NYC tourism still lags pre-COVID era amid crime concerns: report
NY Post
The Big Apple is still seeing fewer tourists than before the COVID pandemic amid concerns about crime, according to a report released by the state comptroller’s office Thursday.
The number of people who visited New York City last year — 62.2 million — was about 7% less than the 66.6 million tourists tallied in 2019, Comptroller Tom DiNapoli found.
“Our city and state leaders need to focus on keeping New York a desirable and safe destination for individuals and families from around the world,” DiNapoli said in a statement accompanying the report.
DiNapoli’s analysis cited “high prices” as an issue that could be contributing to the slower recovery, too, including for business or trade conventions.
“Some visitors may also be hesitant to return amid perceptions of crime and public safety in the City,” the report said, noting Gov. Kathy Hochul deploying the National Guard in the subways in response to a series of highly publicized violent crimes, along with beefed up police presence on the rails.
The city has also seen a few recent high-profile attacks on visitors, including a Pennsylvania mom who was randomly stabbed in the chest while chaperoning schoolgirls on a class trip in Times Square earlier this month.
