Despite international travel decline, New York reports slight increase in visitors

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New York said it recorded a slight increase in visitors last year. Pictured, the Statue of Liberty one of the area's most notable attractions.
New York said it recorded a slight increase in visitors last year. Pictured, the Statue of Liberty one of the area's most notable attractions. Photo Credit: CK Foto/Shutterstock

Domestic travelers helped New York City record a slight increase in visitors in 2025, offsetting a drop in international visitation.

Destination marketing organization NYC Tourism + Conventions said 65 million visitors arrived in 2025, a 0.7% increase.

There were 52.4 million domestic visitors, a 1.7% increase. Top source markets were the New York City tristate area as well as Philadelphia, Washington, Los Angeles and Boston. Overnight domestic trips, which account for just over half of all domestic visitation, rose 2.3%.

International visitation, however, slipped 3.2% to 12.5 million visitors, even as arrivals from the U.K., Italy and Mexico rose. NYC Tourism said there were "global challenges," but that the decline was smaller than previously forecasted. 

NYC Tourism said visitors generated $84.7 billion in economic impact, including $55.6 billion in direct spending and $7.5 billion in local and state tax revenue.

Meanwhile, the city's hotels continued to outperform the broader U.S. market. New York ranked first in occupancy among the top 25 domestic markets, averaging 84.2%. Luxury and upscale hotels led the city's occupancy growth, while midscale occupancy dipped 7%.

New York's average daily rate climbed 5%, to $334.

Looking ahead, NYC Tourism is projecting 66.3 million visitors in 2026, with domestic travel expected to hit 53.4 million visitors, which would surpass a record set in 2019. International travel is expected to improve next year, rebounding to 2024 levels at 12.9 million visitors. 

The organization expects the 2026 FIFA World Cup to draw around 1.2 million visitors to the New York-New Jersey area and to generate $3.3 billion in economic impact.

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