A “Resilient” Year for New York City Tourism + Conventions

Despite an overall downward trend of Canadian travel to the U.S, New York City Tourism + Conventions says travel is resilient and it expects to see more growth in 2026.

According to its 2025 Annual Report which was released earlier this month at its annual meeting, international visitation totalled 12.5 million (-3.2%), reflecting ongoing global challenges, though declines were less severe than forecast.

“In 2025, New York City’s tourism economy proved resilient despite global challenges, underscoring the enduring appeal of the five boroughs,” said Julie Coker, President and CEO of New York City Tourism + Conventions. 

“The international visitor market is crucial to our economy, accounting for 50% of tourism spending. Despite international declines, we saw growth across all our economic impact metrics: total direct visitor spending was more than $55 billion, which generated nearly $85 billion in economic impact for our city, flowing into hotels, restaurants, cultural institutions, retail and small businesses across all five boroughs. The impact of the tourism industry remains critical to the entire city.”

New York City welcomed 65 million visitors in 2025, a modest 0.7% increase year over year, driven primarily by domestic demand. Notably, inbound travel from the UK, Italy and Mexico recorded year-over-year gains.

Tourism generated $84.7 billion in total economic impact in 2025, including $55.6 billion in direct visitor spending, supporting approximately 397,000 jobs across the five boroughs. The sector also contributed $7.5 billion in tax revenue, benefiting local communities and small businesses.

Leisure travel remained dominant at 52.4 million visitors, nearing pre-pandemic levels, while business travel reached 12.6 million, supported by more than 1,500 meetings and events generating approximately 345,000 room nights.

New York City’s hotel sector continued to perform well in 2025, particularly in the luxury and upscale segments.

• Occupancy averaged 84.2%, maintaining 2024 levels and ranking first among the top 25 U.S. markets
• Midscale properties declined to 76.7% (-7%)
• Room demand reached 38.1 million nights sold (+2%)
• ADR increased to $334 (+5%)

Hotel inventory expanded to approximately 124,000 rooms, with six new openings in 2025. A further 24 projects (5,778 rooms) are currently in development through 2028.

Looking ahead, New York City is projecting 66.3 million visitors in 2026 (+2%), with growth expected across both domestic and international markets.

• Domestic visitation is forecast to reach 53.4 million, surpassing 2019 levels
• International arrivals are expected to rebound to 12.9 million
• Business travel is projected to grow to 12.8 million visitors

“New York City’s domestic visitor market saw accelerated growth in 2025, as domestic travel remains the backbone of the tourism industry nationwide,” said Charles Flateman, Board Chair of New York City Tourism + Conventions and Executive Vice President of The Shubert Organization.

“Next year, we expect domestic travel to surpass record 2019 levels, signaling a major milestone and emphasizing the strength of our regional drive markets. The domestic market accounts for 80% of our visitation and overnight trips now account for 51% of this segment, contributing to New York City’s position as first in hotel occupancy in the US market.”

Major events are also set to drive demand. Matches associated with the FIFA World Cup 2026 are expected to attract 1.2 million visitors to the New York–New Jersey region, generating an estimated $3.3 billion in economic impact.