Contact: Colleen Roche (212) 788-2958 or Deirdra L. Picou (212) 788-2971
Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani today addressed hotel executives, restaurateurs, and City business and civic leaders at the New York Convention and Visitors Bureau's (NYCVB) Second Annual Tourism Conference + Expo Luncheon at the New York Marriott World Trade Center in Manhattan. Joining the Mayor were City Council Speaker Peter Vallone, NYCVB President Stephen Morello, NYCVB Luncheon Chair Paul O'Neil and Deputy Mayor for Economic Development and Planning Fran Reiter.
"I'm pleased to be here for the New York Convention and Visitors Bureau's Second Annual Tourism Conference and Expo," said Mayor Giuliani. "From the theater to sports, music to fashion, shopping to sightseeing, there is more to see and more to do in New York than in any other city in the world."New York City is the number one international tourist destination world wide, and for good reason. With an unprecedented 38 percent reduction in crime, people now know that we are just about the safest large city in America, and that perception is a critical factor in bringing visitors to New York, the Mayor continued.
"Just last year alone, 30 million people visited New York to enjoy our many spectacular attractions. This represents a record for New York City tourism, and since we lowered our hotel occupancy tax from the highest in the world to a level that makes us competitive with other major cities, we set new records for tourism in each of the last two years. And 1997 looks even better."
The Mayor added, "A few years ago, people were saying that New York City had too many hotel rooms. Now it's so hard to get a room in this City, that every major hotel chain in America is looking to build in New York. Some of the hotels that have recently decided to come to New York include the Marriott at Brooklyn Renaissance Plaza, the Soho Grand Hotel, the Trump International Hotel and Tower, and the Mercer Hotel. And future projects are set to include the Soho Gateway, Lincoln West, Site 7 Development--Times Square at 42nd Street and the Hudson Hotel.""Increases in tourism revenues and hotel occupancy aren't just mere abstractions, these numbers represent jobs and real opportunities for New Yorkers. The growth in these areas then trickle down and affects businesses throughout the five boroughs. For City-based distributors, the surge in our tourism industry means hard working New Yorkers will now have more opportunities to improve their quality of life."
"In fact, of the 70,000 net new private-sector jobs in the State, 37,000 were in New York City and 4,800 of those jobs were in food and beverage businesses. And since 1993, New York City has added more than 110,000 private-sector jobs. Because of our incredible economic revitalization, in 1996 New York City has outpaced the entire rest of New York State in job growth. So from the Bronx to Brooklyn, New York City is once again experiencing growth and opportunity."Mayor Giuliani concluded, "I appreciate what the New York Convention and Visitors Bureau has done to help us get the word out that New York is safe, exciting and filled with wonderful entertainment opportunities. Your hard work and effective partnership with City government continue to make New York City the number one tourist destination in the world."
The NYCVB Second Annual Tourism Conference + Expo is a day-long conference that includes a briefing on citywide events, a NYCVB opportunities fair, four informational forums and a business expo. The NYCVB was founded in 1935 to act as New York City's public/private sector tourism marketing organization. It partners with New York City government and member businesses to enhance and facilitate New York City tourism throughout the world.