Time for an East Coast shout

By Daisy Melwani

Trailing closely behind the popular beaches of California, the USA’s East Coast comprising of New York City, New York State, New England, Philadelphia and Washington D.C. are on the rise with Australian visitors.

Representatives visiting down under this week all highlight the increased interest and popularity from Aussie tourists, which have made their way up to ranking in the top 10, and in some cases top 5, international long haul markets for the region.

New York City President & CEO Fred Dixon said Australian arrival forecasts continue to rise since 2010 despite the plummeting dollar, reaching record levels in 2015 and expected to top to 669,000 in 2016. The city enjoys 12.7 million total international arrivals, with Australia ranking as its fifth largest source market, and third highest spending market.

With over 100,000 hotel rooms in New York City available, and a further 35,000 to be added by 2019, the city continues to expand sprawling into new suburbs and shopping precincts. However its most fascinating project, which launches this week, is LinkNYC – a free setup for visitors to access free high-speed wifi as they roam across the city, and also free domestic calls and stations to plug into USB power hubs.

However, there’s more to the East Coast than just New York City’s lights, New York State – Cave of the Winds 2 Niagara falls varying between 2 to 6 hours travel time from NYC via road or an extensive rail network, offers a plethora of options for couples or families from a sophisticated wine region which most recently beat Napa and Sonoma for its produce, to stunning scenic walks and the ever so popular Niagara Falls.

Australian and New Zealand visitors to New England for its historical roots are also on the rise, with 70,000 recorded last year prompting the tourism board to set up local representation down under.

Just two hours from New York City, Philadelphia has also seen avid interest, particularly from sports fans and due to its tax free shopping.

Meanwhile Washington D.C has increased in popularity, with Aussies now ranked 8th biggest international market for the state, mostly flocking to visit monuments, memorials and museums, but beyond that, it’s newly stated “cool” city vibe. Washington D.C is set to play host city to IPW in 2017, having never done so in the show’s 48 year history. The state expects to reap US$1.7 billion and 1 million extra visitors in the three years following hosting the show.

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