Closing Bell: Tourism Site Debuts in May

A new Brooklyn tourism site called ExploreBK.com will begin creating useful content next month for visitors who want to get to know the borough, according to the Daily News. The Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce is partnering with BlankSlate, a Dumbo-based media company, to launch the site next month. BlankSlate also runs Brownstoner’s advertising and marketplace. The website will cover events, restaurants, retail and hotels, and include a searchable directory of local businesses.

Tourism has been on the rise in Brooklyn, with 15,000,000 tourists visiting in 2010, according to the Borough President’s office. And 22 hotels are under construction to feed the demand for rooms that are cheaper than Manhattan but still close to major destinations, particularly in Williamsburg, Downtown Brooklyn and Sunset Park. Currently there are 3,500 hotel rooms, up from 778 in 2005.

Photo by Eric Konon