PRNewswire has a press release stating that “Global Insight, the world’s leading company for economic and financial analysis and forecasting, today released its annual ranking of the Top 100 U.S. Tourism City Destinations for 2007″. The Big Apple shot to first place as it “jumped two positions from its 2006 standing, overtaking Orlando, Florida and Las Vegas, Nevada to capture the top spot in total tourism spending. New York gained about 1.5 million overseas visitors in 2007 and increased its share of total international visitors by 3.3%”.
According to Global Insight much of this growth is due to “exchange rate advantages, economic growth at home, and re-doubled promotional efforts are behind this success”. Added to that is the opening of new markets such as China.
The Big Apple, for now, seems to be one bright spot in an otherwise deteriorating international arrival picture caused by a combination of economic and bureaucratic problems.