Tourism Campaign Puts Local NYC Culture In Spotlight

NEW YORK, NY — "I Love NY," meet "True York City." NYC & Company, New York's official tourism agency, launched a new advertising campaign this week that aims to emphasize the parts of life in the city you can't experience anywhere else.

Dubbed "True York City," the campaign will highlight lesser-known neighborhoods and businesses alongside the city's major tourist attractions to get visitors to "go deeper" in exploring the "Famous Original New York City," NYC & Company president Fred Dixon said.

NYC & Company will place $15.6 million worth of ads in 17 countries and on social media to draw visitors to New York. It also launched a website, nycgo.com/famous-original-nyc, that showcases off-the-beaten-path events and attractions, such as "15 Cool Subway Stations" and "New York's Three Big Chinatowns."

"With ‘True York City,’ we celebrate the fact that we are the world’s greatest creator and exporter of culture, and invite travelers who seek authentic experiences and appreciate the ‘local,’ from arts, design and retail to culture and cuisine," Dixon said in a statement Monday. "These travelers tend to stay longer and return often to explore both our iconic sights and our neighborhood gems — likely to be small businesses, locally owned and operated."

As with any 21st-century advertising campaign, there's also a hashtag — #TrueYorkCity — for visitors to share their most unique NYC memories.

The campaign comes as tourism continues to rise in the Big Apple. NYC & Company says 60.5 million people visited the city in 2016, including 12.7 million international visitors. The total number is up from 52.7 million in 2012.

While it puts many hidden NYC gems in the spotlight, the campaign doesn't mention the many not-so-fun quirks of living in America's biggest city. Take the subway struggles, for example. Or the rats. Or the way garbage smells when it's roasting in the summer heat.

We want to know: What are the best — and worst — parts of life in New York City that are unlike life anywhere else? What makes you think about leaving, and what keeps you here despite it all?

Share your answers with us on Facebook or send us an email at patchnyc@patch.com.

(Lead image courtesy of NYC & Company)