NYC aims to attract 67 million annual visitors by 2021

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, along with tourism officials, announced Wednesday that the city is projected to attract 67 million annual visitors by the end of 2021.

The mayor said the Big Apple achieved its goal of 55 million visitors a year ahead of its 2015 schedule by welcoming an all-time record 56.4 million visitors last year.

"This year, we're committing to attract a record 67-million annual visitors by the end of 2021 and we look forward to working alongside businesses, large and small, to showcase all that our five boroughs have to offer," he said.

Data shows that each additional million visitors would result in significant economic gains, including generating more tourism-related jobs and visitor spending, which solidifies the tourism industry as a major engine for the city.

Of the predicted 67 million visitors expected by the end of 2021, 16 million are forecasted to come from international markets while 51 million would come from domestic market.

Last year, visitor spending resulted in some 61.3 billion U.S. dollars in economic impact and 3.7 billion dollars in City tax revenues, as well as supporting 359,000 tourism related jobs. Total visitor arrivals for 2015 are projected to rise 3 percent overall to 58.1 million.

The city's strategy to inspire visitation and prepare for 10 million more visitors also includes focusing on emerging markets such as China, attracting major sports events to the city, and tourism-Ready seminars. Enditem