2/20/2013
By Ivan Pereira
More than 50 million people traveled to get a taste of the Big Apple in 2012 and this year, the city wants to spread the tourist love to all five boroughs.
Mayor Michael Bloom-berg and NYC & Company, the city’s tourism wing, laid out its plans to attract 55 million visitors and bring in $70 billion in economic impact by 2015 during the company’s annual meeting Wednesday with tourism and leisure companies.
The mayor, who had a special introduction from one of the city’s celebrity tourism promoterss, Miss Piggy, said the best way to meet the target would be to think outside the box, or more specificiallyoutside Manhattan.
“New Yorkers know that some of the best neighborhoods, like Fort Greene in Brooklyn or Forest Hills in Queens . . . are they are rich in culture,” he said.
Bloomberg touted his plan to legalize and create for profit hostels to attract younger international visitors who are on a budget. He also said NYC & Company would promote some of the outer borough’s museums, parks and attractions.
Deputy Mayor Robert Steel noted that additions to the city such as the Staten Island Ferris wheel and the full High Line on the West Side will spark interest in Gotham.
“When a new attraction like the High Line opens up, it not only attracts visitors, it improves the neighborhood,” Steel said.
