A strange thing happened or is expected to happen this year end 2011 for New York and Hong Kong. Both cities celebrate a trivia milestone where they both welcome a very special visitor this December. For New York, expectations are high that they will be able to welcome their 50th million 2011 visitor while Hong Kong has been already able to say a sweet hello to Nancy Ryan from the U.S. for being their 40millionth visitor for 2011 alone. Both cities encourage visitors to acquire the US visitors insurance prior to flying in because medical care is expensive and the visitors insurance can help ease the burden. Since the insurance also applies to travel problem, it’s a good two-in-one bundle plan for a very small fee.
New York’s Mayor Bloomberg has always been vocal about a goal to get visitors into the Big Apple. His logic, which is something that economic experts have agreed with, stems from the fact that every visitor to New York spends money while in the city. The estimates on recreational revenues are pegged at more than $47 Billion. It is figure that will help the city keep its head way above the water and businesses operating profitably.
In 2000, before Bloomberg became mayor, the visitor count was 36.2 million. Last year, the figure rose to 48.7 million. Twenty percent of these visitors were international guests but spending half of the total revenues from tourism.
In Hong Kong, visitor arrival increased from November to December this year by 1.4% but is expected to go higher considering there’s still a week left before the end of December. Americans and Canadians topped the list of international visitors with a 7.3% and 5.7% respectively. Two cities halfway across the world from each with parallel success ratios – this is a good sign.