Brits Flocking to New York |
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Brits Flocking to New York |
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It’s fair
to say the British people have become less enthused about a holiday in
America since the year 2000; tourism figures dipped by 11% in total
between the turn of the millennium and 2006 for a variety of reasons. It
is felt that America has suffered a bit of an image crisis since the
September 11th terrorist attacks. Tightened airport security
with stringent passport controls have been a major complaint of many
visitors, while the negative press of air travel – through both fear
of terrorism and global warming - hasn’t exactly helped. All of this
has come in tandem with huge efforts from other possible destinations,
such as Macao, Dubai, and Singapore. One success
story over the same period, however, is New York. While the country at
large has seen tourism steadily drop off, the USA’s biggest city has
seen a pleasant rise. In 2000 there were 6.8 million international
visitors to the city. September
11th explained a big drop in numbers until 2003, but New York
has since strived to improve its image, with quite spectacular results;
international visitors hit 7.25 million visitors in 2006, a figure
rising steadily year on year from the low 4.8 million in 2003. So what is it
that’s so special about New York? Well, it’s the third most populous
metropolitan area in the world to start with, truly packed with things
to do. It’s got one of the very best shopping districts in the world,
with top department stores, the famous Fifth Adventure, and more
designer outlets than you could possibly get to in a month. There’s
that, alongside the world’s most amazing skyscraper skyline in
Manhattan, acclaim of being the world’s top city for dining, and a
theatre district that rivals the West End.
While the
decline of the dollar versus the pound hasn’t exactly enthused many
Brits to other places in America, it seems like a very justifiable
reason for the increase in trips to NYC. The dollar has dropped to over
$2 to every £1, so trips filled with a flurry of shopping have become
increasingly popular. Flights are becoming more widely available across
the UK, with the regulars of Heathrow and Gatwick being joined by
Bristol, Birmingham and Manchester amongst other airports now offering cheap
flights across the Atlantic. Flymonarch offer charter flights and
Expedia have a number of low priced deals on flights
to New York. You may also want to check out 1800 Hotels, with their
large selection of New
York hotels. It comes as highly recommended to book sooner rather
than later, as prices are likely to rise sharply towards Christmas as
the demand for shopping heats up. Expect a flurry of Brits to be there
should you make the journey across the pond - America has become cheap! |
