The Alliance for Downtown New York has a fantastic lineup of tours available to WITS attendees. Spots will fill up quickly, so grab your ticket to WITS and register today!
FAM APPLICATION DEADLINE: 25 FEBRUARY 2025
TOUR REGISTRATION DEADLINE: 5 MAY 2025
TOURS
14-15 & 18-19 MAY 2025
REGISTRATION DEADLINE: 5 MAY 2025
TOUR REGISTRATION POLICIES
Attendees may not register for two or more tours with overlapping times or tours that begin and end consecutively less than 30 minutes apart. Overlapping or consecutive tour registrations will be canceled without warning.
Activities marked as self guided are the only exception to the above conditions. Registrations for self-guided activities may overlap with timed tours and enjoyed at your leisure, with entry available at any point during their marked times.
Tours and activities are open only to WITS attendees. Non-WITS ticket holders are not permitted. This includes children. Registrations by non-WITS attendees will be canceled without warning.
Attendees may not register for the same tour or activity more than once. Duplicate registrations will be canceled without warning.
Registrations are first come first served. There are no wait lists.
All tours and activities are free, but require a credit card to register. Cards will not be charged unless a registrant fails to appear. Registrants who fail to appear will be charged a $50 USD no-show fee per each tour or activity they fail to appear for.
Registrants who can no longer attend a tour or activity must cancel their registration via the link in their confirmation email by 5 May 2025. After this date, each late cancellation will be charged a $50 USD cancellation fee.
Wheelchair accessibility is noted in each description.
Meeting or entry points are noted in each description.
FAM TRIPS
14-16 MAY 2025
APPLICATION DEADLINE: 25 FEBRUARY 2025
FAM TRIP POLICIES
Participation in FAM trips is by application only.
Non-WITS ticket holders are not permitted on FAM trips. This includes children. Applications by non-WITS ticket holders will not be considered.
Applicants may apply for more than one FAM trip.
Applying does not guarantee a spot on a FAM trip.
Late applications will not be considered.
Applicants will be notified if they have or have not been accepted for a FAM trip by the end of March 2025.
All participants are expected to create content in exchange for FAM trip acceptance. This can include, but is not limited to: blog posts, social media posts, videos, news or print publication articles, etc.
Black Surf NYC—Surfing in the Rockaways with the Black Surfing Association
14-16 May 2025
Surfing in New York City? That's right! You'll hit the beach just a ferry ride away from Wall Street. After a dinner together with your fellow FAM-goers and a restful night in a Downtown hotel, you'll wake up and eat a power breakfast before heading to Pier 11 to sail away to a day of surfing in the Rockaway Beach area of Queens. Hosted by the Black Surfer Association founder Lou Harris, experience a surfing lesson—no prior surfing experience necessary. You'll have lunch at the beach, followed by a ferry ride back to Lower Manhattan, dinner at a local Black-owned restaurant, and a sound sleep at your Downtown hotel.
Governors Island Getaway: NYC's Hidden Playground
14-16 May 2025
If you know you know—and most tourists have no idea that New York's playground is the entirety of Governors Island, located just 800 yards off the coast of Downtown NYC. Get ready to experience dining, local art, an Urban Farm, a hammock grove, riding bikes, and exploring this reimagined former army barracks, followed by an evening at the Italian-owned QC NY Spa. This wellness experience includes thermal baths, optional massages, and a dip in a pool overlooking the city skyline. After this relaxing and rejuvenating experience, you'll head back to your hotel in Manhattan to prepare for WITS the next morning.
Behind the Scenes of Power in Lower Manhattan
14-16 May 2025
For the entrepreneurs and tourism professionals at WITS, this one is for you. When you're in Lower Manhattan, you're in the world’s most concentrated center of power—business, culture, and resilience, all within just one square mile. On this FAM trip, you’ll connect with three of the most influential women driving the city's dynamic tourism and cultural landscape. Meet Beth Hillman, President and CEO of the 9/11 Memorial & Museum, Khady Kamara Nunez, Executive Director of PAC NYC, and Laura Lendrum, CEO America for Printemps. You'll get to meet and participate in Q&As with each leader on their insights in tourism and downtown culture, followed by exclusive tours of their respective institutions. This is a rare opportunity to engage directly with these trailblazing leaders at the heart of New York’s cultural and business power. You'll start your trip with an evening in a relaxing Downtown hotel, begin the next morning with a power breakfast, then head to your behind-the-scenes visit to the 9/11 Museum. For lunch, you'll dine at one of Downtown's leading culinary experiences followed by a behind-the-scenes tour of the Perelman Performing Arts Center with Executive Director Khady Kamara Nunez. Finally, you'll head to French luxury department store Printemps to meet with Laura Lendrum, followed by cocktails and dinner at one of Printemps’s five chef-driven restaurants.
Family-Friendly Downtown
14-16 May 2025
Lower Manhattan is one of the most stroller-friendly, family-forward neighborhoods in the city, where history, culture, and fun all come together in one square mile. On this FAM (leave the kids at home!), content creators who focus on family travel will get a unique chance to explore Lower Manhattan through a family lens. You'll meet your fellow FAM participants for dinner and a relaxing night at your Downtown hotel. The next morning, meet for a power breakfast before hitting our main attractions for families, including Mercer Labs, One World Observatory, Museum of the American Indian, the Seaglass Carousel, and the city's largest indoor playground. You'll sleep soundly that night in your hotel knowing you've got the perfect itinerary for your family's first trip to New York City, without all that midtown madness.
History of Lower Manhattan
14-16 May 2025
Lower Manhattan is where New York City—and America—began. This FAM is for creators eager to uncover the true stories that shaped the nation's history. Starting with check-in on Wednesday, you'll dive into a powerful journey through time. The next day kicks off with an introduction to the impact of women in Lower Manhattan's history, followed by lunch at Fraunces Tavern, where George Washington famously bid farewell to his troops in 1783. Next, join a top local guide for a captivating tour, "Seeking Faith and Fortune in the New World," tracing the journey of the immigrants who helped build NYC. The day wraps up with dinner at Delmonico’s, where America’s first fine dining experience also became the first to allow women to dine alone in the 1860s. This is a unique opportunity for content creators to experience the historic heart of New York through exclusive access to its landmark institutions and hidden stories.