No disrespect to the dozen or so major cities throughout America \u2014 and the hundreds throughout the world \u2014 but this summer which just ended belonged to New York.<\/p>\n
Knicks in five<\/a>. Eight World Cup games at MetLife Stadium, including the final<\/a>. Jay-Z\u2019s sold-out homecoming concerts at Yankee Stadium. The country\u2019s most widely attended celebration of America\u2019s 250th anniversary, including a parade of 80 tall ships through New York Harbor<\/a>. And those were just the one-off occasions.<\/p>\n The city also played host to many other longstanding annual summertime events, from the U.S Open to Gov Ball to the Puerto Rican Day Parade. (According to estimates, there were also nearly 20,000 weddings in the city this summer, including one celebrating the union of a certain Taylor and Travis.)<\/p>\n The region didn\u2019t just prove that we\u2019re capable of hosting multiple major events. We showed that we can do it in a way that makes the people who live here better off, makes the greatest city in the world even stronger, and makes the planet\u2019s most iconic events even more so.<\/p>\n That starts with our economy. When it comes to major celebrations and spectacles, this region has a big advantage: we don\u2019t need to build out our tourism infrastructure. We\u2019re already home to world-class hotels, transit, stadiums, and businesses prepared to welcome millions of celebratory customers.<\/p>\n Nor is it just the tourism industry that benefits from tourism. Guests who arrive in town for a concert or a big game become patrons at the city\u2019s museums, bars, restaurants, galleries, and theaters, making sure that the impact of the event is felt far beyond the event itself.<\/p>\n Compared to most cities, even large and thriving ones, New York can reap greater benefits from hosting while paying lower costs.<\/p>\n We saw this during the 2026 FIFA World Cup<\/a>, where I served as CEO of the New York New Jersey Host Committee<\/a>. An economic impact report from the Oxford Economics Company, Tourism Economics, found that the tournament generated a total economic impact of $3.5 billion, exceeding initial projections. $1.9 billion in direct spending during the World Cup included $653 million on lodging, $346 million on food and beverage, and $264 million on retail.<\/p>\n The eight games played at MetLife Stadium, along with fan events and programming in all five boroughs and New Jersey, brought in about $1.4 billion in labor income and spurred $414.2 million in state and local tax revenues.<\/p>\n Those statistics mean more dollars in the pockets of small business owners, more good-paying jobs, and more opportunities for everyone. And while the tournament \u2014 and the direct spending associated with it \u2014 may be over, the boost to the economy isn\u2019t. Many of the people who came to New York this summer to experience a once-in-a-lifetime moment will return as tourists, students, and investors.<\/p>\n The World Cup also demonstrated that the benefits of hosting major events goes beyond dollars and cents. While plenty of New Yorkers were among the 645,000 fans who attended a match at MetLife this summer, you didn\u2019t have to be in the stadium to be part of the world\u2019s biggest sporting event.<\/p>\n