Every New Yorker has had it happen to them. You look up from your phone while walking (a rare occurrence, we know) in a touristy part of town, only to be accosted by a traveller seeking directions.
"Umm...you want to go to the Bronx Zoo? I mean we are at Coney Island, so that'll only take you like, almost two hours on the subway. Best of luck."
But while you may have wasted those 10 seconds giving them directions, and another hour being pissed about it, have you ever thought about all the great things that tourists bring to New York City with them?
It's not all huge suitcases on the subway and incessant picture-taking, folks. It's also money, diversity, fun, and majesty. How could NYC be so amazing if there weren't so many people who wanted to come see it?
All in all, we may love to hate them, but tourists are as much a landmark of this city as its iconic skyline. We need them and we're not afraid to say it. Read on to find out why.
1. Money, money, money
It's what this city runs on. Without money, you can say goodbye to free summer concerts, low transportation costs, and probably your job. We don't know about you, but we like our jobs.
Here's the rundown on how the hoards of visitors clogging NYC's sidewalks also indirectly fund that boozy brunch you probably shouldn't have splurged on last weekend:
In 2014, NYC totaled 56.4 million visitors, almost 20% of those coming from abroad.
Between 2007 and 2013, the tourists' direct spending alone ranged in the mid to high 30 billions of dollars per year. Which is a lot of money.
In 2014, NYC's tourism industry generated a record of $61.3 billion in economic impact, which supported 359,000 tourism-related jobs.
Tourism fuels our city's economy. Next time you hear your friends trashing tourists, remind them of that fact.
2. Great attractions
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In order to earn all that money, NYC has to attract tourists and have dope activities for them to spend money on. And how do we attract these tourists?
With amazing reasons for them to come and things for them to see. In order for millions of people to visit NYC and spend their money here, we need to be constantly building new, amazing places to visit.
Innovations like the New York Wheel, which is set to be a 630-foot-tall ferris wheel the NY Times referred to as the city's "latest and arguably most ambitious attempt to draw tourists to Staten Island."
When the wheel is finished, it will carry 1,440 riders and be visible across the New York Harbor. It'll be awesome. And we're getting it because the city wants to be attractive to tourists.
3. Art
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Is art a part of the "magnetic draw" of NYC? Definitely. NYC's top museums like the Guggenheim, the MoMa, and of course the Met, are huge tourist attractions. In 2013, 70% of all Broadway tickets sold were bought by foreigners.
Emily K. Rafferty, President of The Metropolitan Museum of Art, spoke on 2014's record-smashing tourism numbers, saying, "Because of the vibrant and ever-evolving offerings in every corner of our City, we continue to be an iconic draw.
"Our 2,000 NYC & Company member businesses deserve to take a bow for the outstanding contributions they make to helping maintain the magnetic draw of New York City."
Would our museums have the cash to offer "pay-as-you-wish" nights to New Yorkers without their huge revenue intake from tourists? Would Broadway even exist?
Our guess is a hard no. It's not a mistake that our tourist scene is as vibrant as our art scene. The two go hand-in-hand.
,4. Fun people
City officials estimate that in 2013, over two million tourists visited NYC from the UK and Canada, ranking them as the top two nations from which visitors come to NYC.
In 2013, NYC hosted 895,000 visitors from Brazil, 697,000 visitors from France, 646,000 visitors from China, and 619,000 visitors from Australia, according to NYCGo.
So that time you made out with a really cute French guy in the bar below your apartment? Thank the tourism industry. The time you befriended a really chill Australian girl and spent the night frolicking the West Village by her side?
Again, the tourism industry is to thank. We would have no opportunity to meet amazing, diverse, linguistically fascinating people from all over the world if it weren't for NYC tourism.
5. Splendor
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When you're strolling through Central Park, doesn't it help make your experience amazing to consider how many people worldwide want to see a pond you can stroll to from your apartment?
Nearly one-third of every foreigner who visits America is coming to visit NYC, according to City Journal. And the tourism industry is growing. Since 2008, international travel to NYC is up 20%.
And it feels much more special to stroll the Brooklyn Bridge while overhearing three different languages just like it feels more special to meander to the grocery store for the same reason.
We forget how majestic it all is. While living in NYC is every day life for us, it's a dream for the millions of international tourists NYC draws each year who yearn to see the Chrysler Building, the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, the Museum of Natural History, and the Brooklyn Bridge.
Some of which we stroll past in monotonous drudgery every day to work. These landmarks' majesty help us keep things in perspective.
Check out 15 More Free Activities to Make Incredible Memories This Summer in NYC.
[Feature Image Courtesy: Virtual Tourist]