Marginal increase for New York City tourism in 2025
Tourism in New York City edged up slightly in 2025, but the rebound fell well short of expectations. According to the first estimates from a new report released by New York tourism agency, NYC Tourism + Conventions, visitors still remained below pre-pandemic highs last year.
The city recorded 64.7 million visitors last year, a marginal 0.3% increase compared with 2024. While the gain marked continued recovery, it missed the city’s long-touted goal of attracting 67 million tourists and failed to eclipse the all-time record of 66.6 million visitors set in 2019.
International travel was the primary drag on growth. NYC Tourism + Conventions pointed to “tariffs and negative rhetoric” surrounding travel to the United States as major contributors to a nearly 5% decline in overseas visitors year over year. International arrivals slipped from 12.9 million in 2024 to 12.3 million in 2025, with Western Europe showing particular weakness.
Several of New York’s largest foreign source markets posted notable declines. Visitor numbers fell sharply from Canada, down 19%, followed by Germany at 10% and France at 7%. Mexico and Spain each dropped 5%, while arrivals from China decreased by 4% and the United Kingdom by 3%. Only a few countries bucked the trend, with modest increases of 1% to 2% from Italy, Brazil and Australia.
Canada, historically New York’s top international market, recorded the steepest pullback. In October 2025 alone, Canadian arrivals to the United States declined 24% by air and 31% by car compared with the same month a year earlier, according to figures from the city comptroller’s office.
NYC Tourism + Conventions revised its outlook midway through the year following noticeable shifts in travel patterns after the 2024 presidential election. Looking ahead, the agency now expects the city to welcome about 66 million visitors in 2026—still more than half a million shy of the 2019 record and equivalent to a 5% drop compared to 2019 numbers. That total includes a projected 12.7 million international travelers, as trade tensions and travel sentiment continue to weigh on demand from Canada and Mexico.
Domestic tourism provided a partial offset. Leisure travel within the U.S. increased about 1.5% year over year, reaching an estimated 52.2 million visitors in 2025. That figure is forecast to climb to 53.3 million in 2026, finally surpassing pre-pandemic levels.
Business travel, however, has yet to fully recover. The report noted that corporate trips plateaued in 2025 and are unlikely to return to 2019 levels until 2029, citing economic uncertainty and evolving work habits.
Despite softer volumes, hotel revenue per available room rose more than 4%, even as occupancy dipped slightly. Luxury hotels performed particularly well, showing the strongest gains, as New York remains a favorite among high-spending travelers.
Related News Stories: IATA projects $41 billion airline profit in 2026 Travel eSIMs to rewrite the roaming playbook according to CCS Insight Government travel austerity measures puts pressure on U.S. hotels Croatia to be careful about prices evolution in the hospitality sector Air Canada revamp of Frequent Flyer Program to restrict budget ... Aer Lingus considers shutting down Manchester base WTM - World Travel Market - TravelMole
newadmin
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
ADS PRO 
Qatar Airways offers flexible payment options for European travellers
Airlines suspend Madagascar services following unrest and army revolt
Phocuswright reveals the world's largest travel markets in volume in 2025
Digital Travel Reporter of the Mirror totally seduced by HotelPlanner AI Travel Agent
Cyclone in Sri Lanka had limited effect on tourism in contrary to media reports