FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM MAY 10, 2018 • THE QUEENS COURIER 37
queens business
Tourism industry producing thousands of jobs
for Queens, but report warns of challenges
BY JENNA BAGCAL
jbagcal@qns.com/jenna_bagcal
Tourism continues to be a big boon for
Queens’ economy, according to a new
report released on Monday.
In Destination New York, a report published
on May 7 by the Center for an
Urban Future (CUF), it is estimated that
New York City tourism has created thousands
of jobs in Queens, while also benefi
ting Queens residents who work in other
boroughs.
According to the report, the borough is
home to 3,272 “accommodations jobs,”
which is up from 2,396 in the year 2000.
Th is represents a 37 percent increase over
the last two decades.
Th e Association for a Better New
York(ABNY) and Times Square Alliance
funded the report, and found that the
increase in tourism is linked to growth
across multiple industries, including cultural
attractions, restaurants, bars and
shops. Th e number of Queens residents
who work in bars and restaurants
increased by 88 percent over the last 20
years. In 2016, Queens establishments
Tourism is positive for Queens according to new report
employed 45,276 people, which grew from
just 24,033 in 2000.
Th e benefi ts of tourism not only aff ect
the borough as a whole, but also aff ect the
individual neighborhoods within Queens.
Th e CUF report said that that in Jackson
Photo via Flickr/faungg
Heights and Elmhurst, tourists are responsible
for 12 percent of all spending in electronics
stores and 10 percent of spending
in discount stores. In total, tourists
account for 6 percent of all total spending
in those neighborhoods, which equals
more than $23 million annually.
CUF reports that benefi ts expand
beyond individuals who work in Queens.
Th ere are 14,750 Queens residents working
in the accommodations or hospitality
sector, which is signifi cantly more than
any other borough. Second is Brooklyn,
which boasts 10,986 hotel workers; third is
Manhattan which has 8,324; the Bronx is
fourth with 6,881; and Staten Island comes
in last with just 1,819 hotel workers. Th e
average employee in this industry earns
about $62,000 a year.
Th e report goes on to say that though
the tourism boom has positively impacted
New York City’s economy as a whole, new
challenges in the tourism industry could
cause a job decline in the future. Some of
these challenges include the strengthening
dollar and growing negative perceptions
of the United States, to capacity problems
at the city’s airports.
Th e study also fi nds that New York has
never adequately planned for a city with
60 million tourists a year, or made suffi
cient investments in its tourism infrastructure
to sustain that amount of annual
visitors.
Boro Prez thinks they’re the best, too
Photo by Dean Moses
Amorelli Realty in Astoria was recently honored as winners of the 2018 Best of the Boro award for best real estate agency. On May 7, Queens Borough President Melinda Katz came to the offi ce to formally
present their Best of the Boro plaque and meet with the agency’s owners, Anita and Paul Halvatzis, and sales representatives. Amorelli Realty is located at 36-01 30th Ave. in Astoria; for more information,
visit amorellirealty.com.
/jenna_bagcal
