New York City Sees Slight Visitor Growth Despite Fewer International Travelers (Beginner)
In 2025, New York City had a small rise in visitors even though fewer people came from other countries. The city said 65 million people visited, up 0.7% from the year before. Most of the growth came from domestic travelers. Domestic visits rose to 52.4 million, and overnight trips also increased. Many visitors came from nearby areas and cities like Philadelphia, Washington, Los Angeles, and Boston.
International travel fell 3.2% to 12.5 million visitors. Even so, travel from the U.K., Italy, and Mexico went up. NYC Tourism said the drop was smaller than expected because of global challenges.
Visitors brought major benefits to the city. Tourism created $84.7 billion in economic impact, including $55.6 billion in direct spending and $7.5 billion in tax revenue. Hotels stayed strong too. New York had the highest occupancy rate among the top 25 U.S. markets, at 84.2%, and average room prices rose to $334.
Looking ahead, the city expects 66.3 million visitors in 2026. The 2026 FIFA World Cup may bring 1.2 million more people and add $3.3 billion to the region.
Vocabulary Words List
- rise: a small increase
- visitors: people who travel to a place
- countries: nations
- growth: an increase over time
- domestic: inside the same country
- overnight: lasting for at least one night
- international: between different countries
- expected: thought to happen
- global: connected to the whole world
- tourism: travel for pleasure or business
- impact: a strong effect
- spending: money that is used
- revenue: money received
- occupancy: how full a hotel is
- region: a large area
Fill In The Blanks Listening Practice
In 2025, New York City had a small in even though fewer people came from other . The city said 65 million people visited, up 0.7% from the year before. Most of the came from travelers. visits rose to 52.4 million, and trips also increased. Many came from nearby areas and cities like Philadelphia, Washington, Los Angeles, and Boston.
travel fell 3.2% to 12.5 million . Even so, travel from the U.K., Italy, and Mexico went up. NYC said the drop was smaller than because of challenges.
brought major benefits to the city. created $84.7 billion in economic , including $55.6 billion in direct and $7.5 billion in tax . Hotels stayed strong too. New York had the highest rate among the top 25 U.S. markets, at 84.2%, and average room prices rose to $334.
Looking ahead, the city expects 66.3 million in 2026. The 2026 FIFA World Cup may bring 1.2 million more people and add $3.3 billion to the .
Vocabulary Retention Quiz
- Why did New York City still see more visitors in 2025?
- About how many total visitors came to New York City in 2025?
- What major sports event could bring more visitors in 2026?
Discussion Questions
- Why do you think domestic travel stayed strong in 2025?
- How can a major event help a city attract tourists?
- What makes a city interesting to visitors?
- Would you like to visit New York City? Why or why not?
