NYC & Company Announces New Partnership With World's Largest Accommodation Site Booking.com

NEW YORK, Sept. 25, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- NYC & Company, New York City's official marketing, tourism and partnership organization, today announces a new partnership with Booking.com—the world's largest accommodation booking site—to increase tourism and generate additional hotel bookings to the nation's number one big city tourism destination. Effective today, Booking.com will become the exclusive hotel booking engine powering the City's official tourism website, nycgo.com, helping NYC & Company bolster incremental hotel bookings during key need periods, exclusively for its hotel member properties. Consumers visiting nycgo.com/hotels can begin making New York City hotel reservations today using the new e-commerce offering, a first-of-its-kind, hotel booking platform promoting a travel destination.

"We are pleased to join with Booking.com to provide consumers from around the globe with easy access to the best hotel inventory at every style and price point in the nation's number one big city tourism destination. Tourism in the City continues to grow with 53 million visitors anticipated by year's end, and a hotel sector that continues to experience record growth," said NYC & Company CEO George Fertitta.

By year's end, New York City will be home to 98,000 hotel rooms throughout the five boroughs and by 2016, that number is expected to reach 110,000.  Year to date through July 2013, the total number of hotel room nights sold was 17 million, up 3.9 percent from the 16 million sold over the same period in 2012. Citywide hotel occupancy through August is 83 percent, compared to the U.S. average of 63 percent. This new partnership will provide NYC & Company and its member hotels more opportunities to attract visitors during key need periods. 

"With a flexible 'pay after you stay' booking model and 24/7 customer service offered in 41 languages, Booking.com provides the most delightful hotel booking experience for global travelers looking to visit the world's leading travel destination, New York City," said Todd Dunlap, managing director, Booking.com. "Our partnership with NYC & Company brings our international authority in accommodation and global traveler base to a rapidly growing assortment of hotels, from hostels to boutique hotels to five-star luxury, throughout the city's five boroughs."

The nycgo.com site integration will feature full Booking.com functionality, including access to its 24 million verified user reviews and ratings, up-to-the-minute hotel availability and dynamic pricing—all backed by a best price guarantee and Booking.com's in-house customer service.

Since NYC & Company continues to attract more international visitation—a market that currently makes up approximately 20 percent of the City's visitor volume, but 50 percent of total spending—the new language-specific booking capability will help simplify the booking process for foreigners planning a trip to the five boroughs.

Last year, New York City welcomed a record 52 million visitors (41 million and 11 international), generating $55.3 billion in economic impact, solidifying the City's position as the nation's number one big city tourism destination. New York City has a one third market share of all overseas travel to the United States, the highest in the nation. NYC & Company is working toward a new goal established in 2012 to achieve 55 million visitors and $70 billion in economic impact by 2015.

NYCGO.com, the official tourism resource for New York City, was launched in 2009, and provides rich editorial content and travel information on visiting New York City's five boroughs as well as e-commerce capabilities across hotel, dining, theater, and attractions.

About NYC & Company:
NYC & Company is the official marketing, tourism and partnership organization for the City of New York, dedicated to maximizing travel and tourism opportunities throughout the five boroughs, building economic prosperity and spreading the positive image of New York City worldwide. For more information, visit nycgo.com.

About Booking.com:
Booking.com is the world leader in booking hotel and other accommodations online. It guarantees the best prices for any type of property – from small independents to five-star luxury. Guests can access the Booking.com website anytime, anywhere from their desktops, mobile phones and tablet devices, and they don't pay booking fees – ever. The Booking.com website is available in 41 languages, offers over 345,000 hotels and accommodations in 185 countries (as of September 16, 2013), features over 24 million reviews written by guests after their stay, and attracts online visitors from both leisure and business markets around the globe. More recent counts are available on the Booking.com website. With over 16 years of experience and a team of over 6,000 dedicated employees in 110+ offices worldwide, Booking.com operates its own in-house customer service team, which is available 24/7 to assist guests in their native languages and ensure an exceptional customer experience. Established in 1996, Booking.com B.V. owns and operates Booking.com™, and is part of the Priceline Group (NASDAQ: PCLN). Follow us on Twitter, Google+, Pinterest, like us on Facebook, or learn more at http://www.booking.com.

SOURCE Booking.com