NYC tourism poised to tank as tariffs, stock market rattle travelers

Big Apple tourism is at risk of tanking as travelers get rattled by swooning stock markets and rising geopolitical tensions, according to industry experts and data reviewed by The Post.Hospitality executives say it’s too early to call, but they’re increasingly on edge because of recent declines in hotel bookings, as well as drops in foot traffic and ticket sales to key attractions.Just 22.5% of the city’s hotel rooms were booked for July as of April 7, according to industry data tracker CoStar.That’s down a whopping 11.5% from the same time a year ago, when 25.4% of rooms had been booked.Travelers still may end up booking rooms closer to the date if consumer moods improve, according to Jan Frietag, CoStar’s national director of hospitality.

Still, he said the data show how skittish travelers have lately become.“We are not quite ready to call it a prolonged downturn,” Freitag told The Post.But New York City “probably hasn’t seen this kind of deceleration since 2020.”The sluggish trend extends all the way to the holidays, with New York City hotel bookings for October, November and December down 20.6%, 19% and 19%, respectively, according to the data.The Big Apple’s tourism bureau – NYC Tourism + Conventions – still expects the city to finally shake off its COVID hangover and exceed the 66.6 million visitors it lured in 2019. The city currently estimates that 12.9 million overseas travelers came to the Big Apple in 2024 versus the 13.5 million that came in 2019.“We are committed to adapting to the ever-evolving landscape while continuing to market NYC worldwide,” said Julie Coker, President and CEO of NYC Tourism + Conventions.

Nevertheless, trade wars and hassles at US borders for overseas travelers are starting to take a toll, according to industry players.The Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island have seen ticket sales drop 5% through April, said Mike Burke, Chief Operating Officer of Statue City Cruises, which is owned by Hornblower. ...