COVID-19, TWO YEARS LATER
Queens tourism slowly rising as visitors return to the ‘World’s Borough’
BY CARLOTTA MOHAMED
When Queens became the
“epicenter of the epicenter”
of the global health crisis in
March 2020, tourism in the
‘World’s Borough’ came to a
halt. Restaurants, transportation,
recreation and sporting
events were canceled, as COVID
19 shuttered the doors of establishments
and devastated
the local economy.
Two years later, as Queens
emerges from the pandemic,
the Queens Tourism Council
in partnership with the
Queens Chamber of Commerce
is working toward revitalizing
the economy and
bringing people together
again.
“Tourism has been slowly
growing, and we were firing
on all cylinders before COVID.
Everyone was doing great,”
said Rob MacKay, public relations,
marketing and tourism,
Queens Economic Development
Council (QEDC). “We lost
a lot of that during COVID, but
I feel like we are revving up
— we are going to have a good
summer. People are starting
to go out more, and new restaurants
are always opening
up, and annual events are returning.”
The Queens Tourism Council,
which was established 10
years ago and is part of QEDC,
is helping to promote a multidisciplinary
arts festival,
“Queens Rising,” that will
take place in June. The monthlong
event will highlight the
cultural and creative diversity
of Queens through unique
performances, exhibitions and
commissions.
Spearheaded by a coalition
of major arts organizations in
the borough, the festival will
serve as a beacon of light after
the difficult challenges of
a health and economic crisis,
which prevented the public
from experiencing the arts in
person, and a period of social
struggle for racial equity that
has forced a deep reckoning
across society, the coalition
said on its website.
“We want people to know
that Queens is back and promote
all of the wonderful
things going on,” MacKay
said. “I also have a feeling that
it will be a great summer in
the Rockaways, too, with more
people at the beach and dining
at restaurants.”
The tourism industry is
vital to Queens’ revival,
according to MacKay.
“Restaurants, hotels, transportation
and the amount of
jobs in Queens are dependent
on the tourism industry, along
with John F. Kennedy International
Airport and LaGuardia
Airport,” MacKay said.
Queens is a host to the
U.S. Open Tennis Championships
at the USTA Billie Jean
King National Tennis Center
in Flushing Meadows Corona
Park, which starts on the last
Monday of August and continues
for two weeks into September.
The event attracts more
than 700,000 fans and provides
a wide variety of dining options,
reflecting the vibrancy
and culture of New York City.
The park is also home to
Citi Field — the ballpark of
Major League Baseball’s New
York Mets — and the popular
international Queens Night
Market. In South Ozone Park,
Resorts World Casino New
York is another popular attraction
for people, according
to MacKay.
TIMESLEDGER | Q 10 NS.COM | MARCH 18 - MARCH 24, 2022
The borough’s cultural institutions
and museums, such
as Flushing Town Hall, the
Museum of Moving Image,
the New York Hall of Science,
Queens Museum and Queens
Theatre, also provide a variety
of programs for children
and their families.
While the majority of the
city’s tourism jobs (57.6%) are
located in Manhattan, the
second-highest concentration
of jobs related to tourism is in
Queens, according to a report
from the NYS Comptroller’s
Office. The Astoria and Long
Island City area had the highest
share of total employment
in tourism-related industries,
at 19%, which was driven by
employment in scheduled air
passenger transportation.
As Queens, and the entire
region, looks to recover from
the economic devastation
caused by the pandemic, tourism
will be vital, said Thomas
Grech, president and CEO
of the Queens Chamber of
Commerce.
“We are fortunate to be
home to two airports that
serve tens of millions of passengers
every year, and the
continued investment to transform
John F. Kennedy International
Airport and LaGuardia
Airport into world-class aviation
infrastructure that will
have a transformative impact
on Queens, creating jobs and
catalyzing economic activity
that support local small businesses,
especially MWBEs,”
Grech said.
Additionally, Grech says,
they want to make sure that
people visiting New York
know of all the amazing dining,
hospitality and cultural
amenities that make Queens
special.
The chamber has partnered
with QEDC to launch
QueensBest.org, to highlight
all of the best the borough has
to offer, Grech said.
“Whether you’re visiting
from abroad, or a lifelong resident
of Queens, the website
has something for you. And by
dining and shopping locally,
you’ll be helping to create jobs
locally. It’s a win-win,” Grech
said.
Tourism in Queens is on the rise as the city continues to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.
QNS fi le photo
With the baseball season returning and COVID-19 restrictions easing, the New York Mets should
draw big crowds back to Citi Field. QNS fi le photo
/NS.COM
/QueensBest.org
