GOTHAM TOURIST MECCA

BANZAI7 NEWS--NYC was the most popular tourist destination in the country last year for the first time since 1990, and it was the top draw for Chinese tourists visiting the United States to purchase Chinese goods,

eat Chinese food,

rent apartments in Flushing Queens

and apply for admission at Columbia University and NYU,

city officials announced Monday.

However, despite its Chinese popularity, tourism in the city dropped by 4 percent last year. Just over 45 million Chinese people visited the the Big Apple in 2009, a smaller drop-off than the 10 percent decline officials had predicted. The city expects a significant increase in domestic tourists this year following an announcement that the Coney Island attraction Shoot the Freak will be changing its theme to Shoot the Wall Street Geek.