Curious about the state of travel in New York? NYC & Company recently held a webinar to highlight domestic and international travel into the city and consumer sentiment in the wider world. Additional can’t-miss travel news includes the United States officially requiring REAL IDs, a Middle East-based travel app teaming up with the Tourism Authority of Thailand and more.
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NYC Tourism + Conventions Highlights Domestic and International Visitation
NYC Tourism + Conventions held a webinar this past week to highlight domestic and international visitation to the city. Julie Coker, president and CEO of New York City Tourism + Conventions, was in attendance and kicked off the webinar with a welcoming introduction, followed by several experts in the tourism field.
Adam Sacks, president of Tourism Economics, began the first section of the webinar, where he discussed the negative effect tariffs and the uncertainty surrounding these policies have had on the economy and consumer sentiment, as well as what the Tourism Economics team sees in the years ahead.
He highlighted that the labor market is in a “very good” position—the unemployment rate is at 4.2%—likely a major driver of travel demand. Although the future doesn’t look quite as bright. “All of the uncertainty being generated out of this policy environment is likely to fuel additional unemployment,” Sacks said. “Our most likely outcome is that unemployment goes up on its current rate to about 4.8%, but it could be worse. If tariffs remain at the elevated level they are right now, you’re likely to see the unemployment rate rise to close to 6%.”
He noted the consumer sentiment index, which has fallen near to its historic low, similar to what was seen in the middle of 2022. “Clearly, people are worried about the effect of tariffs,” he said. “Our best–case [scenario] is that tariffs roll back substantially to just about 10%.”
Sacks referred to a travel buyer survey conducted in April by Global Business Travel Association, which found that 29% expected a decline in travel spending from their company, although he expressed skepticism about this number.
“I think that that exaggerates what we’re looking at, as timing matters on these surveys,” he said. “This is right after the big announcements of those tariffs, before there was any reprieve, some of which we’ve seen already.” Additionally, 20% of global travel managers said they’re considering cancelling, moving or pulling attendance from meetings and events held in the U.S. “This relates to some concern about sentiment toward the U.S., as well,” Sacks added.
In 2025, Tourism Economics expected 64.1 million travelers to visit New York, a downgrade from the 67 million forecasted a few months ago, mostly because of declines in international travel, a sector heavily affected by President’s Trump tariffs. In 2025, international travel to the U.S. made a gigantic swing from 9% to -6.1%.
Narrowing visitation to the last four months, January through April, Glenn Hollister, vice president of sales strategy and effectiveness for United Airlines, highlighted airline industry trends through the three major airports used to get there: LaGuardia, Newark and JFK. “The story here for the first four months of the year is relatively positive,” he said. “Some of the weakness that we’ve seen as an industry has not really shown up when we look just at New York yet, certainly not in terms of the total passenger count.”
He ended on a positive note: “What is going on with the major airlines in New York is in the first four months of the year all of us carried more passengers than we did the year before. I think there are some warning signs that may be our reason for cautiousness but in terms of what we’ve actually seen the last four months, it’s a relatively positive picture, and we remain cautiously optimistic about that for the rest of the year.”
Several other speakers included:
- Andrew van der Feltz, global senior director of business development for Expedia, who discussed the jet-setting trend, sparked by well-known shows like Emily in Paris and The White Lotus, which has driven visitation to the locations in which these shows take place, and New York’s position as one of the top 10 most-searched destinations
- Steve O’ Malley, chief commercial officer for Maritz, who showed that in the association and trade show markets, the government sector has been the most affected and the tariffs have impacted exhibit builds.
- Caroline Moultrie, president, EMEA, of MMGY Global, who focused on the United Kingdom and Ireland. “Despite some recent challenges, for example, policy uncertainty and the strength of the U.S. dollar, the UK consumer really does remain highly engaged with S. content, the ties between the U.S. and the U.K. are still thriving,” she said. “What’s really interesting in our research is that people feel a really strong emotional connection to individual US cities like New York, rather than they do perhaps the broader US brand message.”
In This Week’s Can’t-Miss Travel and Tourism News:
- As of this week, domestic air travel within the U.S. officially requires a REAL ID, passport or other acceptable forms of identification. Make sure your documents will pass inspection before your next flight.
- Palm Springs International Airport (PSP) has debuted Agua Caliente Oasis, a new concourse installation created in partnership with Agua Caliente Casinos. Inspired by the desert’s iconic style, the breezy lounge space features palm trees, midcentury design touches and plenty of charging stations. The installation is located in the Agua Caliente Concourse near Gates 12–20.
- Wego, the Middle East’s top travel app, has teamed up with the Tourism Authority of Thailand to reignite interest in Thailand among MENA travelers. The campaign invites explorers to look beyond the usual hotspots and discover spiritual retreats, wellness escapes and vibrant food trails.
- Villa Vie Residences has unveiled World Uncharted, a 301-day global voyage launching in 2027 that sets a new record for the world’s longest cruise. Designed for deep exploration, the journey spans five continents, 100+ countries and iconic stops like Antarctica, Easter Island and the Amazon.
