MAYOR BILL DE BLASIO AND NYC & COMPANY ANNOUNCE NICKELODEON'S DORA AS NEW YORK CITY'S OFFICIAL FAMILY AMBASSADOR IN FIRST-EVER BILINGUAL TOURISM CAMPAIGN
-New York City Welcomed Approximately 17.2 Million Family Visitors in 2014, 30.5 Percent of Total Visitation-
-In the Past Five Years, Family Visitation to New York City Has Increased by 30.3 Percent-
Orlando, Florida (June 2, 2015) - Today Mayor Bill de Blasio and NYC & Company, New York City's official marketing, tourism and partnership organization, together with Nickelodeon, announced Dora is returning as the seventh Official NYC Family Ambassador. The announcement was made in Orlando, Florida during IPW, the travel industry's premier international marketplace, where NYC & Company's president and CEO Fred Dixon was joined by Dora. As part of the yearlong campaign, the world's most beloved explorer, Dora, will encourage family travel to the City's five boroughs by highlighting New York City as a family-friendly destination. For the first time ever, NYC & Company's family ambassador program will include English and Spanish content that features activities and destinations in the five boroughs for families to enjoy. For bilingual, kid-friendly NYC travel materials, guides and itineraries, visit nycgo.com/family.
"From the Staten Island Ferry and Times Square to the amazing diversity of Queens, the views from the Brooklyn Bridge Park and the wonderful Bronx Zoo, it's no surprise New York City has become a favorite family destination," said Mayor de Blasio. "I am very excited to have Dora as our official embajadora to show families from across the globe the countless recreational and cultural riches of the five boroughs."
"When it comes to family-friendly destinations, New York City leads the way with its robust offering of parks, attractions, cultural organizations, hotels and restaurants that lend themselves to a memorable family vacation," said Fred Dixon, president and CEO of NYC & Company. "We are thrilled to enlist the help of the adventurous Dora to welcome even more family travelers with our first-ever bilingual campaign."
New York City welcomed an estimated 17.2 million family visitors, a 3 percent projected increase over 2013, contributing approximately $17.8 billion in direct spending to New York City's economy. In 2013, Spanish was the first language of approximately 14 percent of domestic family travelers. Since the launch of the Family Ambassador program in 2009, family visitation to New York City has grown by 30.3 percent and is currently 30.5 percent of total visitation to New York City.
"It was a privilege to have our iconic Latina heroine, Dora, as the Official NYC Family Ambassador in 2010 and it's an even greater honor to have her return to the city again this year," said Pam Kaufman, CMO and President, Consumer Products, Nickelodeon Group. "New York City offers so many attractions, and there's no one more equipped than Dora and her friends to help encourage kids and families from around the globe to visit and explore the greatest city in the world."
A global phenomenon, Dora has crossed social, racial and language boundaries and stands as a hero and friend to millions of children around the world. More than 100 million people watch and learn from Dora every year and Dora the Explorer is seen in over 150 countries and territories, and translated in more than 30 languages via Nickelodeon channels around the globe and through syndication. In 2014, Nickelodeon debuted Dora and Friends: Into the City!, a brand-new animated preschool series starring the world's most beloved explorer living in a city, attending school and at the center of a peer group that works together to give back to the community, having both real-life and magical adventures along the way.
The Official NYC Family Ambassador campaign will be promoted through out-of-home media in the five boroughs and in Buffalo through NYC & Company's new city-to-city tourism partnership; social media engagement using the hashtag #nycgofamily; TV commercials running in NYC taxicabs; and digital media targeting the City's top regional, domestic and Spanish-speaking markets. Additionally, NYC & Company will be asking its 2,000 members, City residents and visitors to share family-friendly NYC activities using the hashtag #nycgofamily.
As part of the campaign, an Explore NYC with Dora activity book will be available for families at a selection of hotels and cultural organizations later this summer. The booklet includes NYC-themed activities, facts and interactive elements to encourage families to enjoy NYC's kid-friendly attractions.
The Family Ambassador program was created in 2009 to help position New York City as a welcoming family-friendly destination, encourage families to visit year-round and invite those who have already visited New York City to return and enjoy all of the new attractions the City has to offer. Dora returns as the seventh Family Ambassador after Curious George in 2014, Where's Waldo? in 2013, The Muppets in 2012, The Smurfs in 2011, Dora the Explorer in 2010 and Sesame Street in 2009.
For more details on the Dora Family Ambassador campaign, visit nycgo.com/family. Follow @nycgo_press on Twitter for the latest information about New York City travel and tourism.
About NYC & Company:
NYC & Company is the official marketing, tourism and partnership organization for the City of New York, dedicated to maximizing travel and tourism opportunities throughout the five boroughs, building economic prosperity and spreading the positive image of New York City worldwide. For more information, visit nycgo.com.
About Nickelodeon:
Nickelodeon, now in its 36th year, is the number-one entertainment brand for kids. It has built a diverse, global business by putting kids first in everything it does. The company includes television programming and production in the United States and around the world, plus consumer products, online, recreation, books and feature films. Nickelodeon's U.S. television network is seen in almost 100 million households and has been the number-one-rated basic cable network for 20 consecutive years. For more information or artwork, visit http://www.nickpress.com. Nickelodeon and all related titles, characters and logos are trademarks of Viacom Inc. (NASDAQ: VIA, VIAB).
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