The campaign will spotlight downtown's recovery since September 11, 2001

Starting next month, a new large-scale tourism campaign will help drive more visitors to Lower Manhattan -- spotlighting the area’s remarkable recovery in the nine years since the 9/11 attacks.

Set to begin June 1st, the global initiative will promote downtown neighborhoods, restaurants, shops, museums, and open spaces among local and international tourists in New York City. The campaign will include new tour itineraries, special offers at local hotels, multimedia advertisements, and discounts at shops, attractions, and the new “Downtown Culture Pass.”

Announced by Mayor Michael Bloomberg last week, the NYC & Company-designed campaign is launching in anticipation of a major tourism surge downtown -- where the 10th anniversary of 9/11 already is drawing scores of visitors to the World Trade Center area.

“In less than four months time, the eyes of the world will be on Lower Manhattan, as we commemorate the 10th anniversary of 9/11 and open the Memorial,” said Bloomberg. “An important part of the story of 9/11 is how Lower Manhattan has come back in the past 10 years. Today Lower Manhattan is one of the most vibrant neighborhoods in New York City. Our new campaign will help ensure visitors from around the world know about that vibrancy and have an opportunity to take advantage of all that Lower Manhattan has to offer.”

In tandem with the new campaign is a new welcome program at John F. Kennedy International Airport’s Terminal 4, which will debut in June with posters, wall clings and column wraps showing imagery of New York City with a particular emphasis on Lower Manhattan. The campaign will encourage visitors to stay in Lower Manhattan, and, for those who stay elsewhere, it will encourage them to travel downtown by mass transit.

Tourism to New York City’s five boroughs reached record levels in 2010 with 48.7 million visitors and $31 billion in visitor spending. NYC & Company -- the official marketing, tourism and partnership organization for the City of New York -- estimates that the city will achieve Mayor Bloomberg’s goal 50 million annual visitors by 2012.

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