New York’s First-Quarter Tourist Numbers Up in Double Digits

An estimated 9.5 million tourists visited New York in the first quarter of 2008, 1 million more than in the same quarter a year ago, according to the city’s tourism marketer, NYC & Company.

Visitor spending climbed to an estimated $6.3 billion in the first quarter, compared with $5.6 billion a year earlier. New York said that approximately 19 percent of total visitors, or about 1.8 million, came from other countries.

“The weak dollar continues to attract international visitors from around the globe,” said NYC & Company CEO George Fertitta. He added that international visitors accounted for more than 50 percent of total visitor spending in the first quarter.