The surge of the COVID-19 Omicron variant late final 12 months and into January of this 12 months did sufficient to forestall New York Metropolis from reaching its anticipated customer goal for 2021, the New York Occasions reported.
NYC & Firm, town’s important tourism company, labored diligently to bolster tourism with quite a lot of packages and occasions. The company mentioned in October that it ought to end 2021 with 34.6 million vacationers coming to New York Metropolis.
However that was proper across the time that Omicron began heating up, with a drastic surge in optimistic circumstances not solely within the metropolis however world wide that when once more affected journey.
As an alternative, the Occasions reported that 32.9 million vacationers visited New York in 2021, about 1.7 million lower than anticipated.
Whereas that quantity exceeded the variety of vacationers who made NYC a vacation spot 2020 by 47 p.c – the primary full 12 months of the pandemic – it was nonetheless lower than half of the 66 million individuals who traveled to town in 2019.
A tender January of 2022 additionally compelled NYC & Firm to mood its authentic predictions for the variety of vacationers this 12 months. the tourism company projected 57.8 million guests however now says it is going to be extra like 56.5 million.
However lodge occupancy charges seem like inching again up now that Omicron appears to be dwindling.
“In order for you some excellent news, it’s that vacationers or leisure vacationers are returning just about in drive,” Sean Hennessey, a professor at New York College, advised the Occasions. “And amazingly sufficient, they’re in lots of circumstances prepared to pay extra for an evening’s room than they have been previous to Covid. However the return to the workplace has gone slowly, and that has dampened expectations of a sturdy rebound in company journey.”
Supply: Journey Plus
