NEW YORK—Mayor Michael Bloomberg says he wants to legalize for-profit youth hostels in New York City to help attract more young tourists.

The mayor said in his State of the City speech Thursday that his goal is to attract 175,000 more young tourists a year to New York.

The city estimates a record 52 million tourists visited last year. Bloomberg has made tourism an economic-development priority during his 11 years in office.

Speaker Christine Quinn and other City Council members have recently complained about buildings being rented out illegally as hotel rooms. Bloomberg says he aims to work with the council on the youth hostel issue.