Broadway contributed $11.2B to NYC in 2010-11

NEW YORK, June 5 (UPI) -- The Broadway League says tourists who saw Broadway shows during the 2010-11 theater season contributed $11.2 billion to New York City.

The amount was revealed as part of Broadway's Economic Contribution to New York City report, which was released Tuesday.

The number was calculated according to spending by producers to mount and run shows; spending by theater owners to maintain and renovate venues; and ancillary purchases by non-New York City residents who said Broadway was a very important reason for their trips to the Big Apple.

In total, the full contribution of Broadway tourists amounted to $9 billion; shows contributed $2.2 billion; and theaters $22.3 million.

"Broadway continued to show growth in economic impact on New York City with a most impressive 9 percent increase from the 2008-09 season," Charlotte St. Martin, the league's executive director, said in a statement. "The increase in the number of tourists who were drawn to the city because of Broadway directly was the most important driver in the growth of jobs supported by our industry from 84,400 to over 86,000 jobs, and generated $550 million in taxes, compared to $477.77 [million] from the last report."