A bite of the BIG APPLE
Makiko Matsuda Healy, Sr VP, Global Tourism Development, NYC & Company talks about India plans
New York received 290,000 Indian visitors in 2015. This year it has received 370,000 Indian visitors which is almost a double digit growth. Makiko Matsuda Healy, Senior Vice President, Global Tourism Development, NYC & Company, said, “India is the second highest growth rate market for us among 20 key international markets.”
She said, “We will be calling ourselves ‘new New York city' as we are coming up with a lot of new products added to the classic New York City such as sunrise experience at the Empire State Building and visit to The Metropolitan Museum of Art before the regular opening hours to experience an intimate and private art experience. Also ‘new New York' has so many hotels opening up. Currently we have 11 southern hotel rooms. By 2019 we will have about 135,000 hotel rooms.”
According to Healy, the city offers great value to all segments such as MICE, leisure or educational tours and travellers should relook at NYC hotels and can come and find great ways to enjoy and have a good time.
She said, “We also work closely with the Indian travel trade to create more awareness about the destination. We have an online travel trade training academy and anyone can come and become NYC specialist.”
For MICE, India is among the top 10 international markets for NYC, she added. Pharmaceutical companies, auto industries take great interest in it and if someone picks NYC once and organises events there the motivational and participation level goes up. According to her incentive tour is all about providing a lifetime and an unmemorable experience.
Matsuda Healy informed that Jacob K. Javits Convention Centre has a great renovation plan. It will soon be providing one million square feet meeting space and a 60,000 square feet ballroom which is going to be the largest ballroom in the north east region of the US.
She informed that the itineraries for Indians are flexible and options to accommodate Indian food or vegetarian food are also available.
She added, “We are excited about 2017 and are thinking of collaboration with Indian trade partners and engage with them in a better way and take the market to the next level.”