Omicron cases in NYC are down 95% from their peak just a few weeks ago. Mayor Adams highlighted the progress, including NYC staying 11% ahead of the national vaccination rate. The major credit card companies have weighed in on travel's recovery. AmEx reported “tremendous momentum” for travel at the turn of the year; Mastercard expects cross-border travel to return to pre-pandemic levels by the end of 2022. At City Guide, we are recording a 35% increase in UK visitors to our website, January compared to December. Other data points toward tourism's recovery include:
- NYC continues to reign as the #1 spot for city lovers on Tripadvisor's top trending destinations for 2022. (The city is #2 for overall destinations, falling behind Las Vegas this year; cities at the top of the list suggests Covid era interest in open spaces may be waning.)
- There will be 48 hotel openings in NYC this year. Big players are banking on tourism's return to the city.
- Leisure travel is strong nationally and hotels are optimistic. "It's been a strong recovery, but there are still some bumps in the road," says Carter Wilson of data hospitality firm STR. "December was the strongest month the industry has had during the entire pandemic. And the week between Christmas and New Year's recorded the highest ADR (average daily rate) of any week ever. So, the leisure demand is not that deterred by omicron." The outlook for recovery sees a significant bump up after the first quarter and expectations are already being revised upward.
- Manhattan's luxury real estate market just recorded its best January yet. There were twice as many contracts as January 2019. Also worth noting: the city's record-high construction to close out 2021.
We feel like a corner is being turned in NYC. The Met Opera reports that ticket sales bottomed out in mid-January. Sales have begin to rise again.
Pix on the Plaza celebrates Black History Month this February with fan favorites from Black directors and actors. Screenings take place at the Standard Plaza’s heated seasonal pop-up The Forest.
Links of Interest
New research from Plum Guide, the world’s most recommended homestay company, reveals the majority of Americans would refuse to book a vacation without reading online reviews, yet 46% have been seriously let down by crowd-sourced information. The company recently projected actual 1-star reviews onto NYC landmarks.
NYC
- Private data reveals recent Broadway hits and misses
- Broadway Week extended two weeks, to February 27th
- Latest dates and notes for Broadway and Off Broadway
- Despite high visibility recent crimes, NYC stats show a safe city
- NYC ranked #1 U.S. city to celebrate Chinese New Year
- Controversy as tour buses replace guides with recorded tapes
- New owners for the Times Square Edition
- What's new in NYC for 2022
- Empire Outlets on Staten Island announces preliminary opening of culinary market MRKTPL
- James Beard Foundation to anchor new food hall at Pier 57
- Cocktails on the 101st floor: Peakaboo debuts on Saturday
- Full-service restaurant and lounge The Landing opening at PENN 1 on February 10th
- "African/American" food exhibit opening at The Africa Center on February 23rd
- Governors Island Inaugural Winter Ice Sculpture Show slated for February 26th
BEYOND NYC
- NBCUniversal's theme park division bouncing back big, reports its most profitable fourth quarter ever
- ASTA asks White House to eliminate Covid testing requirements for fully vaccinated inbound travelers
- Hoteliers ready to move on, treating Covid as endemic
- Is travel becoming more expensive?
The Tourism Industry is about to celebrate accomplished women.
Look for the Women In Tourism Awards announcement coming soon.
Think about who you will nominate.
Everything to Do Facebook Group Post of the Week
City Guide's Facebook Group Everything to Do NYC brings together more than 76,000 NYC visitors and superfans. People trade notes on best pizzas and bagels, Broadway shows, and which activities are worth the investment of time and money. Some 80 people took the time to comment on this post:
The consensus was to stay in Times Square and skip Jersey City. The poster ended up cancelling their NJ reservation. Consumers in the group can be influenced in real time—get a direct line to tourists and what they're thinking, join us!
