NEW YORK, David Cohen longs for a return of the times when business was booming at his family’s souvenir store in Times Square.
Although tourists are returning to Grand Slam souvenirs, foot traffic is not as high as it was before the coronavirus pandemic. When hordes of international visitors crowded under the electric billboards outside his doors, Grand Slam souvenirs were flooded with people.
The return of foreign tourists may be a catalyst for economic recovery in a region known as the crossroads. Many of his businesses are mom-and-pop shops that employ thousands and are one of New York City’s most important economic engines.
Cohen stated that they welcome them back with open arms after the U.S. allowed vaccinated foreign travelers to enter the country. “We have a long way yet.”
Times Square has been a symbol of New York’s bustle and bustle for many years. According to The Times Square Alliance, 9 out of 10 local businesses closed after Broadway theatres closed and the city became the epicenter for the global pandemic.
Tom Harris, president of the alliance, stated that “we really were a symbol for the world’s pandemic and the pause.”
Since then, three-quarters of the area’s businesses have reopened. As Broadway shows opened to vaccinated-only viewers, however, it has taken a while.
Businesses that aren’t directly targeted at tourists are among those who are likely to be restarted.
Sam Vasili’s Shoe Repair was reopened across 51st Street, from the Gershwin Theater. It had been there for over three decades prior to a long pandemic.
Sam Smolyar, the owner, was all smiles when he announced that a Broadway production had asked for his assistance. He has been providing custom-fitted boots for the Rockettes for many years. He said, “We rely upon the theater and the businesses around us.”
He hopes that more Broadway tickets will lead to busier times.
Vasili, who has three employees at the shop, said that “it starts to get better.”
New York City saw record numbers of tourists just before the COVID-19 epidemic. In 2019, 66.6 million people visited the city, including 13.5 millions from abroad. However, severe restrictions were placed on foreign travel after the pandemic.
Since months, a marketing campaign has been in place to remind Americans that New York City remains open for business and is ready for visitors. The city is now expanding its reach to people from outside the United States, who are highly sought after because they spend more money and have more time.
Domestic travel was 80% of visitors. However, about half the city’s tourism expenditure is spent by foreign tourists. They also account for half of all hotel bookings.
Harris from the Times Square Alliance stated that the district is already recovering. Harris of the Times Square Alliance stated that pedestrian counts have increased from 150,000 to 250,000 in May to some areas, which is still a far cry from the approximately 365,000 people who walked through the streets before the pandemic.
Harris stated, “Between Broadway’s return and the return international tourists,” that “we really expect” to reach those pre-pandemic numbers much sooner than most people think.
Marina Galan was one of the returning visitors. She soaked in Times Square under a waterfall of lights from her bleachers. On the first day that U.S. borders were opened to tourists, she and her friends flew from Madrid to New York.
She said, “When you return to New York, this will be what you see.” “Everything is back to normal.”
Pablo Leon, her friend, said that he was excited to return. They took a chance last March by purchasing tickets to Hadestown Broadway musical, even though they were unsure when they would be allowed to travel to America.
Leon stated, “That was the real gamble because we bought tickets for tonight without knowing if we would be able to get here.”
NYC & Company is the city’s tourist agency and has spent millions of dollars abroad to attract tourists back. It expects 2.8 million foreign tourists to visit the city by the end, which is a fraction of the 13.5 millions who visited the country in 2019. Officials hope that the number of foreign visitors will continue to rise as the borders are reopened and reach record levels in the next four years.
Chris Heywood, executive vice president of the agency, stated that “We’re hoping we’ll do everything possible to accelerate that timeline.”
The initial campaign will focus on Canada, Mexico and Brazil. However, it will soon expand to other countries, including China. China is a lucrative market, as Chinese tourists are significantly more than other nationalities.
However, Chinese tourists may choose to remain put due to quarantining requirements at home. This includes a minimum of two weeks for returning from overseas trips.
New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli stated that daytrips and domestic tourists have helped Broadway, museums, and restaurants. However, New York cannot reach its pre-pandemic level until international tourism returns fully. While opening America’s borders would be a huge help, there are other factors that can make it difficult to predict when the country will return to its pre-World War II numbers.
Visitors could be attracted to New York City’s annual events like the Times Square New Years Eve celebration and the big Thanksgiving Parade.
Governor of New York Kathy Hochul also announced a $450million initiative to revitalize the tourism sector.
William Brownstein sold tickets for comedy clubs to passersby on a recent afternoon.
Brownstein said that “with all the crazy stuff going on” — with Republicans, Democrats, and with pro-, and anti-vaccine views — “you have to laugh about it,” Brownstein stated. He returned from an unplanned hiatus in May shortly after comedy clubs were allowed reopen.
He predicted that “as time goes by, I think we will see more people come.” It will take some time but they will return like before.
