NYC & Company president and CEO Fred Dixon was joined at ITB Berlin by representatives of leading New York City attractions and developments to discuss the changing tourism landscape of the city. This news comes on the heels of last month’s announcement in which Mayor Bill de Blasio revealed New York City welcomed an all-time record 56.4 million visitors in 2014, far surpassing the organisation’s goal of 55 million visitors by 2015.

Similarly, German visitation to New York City hit a record high in 2014, with 627,000 visitors last year—an 18 per cent growth since 2010. This week in Berlin, Dixon is joined by a delegation of 18 New York travel industry partners; as well as NYC & Company Senior Vice President of Global Tourism Development, Makiko Matsuda Healy; and NYC & Company Senior Vice President of Global Communications, Christopher Heywood.

To kick off ITB Berlin, NYC & Company hosted a press conference where Dixon and Heywood highlighted new developments throughout New York City’s five boroughs. These range from transportation infrastructure and remarkable hotel development to new and renovated museums and attractions, and from hot NYC dining spots to upcoming retail offerings. For the first time ever, NYC & Company was joined by guest speakers from the Whitney Museum of American Art, One World Observatory and the New York Wheel and Empire Outlets. These projects, beginning this May, will change New York City’s tourism landscape, further enhancing the NYC visitor experience, specifically in the Meatpacking District, Lower Manhattan and Staten Island’s St. George neighbourhood.

“This is an exciting time in New York City, with development happening in all five boroughs. We are pleased to be at ITB Berlin, showcasing the city’s newest attractions, cultural institutions, retail offerings, hotel developments and more,” said Dixon. “We are joined by three of the city’s top developments—the Whitney Museum of American Art, One World Observatory and the New York Wheel and Empire Outlets, all of which will play an important role in New York City’s tourism industry for years to come.”

At ITB Berlin, NYC & Company also launched the newest iteration of its NYCGO Insider Guides neighbourhood program with a spotlight on Manhattan’s East Village. This month’s feature highlights the eclectic shops, restaurants, historic sites, nightlife and more in a documentary-style video and editorial content featuring locals’ recommendations of what to see and do in the East Village. Since March 2013, the neighbourhood program, formally known as Neighborhood x Neighborhood, has highlighted more than 30 different neighborhoods throughout the five boroughs. Neighborhood content can be found at nycgo.com/insiderguides.