK and AirTrain Newark; the George Washington Bridge and Bus Station; the Lincoln and Holland tunnels; the three bridges between Staten Island and New Jersey; the PATH (Port Authority Trans-Hudson) rapid-transit system; Port Newark; the Elizabeth-Port Authority Marine Terminal; the Howland Hook Marine Terminal on Staten Island; the Port Authority Auto Marine Terminal; the Brooklyn Piers/Red Hook Container Terminal; and the Port Authority Bus Terminal in midtown Manhattan. The agency also owns the 16-acre World Trade Center site in Lower Manhattan and is a partner in the Access to the Region�s Core tunnel project.

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Contact: Chris Heywood/NYC & Company 212.484.1270