As Tourism Record Is Set, New York City Sees Surge in Chinese Visitors

Mayor Bill de Blasio may have diverged from his predecessor’s path several times in his first year in office, but when it comes to tourists, he has embraced Michael R. Bloomberg’s rallying cry: Keep them coming.

Mr. de Blasio increased the city’s spending on tourism promotion in 2014 and is considering doing so again this year, said Alicia Glen, a deputy mayor. City officials are expected to announce on Monday that the official count of visitors to the city last year was 56.4 million, up from the previous peak of 54.3 million in 2013.

The influx of tourists has been growing steadily since the recession ended, consistently surpassing the goals set by city officials. The impact of tourism on the city’s economy has been increasing too, but not as fast as projected.

He added, “She ignited a lot of conversation.”

Plus, he said, Ms. Swift, who moved to the city last year, performed her new song “Welcome to New York” on national television from Times Square on New Year’s Eve. The dividends from having “the biggest pop star of the moment” do that will be rolling — and flying — in for years to come, he said.

A version of this article appears in print on February 2, 2015, on page A20 of the New York edition with the headline: As Tourism Record Is Set, New York City Sees Surge in Chinese Visitors. Order Reprints| Today’s Paper|Subscribe

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