With the slogan: “Rebuild, Renew, Reinvent: A Plan for the Economic Recovery of New York City”, the Mayor of New York, Eric Adams, launched ‘Get Local NYC’, a campaign to encourage tourism and help small businesses affected by the pandemic for two years.
Led by NYC & Company, the ambitious tourism plan covers all five boroughs and will encourage visitors to explore the entire city of New York for the resurgence of the tourist industry.
The announcement was made this week at Mayor Adamas’s first annual meeting with members of NYC & Company held at the Javits Center. Tourism levels in the city are expected to return to 85% of the levels of 2019 by the end of the year.
“My administration is very focused on boosting tourism in this city and letting the world know that New York City is back,” the official said during the event. “Our hotel and tourism industry has long been an engine of economic prosperity that impacts all New Yorkers,” added the Mayor.
Rebuild Business and Tourism
The campaign is part of the Mayor’s key engagement effort with the tourism industry, supporting the expansion of the “It’s New York City Time” marketing campaign to encourage visitors to return to the Big Apple and rebuild and strengthen tourism and hospitality businesses throughout the five boroughs.
“We are pleased to join Mayor Adams in launching this comprehensive countywide initiative that will encourage visitors to ‘New York City like a New Yorker,’” said Fred Dixon, Chairman and CEO of NYC & Company. “We are confident that the ‘Get Local NYC’ campaign will encourage a deeper exploration of the city’s diverse neighborhoods, supporting small businesses and highlighting authentic communities, as New York City emerges from the pandemic.”
Help minority businesses
With the support of “Get Local NYC ” the tourism project primarily aims to improve small businesses throughout the state.
“This campaign will highlight many of the incredibly special small and minority-owned businesses in all five boroughs. While New Yorkers know where to find the best bagel or slice of pizza, see the best street art or performers, tourists aren’t so lucky. This guide will provide an inside look for visitors both near and far, and we look forward to welcoming them,” said Mayor Adams.
The ‘Get Local NYC’ ads, created by NYC & Company, will appear digitally in regional and national markets, including Boston, Washington DC, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Oakland and Miami. District-specific guides with photo galleries, videos, itineraries, events, and locations will also be available on the City’s official tourism website https://www.nycgo.com/.
Revitalize tourism at the state level
For her part, Governor Kathy Hochul joined in revitalizing tourism in New York and launched applications for two tourism grant programs designed to support New York State industry and hospitality. The $100 Million Tourism Back-to-Work Grant Program and the $ Meet in New York Grant Program million were first announced in November as part of the Governor’s country-leading initiative “Bring Back Tourism, Bring Jobs” or “ Bring Back Tourism, Bring Back Jobs”. Both programs will now make completed applications available to licensed tourism businesses, convention and conference centers, and lodging facilities that have qualified for the program.
Through the Return to Work Grants in Tourism, qualifying businesses can receive grants of $5,000 for each equivalent net new job added full-time, and $2,500 for each net new part-time equivalent job added between January and June of 2022. Recipients must achieve a net increase in employment of at least two full-time equivalents to qualify for funding; Grants will be awarded for a minimum of $10,000 and a maximum of $200,000. Applicants must complete required eligibility screening
Tourism increased
In 2021, there was 33 million visitors compared to 22 million 2020, according to a new report from NYC & Company, the city’s nonprofit tourism organization.
In 2022, they expect the figures to reach 56 million, still slightly below from pre-pandemic levels in 2019, when there were about 66 million travelers in New York City.