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Record number of Irish visitors traveled to New York in 2010

Tourists continue to flock to the Big Apple

BERNIE MALONE,

IrishCentral.com Staff Writer

Published Saturday, December 24, 2011, 7:21 AM

Updated Saturday, December 24, 2011, 9:08 AM

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About 225,000 Irish visitors came to New York City in 2010.

Photo by Google Images

In 2010, about 225,000 Irish visitors came to New York City, new figures show.

The combined spending power of the Irish visitors in 2010 was $441 million, with Irish visitors spending on average a little less than $2,000 per person per trip (on average they stay 8 nights).

Shopping is one of the favorite activities amongst Irish visitors to New York City, research shows that about 91% of the visitors from Ireland shop when in New York City.

Meanwhile, a record number of tourists visited New York City in 2011, spending about $32 billion, Mayor Mike Bloomberg said on Tuesday.

By the end of the year over 50.2 million people will have visited the city, having an economic impact of around $48 billion, the city said in a statement.

"Five and half years ago, we set an ambitious goal to reach 50 million visitors by 2015 and in 2008, we accelerated that goal to be the end of 2012," Mr Bloomberg said in a statement.

"Today, we know that we will exceed this significant milestone by year's end."

New York City is the most popular destination in the US for visitors from Ireland, according to city officials.
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Irish Christmas shoppers opting for basic, functional gifts this year

Over one million North American tourists visited Ireland this year
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New York maintained its ranking as the number one city destination and overseas destination.

Tourism has contributed to supporting 320,000 jobs in the city’s five boroughs, the city added.

Nster.com

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13 Comments

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joycean | Dec 26, 2011, 10:20 AM EST

Correction: Medicare cannot be used by retirees living out of country. Mexico does offer medical insurance for retirees, from very basic to more inclusive.

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joycean | Dec 26, 2011, 08:45 AM EST

sirpeter: I'm an "old age pensioner. Americans who choose to retire in Mexico or Costa Rica or elsewhere do it because they want to. Just like Brits who rtire to the Costa del Sol. The weather is nice. The cost of living is lower. It is unlikely they are overtaxing the local health care.Elderly people living in this country have government subsidized health coverage. Americans may travel to Mexico for cheaper health procedures, but if they do, the health care is provided by private clinics and paid for out-of-pocket.Americans living in Mexico are there because they are living very well (houses, servants, golf courses).This is a very different story from Mexicans crossing into this country who are young, out of work, without income, working as migrant laborers. Young pregant woman who come here to have their babies here in our hospitals.

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Searlit | Dec 25, 2011, 11:30 PM EST

Yes, generally, it's true. Hope you had a Happy Christmas.

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sirpeter | Dec 25, 2011, 07:37 PM EST

Searlit. Well all I'm saying is people who emigrate don't really do so by choice.I'm speaking generally.Allentown made a flippant untrue statement.What Americans never hear about is the millions of American pensioners who go to other countries where they can live better on their American pension or the few bucks they have saved and get better health care in their old age.It could be argued that these old age American pensioners are a total economic liability on a countries health system that they contributed nothing too.You wouldn't move to America for the health system.Not unless you're minted.Simple fact is immigration is good for the economy.

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Searlit | Dec 25, 2011, 12:01 AM EST

I can't quite agree with your point sirpeter, about nobody going to america by choice. There's alot of greedy people that come here by choice, so they can get on the band wagon and exploit the hard working citizens here. Believe it or not, there are educated people who come here, get well paying jobs then bring their families over and somehow manage to put them on welfare. It's not just a fluke here and there. It's as though, even the welfare system has been corrupted to serve the kind of people that would step on someone else to get to the next level. I'm trying to stay in the spirit of the season. It's a tough one, this year.

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sirpeter | Dec 24, 2011, 11:13 PM EST

allentown.Don't flatter yourself.Nobody ever went to America out of choice.Think about it.

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sirpeter | Dec 24, 2011, 11:10 PM EST

Nollaig shona daoibh! Searlit ;))

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allentown | Dec 24, 2011, 03:50 PM EST

225,000 visited----------------25,000 went home.

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Searlit | Dec 24, 2011, 11:55 AM EST

Nollaig shona daoibh! Happy Christmas! Merry Christmas to everyone!

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Searlit | Dec 24, 2011, 11:29 AM EST

NYC is one of the most popular cities in the world for shopping. Good old Fifth Ave. It's been like that since way back. Americans go to Ireland for alot of different reasons.

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joycean | Dec 24, 2011, 09:47 AM EST

I wonder how many of those Irish "tourists" forgot to return home. NYC has a population of 8 million. The Irish hardly make up a significant part of American tourism.

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citizen69 | Dec 24, 2011, 09:31 AM EST

So much for the crippling hard economic times when 5% of the Irish population can afford to visit New York alone!!

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sirpeter | Dec 24, 2011, 09:18 AM EST

Tourism supports 320,000 jobs.Not bad for one city.Of course some thickos here think it's Americans who give everybody else tourist money.885,000 visitors from the US visited Ireland in 2008 spending $800 million.225,000 Irish visitors went to New York ALONE and spent $441 million.That's not including Disney world and other places the Irish go.Spend more when ye get here ye tight miserable bast*rds.No wonder we are broke.Keeping ye in jobs.lol NO MERRY CHRISTMAS FOR YE.

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