Squeaky wheel gets the grease?
Today I received rather surprising news that New York City’s tourism marketing department, NYC & CO, made a major push to promote the Bronx to both domestic and international visitors to the city. The announcement was made earlier today in London, UK at the World Travel Market, one of the premier travel trade shows.
The United Kingdom remains the top country of origination of international tourists who flock to NYC each year – of which last year over 52 million visitors came to our city.
For years, many of us have been very vocal about trying to get tourists to visit the Bronx so that they too may enjoy the wonderful borough we all love but it was a gargantuan task without the backing of the main tourism company in the city.
Whether it’s the Ramirez brothers and crew at Mainland Media, From the Bronx and the Bronx Beer Hall, Nicole Perrino, founder and editor of BronxMama, Shannon Lee Gistad, founder of Bronx Movers & Shakers, yours truly here at Welcome2TheBronx and Welcome2Melrose, or any of the other countless Bronxites – you’ve heard the clarion call to showcase our home and shed our negative, media-driven stereotypes.
And let’s not forget our very own Culinary Ambassador, Baron Ambrosia, along with his preposterous antics and nationally televised shows!
This year, however, none spoke louder than Alexandra Maruri, founder and operate of MCNY Tours, a Bronx-based tour company offering historic tours of some of our great neighborhoods often overlooked by many.
Alexandra was constantly contacting NYC & CO and asking why the Bronx is generally never promoted in their materials other than the usual suspects of Yankee Stadium, Bronx Zoo, and the New York Botanical Garden. The city has been getting millions upon millions of tourists but they were never directed up north so that we can capture some of the $35 billion generated annually in economic activity.
Most of her communications with NYC & CO went ignored or met with resistance. After an article in a local paper described Maruri’s battle with the tourism department to get them to do what’s right, they cancelled her membership out of retaliation and asked her to remove her Bronx marketing brochures from their tourist center.
Numerous calls and emails were sent but they refused to comment. Now several months later we see get this wonderful news and opportunity for the Bronx to shine and cash in on the tourism industry.
In their push for the Bronx, NYC & CO highlights Arthur Avenue with its many specialty shops and restaurants and Fordham Road with it’s urban shopping experience and merchandise, Loews Paradise Theater, and Edgar Allan Poe Cottage. They also recommend the Opera House Hotel in Melrose for tourists wishing to stay longer in the Bronx and catch more of our attractions.
To our international readers, of which there are many, the Bronx has always been ready for your visit and we hope you’ll come and enjoy your stay with us now that NYC & CO has given you even more of a reason to do so.
Stay tuned as we will continue to provide you with even more reasons to come visit us.
For excellent tours of our diverse borough, make sure to check out MCNY Tours so you can see the best of the Bronx tours!
If you want to know what to do with your kids and entire family, check out BronxMama.
Interested in the ever growing Bronx art scene? Then Jeffrey Guard and the Bronx Art Exchange is your go to destination!
Oh and don’t forget to take a walk with Ruth Papazian via her GoogleGlass as she shows you the Morris Park neighborhood (noted as the CLEANEST neighborhood in all of New York City) through her eyes.
