New York City and Sesame Street will combine forces this year to promote family tourism to the city. New York City (NYC) mayor Michael R. Bloomberg and NYC & Company announced that the Muppets will serve as the official NYC family ambassadors. In their new role, the Muppets will promote family travel to the city by breaking down the five boroughs’ dining and shopping venues, cultural institutions and parks and attractions. Nycgo.com/family features recommendations by Miss Piggy on shopping, Kermit the Frog on itineraries across the five boroughs and Swedish Chef on the city’s best food options.
“We are proud to enlist the help of key family experts, the Muppets, to promote the five boroughs domestically and abroad,” said Mayor Bloomberg. “The Muppets believe in dreaming big — just like New Yorkers. Extending the NYC family ambassador program beyond the summer and for the entire year will aid us in attracting more family visitors year-round and, therefore, help us reach our goal of attracting 55 million visitors to New York City annually by 2015.”
In 2011, New York City welcomed 15 million family visitors, contributing approximately $14 billion to New York City’s economy. Since the Family Ambassador program began in 2009, family visitation to NYC has increased by 14.4 percent. The announcement was made at The Official NYC Information Center in midtown Manhattan, where Mayor Bloomberg was joined by NYC & Company CEO George Fertitta, Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy, Gonzo the Great and Pepe the King Prawn.
“New York is the most fabulous city in the world. In fact, it’s almost as fabulous as moi. And trust me, that’s high praise indeed,” said Miss Piggy.
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