Coronavirus Update New York City: NYC announces $30M campaign to bring tourism back
Coronavirus update for NYC
NEW YORK CITY (WABC) -- Mayor Bill de Blasio announced a $30 million marketing campaign called "New York City Reawakens" to bring back tourism.
"We are open for business," de Blasio said Wednesday during a COVID-19 briefing. "There's only one New York City."
Officials say this will be the largest ever campaign to promote tourism in New York City.
"It will remind people NYC is the place to be," the mayor added.
De Blasio was joined by chef Daniel Bolud as restaurateurs are ready to welcome visitors.
"The rebirth of our economy, but also our culture, that's what we need," Bolud said. "New York always attracted talent, ambition and creativity."
The campaign will bring both domestic and international visitors to the city. It will use federal stimulus programs to buy television ads and social media campaigns, including a "Wish You Were Here at NYC" campaign, in which New Yorkers may invite friends to visit the city.
The city will re-launch its annual "Summer Restaurant Week" from July 20 to August 15.
The Big Apple is expecting 36.4 million visitors in 2021, recovering more than half of record 66.6 million visitors that came in 2019.
Other tourism indicators, while early and subtle, are starting to recover.
Since January, the hotel occupancy rate has ticked up six percentage points, to 35%, according to hospitality data company STR.
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