New York's tourism office is rolling out its first major international ad effort, looking to sell potential visitors a city that is as much about hip-hop as it is the Empire State Building. The
campaign is part of a strategy to promote the Big Apple across the globe and the office -- NYC & Company - already has operations in Dublin, Buenos Aires and London.
But despite its
reputation as a top tourist destination, the city has never yet embarked on a global ad campaign, relying on smaller, local efforts in specific countries. About 44 million people visited the city in
2006, generating an estimated $24 billion for the local economy and outpacing cities such as Las Vegas, Los Angeles and Washington, D.C.
Mayor Michael Bloomberg wants to hit 50
million annual tourists by 2015. The new campaign is expected to launch by fall, says George Fertitta, CEO of NYC & Company. A new infusion of $15 million in funding will finance the latest endeavors,
allowing New York to catch up to other major U.S destinations in a hotly competitive marketplace, says Lalia Rach, Associate Dean of the Tisch Center for Hospitality and Tourism at New York
University: "No city, no destination, can live on its laurels."
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