New York City received a record 56.4 million visitors in 2014, up from 54.30 in 2013, according to the city’s tourism statistics. Local tourism promotion agency NYC & Company estimates the tourism industry contributed US$61.3 billion to the city’s economy but fell well short of its US$70 billion target for 2014.
With the strengthened US dollar, NYC authorities are especially targeting Chinese tourists in a bid to attract more overseas visitors. More than 740,000 Chinese visited New York in 2014，a five-fold increase since 2009, according to official statistics. The Chinese market has already surpassed France to rank as the fourth largest national visitor market after the UK, Canada and Brazil.
NYC & Company chairman Emily Rafferty said Chinese make up the largest group of visitors to the Metropolitan Museum of Art and their numbers will only grow.
NYC & Company president Fred Dixon thinks the newly introduced visa extension policies for Chinese nationals will make it possible for many to extend one-year visas to 10-year visas and this will boost the tourism industry. “Chinese visitors who are sweeping across New York and other major US cities usually travel in tour groups. We are beginning to target those affluent customers who are into shopping for luxury goods. We are hoping for higher spending and longer stays among Chinese visitors and will specifically target the middle- to upper- class segments in the future,” he said.(Translation by David)
