State report: nearly 9 million more tourists visited N.Y. in 2013 than last year

A year-end progress report on the state’s tourism initiatives indicates that 8.8 million more tourists visited New York in 2013 compared to last year.

That’s according to a report that Cristyne Nicholas, chair of Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s tourism advisory council, presented during a cabinet meeting that Cuomo held this morning.

The report focused on the state’s efforts to attract more visitors to the state, grow the tourism industry, and create jobs, the governor’s office said in a news release.

In addition, the industry is projected to generate $7.7 billion in state and local taxes, with direct spending expected to reach $61.3 billion.

The tourism industry is also projected to add nearly 25,000 jobs by the end of the year.

The report also found that New York’s hotels will sell 43 million rooms in 2013, generating $8.3 billion in hotel-room revenue. As of October 2013, New York’s hotel occupancy rate is nearly 74 percent, which is almost 10 percent higher than the national rate, the governor’s office said.

New York’s efforts are “clearly paying off,” Cuomo said in the news release.

“…by the end of 2013, nearly nine million more visitors will have come to New York compared to 2012. We will have generated almost $8 billion in local and state taxes and reach more than $61 billion in direct spending, which is enough to pay the salary of every firefighter and police officer in New York. We will have created tens of thousands of new jobs in the industry, growing one of the state’s biggest employers. These figures underscore the significant role the tourism industry plays in New York’s economy, and we will continue our work to make sure it thrives,” Cuomo said.

Contact Reinhardt at ereinhardt@cnybj.com