NYC's Tourism Org Furloughs Staff Amid Coronavirus, Report Says

NEW YORK CITY — New York City and most of the country are in relative lockdown for the coronavirus pandemic, and that's caused a huge dip in tourism.

It's been bad enough that NYC & Company, the city's official marketing and tourism organization, has reportedly furloughed over half its staff. As the New York Post reports, 77 NYC & Company employees are being furloughed for three months starting Friday. The 77 employees represent about 55 percent of the organization's staff. However, the Post reports, furloughed staff will keep their health benefits during that time.

According to its website, NYC & Company provide marketing and tourism support for the city and almost 2,000 participating organizations within. Despite the coronavirus, NYC & Company is still offering advice and resources to help businesses weather the coronavirus pandemic on their website.

Over the past few years, New York City has seen over 63 million tourists annually. It is unknown right now exactly how much tourism has fallen during the coronavirus pandemic, other than that it has been a significant amount. Advice for travellers headed to New York City during the outbreak can be found here.

Read the full report on the furloughs from the New York Post here.