New York rewards '50 millionth' tourist

Dec-21st-2011
TIMES SQUARE: New York's mayor celebrated record tourist numbers Friday by awarding the city's 50 millionth visitor this year a symbolic golden ticket -- and some serious cash prizes -- in Times Square.

Newlyweds Craig and Lucy Johnson family from Britain were feted as Mayor Michael Bloomberg touted the Big Apple's success in breaking the 50 million number ahead of a self-imposed deadline of 2012.

Of the 50.2 million people, 10.1 came from abroad and the rest from the United States. The biggest foreign contingent was British, with one million visitors, the mayor's office said.

"New York City’s quality of life has contributed to this great success and we are confident we will sustain the success of our tourism industry in the months and years ahead," Bloomberg said.

The Johnsons were given a $10,000 gift card for this trip and a $10,000 package of gift cards to visit and spend money in famous stores and at Broadway shows again in 2012.

AFP.