NYC TOURISM + CONVENTIONS HOLDS JOINT SALES AND MEDIA MISSION IN CHINA AS INBOUND GROUP TRAVEL RESUMES

City’s Tourism Organization Leads Delegation to Engage Media, Travel Trade, Marketing Partners, and Meeting and Event Planners in Beijing and Shanghai September 7-14

Online Travel Trade Academy Launches with Simplified Chinese Subtitles in the Market to Provide Increased Education and Sales Support for Chinese Travel Trade

Beijing (September 7, 2023) — New York City Tourism + Conventions, the official destination marketing organization and convention and visitors bureau for New York City’s five boroughs, will lead a delegation including nine tourism partners, for a joint sales and media mission to China from September 7—14 in Beijing and Shanghai. The mission, which is the first to the market since 2019, will include a series of events, trade appointments, and meetings to re-engage the travel trade, meeting and event planners, marketing partners and media, and comes as outbound group travel to the United States resumes.

In 2019, New York City welcomed 1.1 million Chinese visitors. As travel restrictions, airlift and visa access continue to improve, the market is forecast to reach almost 386,000 in 2023. This comes as New York City expects to welcome 63.2 million visitors this year, including 11.4 million international travelers. New York City also has recovered 78 percent of pre-pandemic pedestrian traffic in Times Square. The 2022-2023 Broadway season – the first full season since the pandemic – saw 12.3 million attendees filling 88.4 percent of seats, comparable with pre-pandemic levels.

“Visitors from China represent a significant part of New York City’s $60 billion tourism economy,” said New York City Mayor Eric Adams. “From our world-class museums, thriving Broadway shows, and our diverse, upscale dining options, New York City isn’t coming back — it’s back! We are encouraged by the continued easing of travel restrictions and increased access to New York City, and to support this positive momentum, our administration has invested additional support for NYC Tourism + Conventions’ tourism marketing and promotion efforts to encourage Chinese visitors to return to New York City.”

“The return of Chinese travelers will have a tremendously positive impact on thousands of businesses — large and small — across all five boroughs,” said Deputy Mayor of Housing, Economic Development, and Workforce Maria Torres-Springer. “We look forward to welcoming back this important travel market through the additional investments from the Adams administration and the tremendous work of NYC Tourism + Conventions.”

“We’re excited to be in China for a series of in-person events and sales and media engagements that are part of our continued efforts to welcome Chinese travelers back to New York City—a market which represented over 1 million visitors to New York City in 2019. With the recent resumption of group travel to the U.S. and additional flight capacity soon on the horizon, our goal is to extend a clear invitation and remind travelers that New York City welcomes them back with open arms,” said Fred Dixon, President and CEO of New York City Tourism + Conventions.

Events during the week include a press conference on September 7 in Beijing, providing an update on key market data, and an overview on new and iconic developments, attractions and major events in NYC’s five boroughs; VIP trade, MICE and media receptions in Beijing and Shanghai; sales calls and trade workshops; a series of meetings with major trade, marketing and social media platforms, and a robust presence at ITB China, the leading travel trade show in the market.

In conjunction with the mission, New York City Tourism + Conventions this week launched its Travel Trade Academy, a free, online, educational training tool, with simplified Chinese subtitles. The Travel Trade Academy is a self-driven learning platform to equip the global travel trade with essential destination knowledge about New York City. It aims to showcase a broad range of products and services, both new and established, in each of the five boroughs to inspire travel operators and agents to build New York itineraries for their customers. Interested members of the trade can register to participate here.

Additionally, a social media campaign launched today on Weibo in partnership with Mafengwo, key opinion leaders, and Travel Link Marketing called “去纽约...就现在!”, which translates to “Let’s Go To New York City Now!” and is a paid media initiative designed to drive travel demand. Followers who engage with the campaign will have the chance to win a 7-day New York City vacation for two, complete with airfare, hotel accommodations and attraction tickets at the courtesy of campaign partners and the NYC tourism partners joining the mission, including: Broadway Inbound;Empire State Building Observatory;New York Edge Observation Deck;New York Hilton Midtown;Real Hospitality Group;Renaissance New York Flushing Hotel at Tangram;Rockefeller Center; SUMMIT One Vanderbilt; andThe Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Travel Link serves as New York City Tourism + Conventions’ representative in China, responsible for travel trade, meetings and conventions, marketing, social media and public relations efforts in key cities across the market.

New York City is home to the world’s busiest airport system and the number one port of entry for U.S. international travelers. Last year, New York City welcomed more than 56 million visitors and remains on track to welcome 63.2 million visitors in 2023.

For more on all there is to see and do in New York City’s five boroughs, visit nyctourism.com.

About New York City Tourism + Conventions
New York City Tourism + Conventions is the official destination marketing organization and convention and visitors bureau for the City of New York, dedicated to maximizing travel and tourism opportunities throughout the five boroughs, building economic prosperity and spreading the positive image of New York City worldwide. For all there is to do and see in New York City, visit nyctourism.com.