MONTREAL — As part of its annual Canada Sales Mission & Business Expo, the New York City Tourism + Conventions is touring the country to network with the industry.

Some 20 NYC tourism organizations, attractions and more were part of the mission, which landed earlier this week in Toronto and yesterday in Montreal.

Reach Global’s Kirk Dsouza, Sarah Yoo and Charmaine Singh together with New York City Tourism + Conventions’ Renee Wilson, Kim Wright and Reginald Charlot

NEW MUST-SEES IN NYC

Among the delegation members, Fabio Monteiro came to promote the spectacular Summit One Vanderbilt, which offers a multi-sensory experience on three floors at the top of a translucent tower. Christian Hellwig talked about Beat the Bomb, which organizes ‘life-size video games’ perfect for groups, companies, and team building.

Meanwhile Robert Fesselmeyer noted that the Empire State Building underwent major renovations worth US$165 million in 2019, and that the observatory on the 86th floor is still as breathtaking as ever. Lee Anna highlighted the recent opening of the Delta Times Square hotel.

Among the other newly established hotels in New York, there’s the charming Renaissance New York Harlem (211 rooms); the chic Fifth Avenue Hotel, located in a historic 1907 building (The Mansion) with a modern 24-storey glass tower; and the Aloft New York Chelsea, featuring 234 elegant rooms. And the highly anticipated The Surrey, from the prestigious Corinthia chain, will open its doors next summer.

Christopher Rosenow and Anthony Germano were on hand to represent The Edge, “the highest outdoor terrace in the western hemisphere,” which gives the impression of floating in the air and offers incredible 360-degree views, while a translucent floor and inclined glass walls allow you to see 100 floors below.

TOURISM NUMBERS BOUNCING BACK

After the pandemic, New York City quickly began to regain ground with its biggest markets, including Canada.

In 2023, the city just about regained its pre-pandemic attendance level from this market, with 995,000 Canadian visitors. In 2024, arrivals are expected to exceed those of 2019, with 1,080,000 potential Canadian tourists.

But it’s still not enough for Reginald Charlot, Senior Vice President, Tourism Market Development, New York City Tourism and Convention Bureau. “In 2025, I want at least 1.5 million!” he said to applause.

To increase this attendance rate, you need to know who you’re dealing with. And New York City knows.

Canadians are more inclined to indulge in shopping, urban exploration, visiting monuments and national sites, and museums and art galleries, than many other international tourists, says Charlot.

They mainly come to New York for leisure (87% versus 10% for business), spend an average of $707 per visitor per stay (usually lasting four days), often travel with their children (38%), regularly book last minute, and generally stay in hotels (78%).

One of the areas where Canadian visitors are increasingly numerous is sports tourism.

“Considering the prices of hockey, baseball, or basketball games in Canada, it’s often smart to come to New York to attend these sporting events,” says Charlot. “I’ve seen tickets for $200 to $300 for a Blue Jays vs. Yankees game in Toronto, while a ticket for a Yankees game in New York sells for between $60 and $120.”

Canadian visitors to NYC may do a lot of their research on the Internet (63%) and rely on recommendations from relatives and friends (46%). However many of them work with travel advisors to book their stay. “It’s normal, they are the real experts, they know the city well and are best placed to book a hotel, a popular restaurant, a concert or a show and build an itinerary that allows you to make the most of a stay. New York is vast and there is so much to see and do!” says Charlot.

TRAVEL TRADE ACADEMY

To stay up to date, travel advisors have an easily accessible tool, the Travel Trade Academy, on the official New York website. The portal presents everything essential to see and do in New York, borough by borough. “We offer six modules: one for each borough and another that presents general information,” says Charlot. “After their training, advisors receive a NYC Specialist diploma and they can integrate this mention into their email signature.”

The tourism promotion organization also regularly organizes webinars on various topics, on nyctourism.com: family, luxury tourism, sports tourism, etc.

While Canadian visitors to NYC tend to be numerous in the spring – it’s a popular time to travel thanks to milder temperatures, fewer crowds and good deals – other times of the year are well-suited for a stay in New York too. “January, February, and March are little frequented but deserve to be known,” says Charlot.

Of course, just like at home, it’s cold in NYC in the winter months, but less so than in Canada – and there’s usually no snow. Hotel occupancy rates are very low, there’s no need to queue for several major attractions, and there are plenty of dining and theatre promotions.

This is the case with Restaurant Week, which offers a host of benefits for dining at a wallet-friendly price, and Must-See Week, which offers several packages for visiting must-see sites while saving money.

Moreover, while June and July are the busiest months of the year in New York, the last two weeks of August are also worth considering. “Many New Yorkers are on vacation then and surprisingly there are much fewer people,” says Charlot. “On this occasion, we also organize another Restaurant Week, but also an additional edition of Must-See Week.”

Reach Global Marketing is the official Sales & Communications Partner for New York City Tourism + Conventions in Canada.

For more information see nyctourism.com.