New York's tourism industry needs to make a comeback to get the state's economy moving again. But first, New Yorkers and tourists alike need to feel safe, Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Monday said at a news conference.

"We need to get tourists back for those hotels, for those restaurants, for Broadway," Cuomo said. "That's a big engine for the economy. They're not going to come back unless it's safe."

The tourism industry in New York took a billion-dollar hit over the last year, as restaurants and theaters closed along with other public gathering spots shuttered at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. The state is moving toward a broad reopening of the economy by May 19 by loosening pandemic restrictions, while theaters on Broadway expect to reopen by September.

Cuomo on Monday backed a push by New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio to vaccinate people who do not live in the state. De Blasio since last week had sought a waiver to have the city begin vaccinating tourists as a way to manage a safe return to normalcy in the city.

But it's an open question as to whether jobs can fully return. Labor studies have shown the pandemic has badly hurt jobs in the hospitality and tourism sectors, and New York's jobless rate has been higher than the national average. Revenue from tourism-related activities dropped by $1.2 billion in the last year, a 73% decline, according to a report by Comptroller Tom DiNapoli.

The shooting in Times Square on Saturday, which resulted in the injuries of four unrelated people including a child, did not help matters to advertise New York as a big, safe city, Cuomo said. The push to ensure safety in New York comes amid an historic reckoning, however, with policing in the United States.

"Here, divorce is not an option because I don't believe 'defund the police' is a realistic option," Cuomo said. "Then what is it, a city of mayhem?"