According to a biennial economic impact study released by the Broadway League, the official trade association for the commercial theatre industry, the Broadway theatre industry contributed $5.1 billion to the New York City economy during the 2006-2007 season, a 6.25 increase from the 2005-2006 contribution finding of $4.8 billion. The study, Broadway's Economic Contribution to New York City: 2006-2007, which was released May 1, also revealed that domestic tourists purchased half of all Broadway tickets, and that foreign visitors accounted for a record 15.5 percent of all tickets; 35 percent were purchased by New York City residents. Other important findings include:
Visitor spending totaled $3.1 billion, a 5 percent decrease from the 2004-2005 study.
Show expenses totaled $1.98 billion, a 10 percent increase from 2004-2005. The figure includes the expenditures of 35 new productions, and 32 shows that were carried over from past seasons.
Theatre expenses, including renovations and maintenance, totaled $26 million.
Broadway supported 44,000 full-time jobs.
Broadway generated $202.4 million in local tax revenues.
The Broadway League conducted the study by gathering estimates from producers, theatre owners, and audience members regarding what they spent specifically for Broadway in New York City from June 2006 through June 2007. Rates were adjusted for inflation.