Reopened Crown Seen as Boost for New York in Tough Times
Statue of Liberty may be beacon for otherwise lost tourism dollars in recession
Fri, 22 May 2009 13:25:00
The Statue of Liberty’s crown was closed after the Sept. 11 attacks due to concerns that the winding stairway did not provide adequate means for evacuation in case of an emergency.
That will change on July 4, when The Department of Interior will re-open the crown to tourists. Ten visitors at a time, chosen through a lottery system, will be able to climb the 354 steps. Also announced were plans for improvements which, once completed, will allow more people to visit the crown at a time.
The reopening of the crown represents a significant legislative victory for Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-Brooklyn/Queens). In August 2004, after Congress spent $20 million in safety renovations, the National Park Service reopened the base of the Statue to the public, but kept the crown closed. One year later, Congress passed Weiner’s Save the Statue of Liberty Act, which he reintroduced in 2007, directing the National Parks Service to implement safety improvements to the crown and the stairway. After Congress approved additional security funding, Weiner and his colleagues began increasing pressure on the Bush administration to follow through.
Last August, the National Parks Service launched a Life-Safety and Emergency Management Study for the Statue. Four days after the Obama inauguration, Weiner led United States Secretary of Interior Ken Salazar and his colleagues up the stairways from the Statue’s feet to her crown.
“It took the Obama administration four months to do what the Bush administration could not do in nearly seven years,” said Weiner. “They have what the Bush administration always lacked: courage and creativity to solve this problem.”
While the crown was closed, tourism at the site went from a high of 3.6 million visitors in 2000 to only 2.5 million 2006, a decrease of 31 percent.
Many civic leaders believe that the Statue of Liberty is the cornerstone of tourism in Lower Manhattan, but have watched as visitors have spent their dollars elsewhere. The Alliance for Downtown New York, which provides services for local businesses and keeps statistics for local commerce, noted that 5.23 million people visited Lower Manhattan in 2008, up significantly from 3 million in 2003. Nearby museums, such as the Museum of the American Indian had its highest visitation numbers since 2005, while the Museum of Jewish Heritage recorded its highest numbers ever.
Hotels in Lower Manhattan also performed well over the past year with Average Daily Rates (ADR) of $335.96—8 percent higher than the city’s ADR of $312. Both business and leisure travelers had high median incomes, with business travelers earning an average $236,000 per year and leisure guests earning $164,000. Leisure travelers said they chose hotels in Lower Manhattan because of their proximity to tourist sites like the Statue of Liberty, and 86 percent of guests said they would likely stay in downtown Manhattan on a return trip.
City officials know the importance of tourism dollars generated from downtown attractions, especially as the tax base from the financial industry has dwindled significantly this fiscal year. Tiffany Townsend, a spokesperson with NYC & Company, said the city is forecasting a 5-percent decrease in tourism for 2009, leading to 46 million visitors for the year, but she is optimistic that the opening of the Statue will draw more tourists to Lower Manhattan. New York City Council Member Alan Gerson (D-Manhattan), whose district includes Liberty Island, agrees.
“It can only have a positive impact,” said Gerson. “More people will come now that they are able to make their way up. It will be another one of the many reasons people come and enjoy Lower Manhattan.”
That will change on July 4, when The Department of Interior will re-open the crown to tourists. Ten visitors at a time, chosen through a lottery system, will be able to climb the 354 steps. Also announced were plans for improvements which, once completed, will allow more people to visit the crown at a time.
The reopening of the crown represents a significant legislative victory for Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-Brooklyn/Queens). In August 2004, after Congress spent $20 million in safety renovations, the National Park Service reopened the base of the Statue to the public, but kept the crown closed. One year later, Congress passed Weiner’s Save the Statue of Liberty Act, which he reintroduced in 2007, directing the National Parks Service to implement safety improvements to the crown and the stairway. After Congress approved additional security funding, Weiner and his colleagues began increasing pressure on the Bush administration to follow through.
Last August, the National Parks Service launched a Life-Safety and Emergency Management Study for the Statue. Four days after the Obama inauguration, Weiner led United States Secretary of Interior Ken Salazar and his colleagues up the stairways from the Statue’s feet to her crown.
“It took the Obama administration four months to do what the Bush administration could not do in nearly seven years,” said Weiner. “They have what the Bush administration always lacked: courage and creativity to solve this problem.”
While the crown was closed, tourism at the site went from a high of 3.6 million visitors in 2000 to only 2.5 million 2006, a decrease of 31 percent.
Many civic leaders believe that the Statue of Liberty is the cornerstone of tourism in Lower Manhattan, but have watched as visitors have spent their dollars elsewhere. The Alliance for Downtown New York, which provides services for local businesses and keeps statistics for local commerce, noted that 5.23 million people visited Lower Manhattan in 2008, up significantly from 3 million in 2003. Nearby museums, such as the Museum of the American Indian had its highest visitation numbers since 2005, while the Museum of Jewish Heritage recorded its highest numbers ever.
Hotels in Lower Manhattan also performed well over the past year with Average Daily Rates (ADR) of $335.96—8 percent higher than the city’s ADR of $312. Both business and leisure travelers had high median incomes, with business travelers earning an average $236,000 per year and leisure guests earning $164,000. Leisure travelers said they chose hotels in Lower Manhattan because of their proximity to tourist sites like the Statue of Liberty, and 86 percent of guests said they would likely stay in downtown Manhattan on a return trip.
City officials know the importance of tourism dollars generated from downtown attractions, especially as the tax base from the financial industry has dwindled significantly this fiscal year. Tiffany Townsend, a spokesperson with NYC & Company, said the city is forecasting a 5-percent decrease in tourism for 2009, leading to 46 million visitors for the year, but she is optimistic that the opening of the Statue will draw more tourists to Lower Manhattan. New York City Council Member Alan Gerson (D-Manhattan), whose district includes Liberty Island, agrees.
“It can only have a positive impact,” said Gerson. “More people will come now that they are able to make their way up. It will be another one of the many reasons people come and enjoy Lower Manhattan.”
