NYFW SS26 Wrap-Up: How Fashion Week Moved NYC’s Travel Economy

Where visitors actually gathered

The CFDA × Rockefeller Center partnership brought back NYFW Live, screening a mix of livestreams and replays on the Rink and in the Channel Gardens from Sept 11–16. The schedule highlighted New York names—Michael Kors, Coach, Anna Sui, Ulla Johnson, Tory Burch, LaQuan Smith—creating an all‑day, high‑visibility plaza experience for tourists and locals.

Industry runways and presentations concentrated around Spring Studios (Tribeca) and venues in Chelsea/Midtown, which in turn fed shopping and dining traffic into SoHo, Fifth Avenue and Madison Avenue.

How big was the NYFW visitor lift?

NYC does not publish an official headcount specifically for NYFW week; however, context signals are strong. The destination welcomed ~64.5M visitors in 2024 and the tourism board projects 2025 visitation could surpass 68M. September sits between the U.S. Open and UN General Assembly, historically producing the city’s highest hotel occupancies—conditions that again framed this Fashion Week.

Lodging: occupancy, rates & why compression persisted

Occupancy trajectory. NYC led U.S. major markets in Sept 2024 occupancy at ~87%. Heading into this year’s NYFW, July 2025 again placed NYC at the top of the Top‑25 with 85.2%. Historically, September runs even tighter than July due to overlapping events (U.S. Open, Fashion Week, UNGA).

Rates (ADR) & RevPAR. With high occupancy and curtailed short‑term rentals, NYC ADRs remain elevated versus national averages (see STR July 2025 release linked above). Compression was most notable in Midtown (for Rockefeller Center) and Tribeca/SoHo (for Spring Studios).

Short‑term rentals (LL18) shifted demand to hotels. Since enforcement of Local Law 18 began in Sept 2023, independent reviews show an ~85% drop in Airbnb listings citywide. The City’s 2025 update notes 3,000+ approved host registrations and 14,000+ buildings on the prohibited list—evidence of sustained supply constraints on sub‑30‑day stays.

Operator takeaway: Hold inventory early in Midtown and Tribeca; price‑sensitive segments benefit from Queens/Brooklyn or PATH‑accessible NJ during NYFW weeks.

Air & ground: how visitors moved

Rail first. With traffic heavy between Midtown and Lower Manhattan, visitors and attendees leaned on the subway. The MTA recorded multiple 4M+ subway days in July 2025; OMNY tap‑to‑ride simplified trips Rock Center ⇄ Spring Studios ⇄ SoHo ⇄ Garment District.