NYC is the most popular tourist destination in the U.S., report says

Tourists flooded New York City in 2024, nearly reaching pre-pandemic levels, according to a New York City Tourism + Conventions report.

“New York City has once again solidified its position as the premier destination in the nation and one of the top travel spots in the world,” New York City Mayor Eric Adams said in a press release.

According to the report, New York City is the most popular place to visit in the United States, with more flights arriving through the city’s airports than anywhere else in the country.

Roughly 64.3 million visitors came to the city this year, just shy of the record 67 million who visited in 2019.

The highest proportion of international travelers came from the United Kingdom and Canada, followed by France, Brazil, Italy and China. The most domestic visitors came from the tristate area, Philadelphia, Boston, Los Angeles and Washington, D.C.

The average cost of a night at a hotel in the city was $303.

Officials estimate visitors spent $79 billion on accommodations, food, entertainment, sports, shopping and transportation and other tourism-related expenses. They say that spending includes $6.8 billion in tax revenue that helps pay for city services.

But officials noted some challenges remain. While Broadway attendance was up 9% from last year, it’s still down 8% from 2019.

“Tourism is incredibly important to New York City's restaurant and nightlife industries so we're thrilled that we're almost back to pre- pandemic visitor levels and people are here spending money and we want that to continue to happen,” said Andrew Rigie, executive director of the New York City Hospitality Alliance.

But he said he’d like to see local leaders invest more in marketing to travelers, including convincing businesses to hold more of their conferences and meetings in the boroughs rather than virtually. “Other cities are spending significantly more money on attracting visitors, both for pleasure and for business so I believe New York City needs to really quadruple down on investing in tourism.”

This story has been updated to include comment from Andrew Rigie.