Tourism officials in New York have introduced a new Web site that highlights New York-area attractions and events in order to better showcase the city to visitors as well as locals, the city announced last month. The Web site, NYCgo.com, features information on hotels, restaurants, attractions and events throughout the five boroughs, courtesy of NYC & Company, the local convention and visitors bureau, and the city's Department of Cultural Affairs.

"Our city's travel and tourism industry is as important today as ever, and we've invested in new tools to attract visitors," New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg said in a statement.

NYCgo.com includes information in nine foreign languages and will feature user-generated content such as personal profiles, user ratings and reviews, and peer-to-peer recommendations.

In addition, thanks to partnerships with Travelocity and OpenTable, NYCgo.com will be transactional so that visitors can book hotels, flights, car rentals, vacation packages and restaurant reservations directly from the Web site, thereby facilitating travel bookings with convenience, according to city officials.

"Tourism is a cornerstone of our economy," said New York Deputy Mayor for Economic Development Robert C. Lieber. "Despite anticipated economic challenges this year in the hospitality and leisure sectors, New York City continues to be the No. 1 U.S. destination for tourism spending while leading the nation with the highest hotel occupancy rates. It is incumbent on us to continue to offer our visitors and residents the best tools available to stimulate travel to New York City and within the five boroughs."

To accompany its new Web site, New York has opened a new information center in Midtown Manhattan that features digital maps and up-to-the-minute event and venue information, as well as multi-lingual information kiosks where visitors can access local travel information, receive exclusive travel tips and build customized travel itineraries using Google Maps.

For more information, visit NYCgo.com. This page is protected by Copyright laws. Do Not Copy