America's most visited tourist attraction is Times Square in New York. Of the 47 million annual visitors to New York City, 37.6 million (80%) are said to visit Times Square (ranking it number one in ForbesTraveler.com's data for 2008). You can't get to the Statue of Liberty without a ferry ride, while the area around the Empire State Building isn't very attractive. In contrast, Times Square is home to the famous New Year's Eve countdown that is broadcast live across the country. Times Square is the king of tourist attractions.
Of course, the hotels close to Times Square are expensive. According to hotels.com, the average rate for a room on October 1, when the number of tourists increases from the fall until New Year's Eve, ranges from $250 to $350 per night. At around the same time of the year, a room at the Hilton Times Square costs $280 per night whereas the Hilton Tokyo charges $220. The rate is 25% higher, even in comparison with a big city like Tokyo. You have to be wary, however, because the level of service offered by hotel employees at the Hilton Times Square is only half as good as that offered at the Hilton Tokyo.
You should also be careful when shopping at the numerous nameless electronics stores in Times Square. Some stores are selling miniDV cassettes, which usually cost less than $10 each, for more than $30 a piece. Overseas tourists with a poor sense of the value of a dollar might casually buy one and be surprised to find out the cost after calculating it later. As such stores distinctly display "No Refund" signs, they won't accept complaints after the fact, unless it happens to be an exceptionally "conscientious" retailer.
Another tourist destination that is as popular as New York City is Las Vegas, which welcomes 38 million people every year. A total of 40 million hotel rooms are filled annually and demand for business conventions in Las Vegas is also strong. As far as data provided by hotels.com is concerned, room rates on October 1 start at $30 and even many rooms at luxury hotels are less than $150. Having said that, be aware that you will end up having to spend a lot of money for nighttime activities.
While the number of tourists visiting Las Vegas has decreased slightly over the last two years, Washington D.C., the U.S. capital, is making a good showing. Situated around the National Mall, which has 25 million visitors per year, are Capitol Hill, the Washington Monument, the Lincoln Memorial and 16 museums run by the Smithsonian Institution. As none of these attractions charge admission, the number of visitors is increasing during the current economic depression. Partly aided by President Obama's popularity, Washington D.C. is the hottest tourist attraction in America at the moment!
The Smithsonian Institution's website:
http://www.si.edu/
Written by Masafumi Mori
