9.20.21 - Return of international travel could accelerate the city’s tourism recovery
"Only 65% of jobs at hotel and food service companies had returned to the city as of last month. The number of seats reserved on reservations platform OpenTable for Sept. 18—a warm, pleasant Saturday evening—was down 41% from the comparable date in 2019."
"Certain industry conferences that attract global audiences could only return once borders were open, said Alan Steel, president and CEO of the Javits Center."
"The conferences, in turn, could attract more business travel—an important economic driver for restaurants. Eric Ripert, owner and chef at Le Bernardin, said he had been hoping that international visitors could join the local businesspeople and neighborhood shoppers at dinner and his recently reopened lunch service."
"“Hopefully,” he said last week, “the tourists will be here before the holidays.”"