A booming vacation weekend is unlikely to speed up New York’s sluggish tourism comeback

According to the TSA, 2.1 million people across the country went through airport security on Thursday, July 1, much like the travel days before the holidays in 2019.

At the local level, the New York and New Jersey Port Authority expects traffic at the region’s airports to decrease 41% between July 1 and July 5, compared to 2019. Car traffic, on the other hand, has normalized again: the Port Authority expects 3.3 million vehicles to cross their bridges and tunnels on the holiday weekend, which is almost the same as in 2019.

Assuming good weather lasts for Sunday and Monday, the city’s hospitality companies, from hotel rooftops to outdoor bars to cruise ships, are hoping that locals and visitors will continue their steady summer comeback, partly driven and supported by the holiday on a Sunday by the return of the Macy’s fireworks on the East River, which did not go off last year.

Statue City Cruises, which operates the ferries to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, plans to interrupt 10,000 daily visitors for the first time since the pandemic began after weekend visits doubled between March and June.

Hornblower Cruises, the operator of Statue City Cruises, offers brunch and dinner cruises on its City Experiences line, including one where guests can watch fireworks. According to a spokesman, these are almost full, there are only a few tickets left.

The roof of the 1 Hotel Brooklyn Bridge has all tables reserved for the night of July 4th, although the visible fireworks from Macy’s have been moved further north so that a clear view is not guaranteed. Reservations for pool loungers, which cost $ 500 apiece and include a bottle of rose wine, also sold well, a spokesman said.

At Baylander, a bar on a boat in Harlem, on the West Side, partner Michael Trenk said the business is weather dependent, which will cause business to suffer if it rains today and Saturday.

But he said he had 150 reservations starting around 8:30 p.m. on Sunday, and a total of 300 for the day, fewer than a typical summer Sunday but very tight in the evening when visitor numbers usually drop.

Trenk said he was concerned that guests will be disappointed to find that his location on the Hudson River means the official fireworks display will not be visible. Still, he said, “they will see numerous fireworks that people launch from the piers and I am optimistic that people will enjoy the view where they are.”

Mayor Bill de Blasio said he would crack down on illegal fireworks this summer after the city’s 311 line was inundated with complaints about it last June and July.