Coronavirus in N.Y.C.: Will the Tourists Ever Come Back?

Mr. Tisch is one of dozens of leaders of tourism-dependent businesses who have been devising plans for the industry’s recovery from its longest and steepest slump in memory. The situation is unlike the city’s brief shutdown after the 9/11 terrorist attacks in 2001 because Americans felt a patriotic urge then to help the city heal, he said.

Two nights after the attacks, on Sept. 13, shows resumed at all 23 Broadway theaters.

But this time, with confined indoor spaces making it easier for the virus to spread, the theaters plan to remain dark until next year. Without the shows that serve as the city’s thumping heart, hundreds of hotels and restaurants in Manhattan are simply trying to survive 2020.

“The perception is that if Broadway is closed, New York City is closed,” Mr. Tisch said.

In the second week of July, the occupancy rate of New York City hotels was just 37 percent, according to STR, a research firm. That is down from more than 90 percent in recent summers.

“We think it’s too soon to encourage travel and invite folks to come back in,” said Fred Dixon, the chief executive of NYC Company. He said that for the past four months the city had had no tourism to speak of and that he was not even guessing how many visitors it would tally for the year.

So, instead of promoting the city in international capitals and other faraway places as it typically does, the agency is narrowing its focus to New York and its surrounding areas.

This month the city introduced a campaign themed “All In NYC” that was created by Aruliden, a Manhattan marketing firm, to stir interest among local residents in exploring the city and seeing some of its sights.