UK visitors to the Big Apple are still lagging behind 2019 levels, according to latest official figures.
Just over 1.06 million Brits travelled to New York last year, compared to 1.27m in 2019.
President and CEO of NYC Tourism Julie Crocker, pictured, said: “The UK is still not back to 2019 levels. The spend is definitely there, but the actual numbers are not.”
Speaking at a media event in London last week, Julie said UK visitor numbers were expected to come ‘pretty darn close’ to pre-COVID levels this year, but she admitted NYC would not be back to ‘full visitation’ until 2026.
Alluding to the possibility that President Trump’s actions, including his recent tariff spats with other countries, could push back NYC’s recovery, Julie said: “The first thing I would say is that New York is an iconic destination.
“The other thing I would say is this is the second time around, we have seen this situation before.
“We were smart enough to lean in to love and liberty very early on, before November, it is what we are, it is the DNA of NYC, it is our secret weapon, our diversity…and that is not going to change, so we just lean into that.
“Are we concerned? We are cautiously optimistic is what I would say.”
New York City didn’t see a fall-off in visits in January to February, said Julie, and while March figures aren’t yet available, she said she was hopeful they wouldn’t show a drop from the UK, its biggest overseas market. “The UK continues to ride or die with us,” she added.
She said she was also hopeful that major international events being hosted by the US over the next couple of years, including the FIFA World Cup in 2026, will boost visitor numbers.
“They will bring the world to the US and New York City is at the forefront,” she added.
New York will host eight World Cup matches, including the final, which will be held at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.
