Fertitta emerges as hotel champ

When George Fertitta was named the head of New York City’s main tourism and travel agency, NYC & Company, in 2006, the former advertising executive likely had little idea what kind of economic tableau awaited him. But the economic downturn meant rearranging the way the city did tourism, and Fertitta says he was determined to help the New York travel and hospitality industries survive. “Our job was to weather the storm and figure out a way to take advantage of it,” Fertitta said. And while the city’s hotel industry has certainly taken some hits, last year’s 80 percent occupancy rate was impressive to many industry insiders. Moving forward, Fertitta said he hopes to see the city reach 50 million visitors by 2012.