PHILADELPHIA, May 7, 2002 – It’s going to be a good summer for tourism. According to three new reports, Philadelphia’s consistent investment in tourism marketing, growing popularity, and favorable national economic conditions promise to make this coming tourism season a good one for the region. The reports were delivered today at "Tourism 2002," a gathering of more than 300 regional hospitality executives held annually by the Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing
Corporation (GPTMC).

The first report, a new five-year study conducted by New York-based Parter International, reveals that Philadelphia’s investment in marketing towards the leisure traveler and new attractions, such as the Independence Visitor Center and The Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts, have contributed to making the region more competitive with other metropolitan regions. The Parter study was commissioned by GPTMC, the Commerce Department of Philadelphia and the Phoebe Haas Trust as a follow-up to one conducted in 1995 for the Pew Charitable Trusts.

"Five years ago, Philadelphia did not envision itself as a competitor with New York, Boston or Washington, DC," said Alan Parter, founder and president of Parter International. "Now that the Greater Philadelphia region has substantially improved its image, attractions, tourism infrastructure and marketing efforts, the region is able to compete."

Parter compared the Philadelphia leisure tourism market in 1995 with the market in 2000. He concludes that since Philadelphia began marketing itself as a five-county leisure destination, it has seen an increase in leisure travelers who stay longer and spend more money than they did five years ago.

The average length of stay for leisure travelers has increased by 107 percent – from 1.8 days in 1990 to 3.7 days in 2000. Visitor spending, per advertising dollar spent by GPTMC, has also increased each year to $80 in 1999 from $62 in 1998 and $55 in 1997.

"With Philadelphia’s improved positioning comes increased demands," added Parter. "To compete effectively against the well-funded campaigns and organizations of Philadelphia’s neighboring powerhouse destinations, sufficient resources need to be allocated. Even the
smaller competitive destinations have become more sophisticated and better funded than they were in 1995."

The second report is an analysis of research on travel buying behavior online, and the Philadelphia travel behavior of a select group of Internet users. A survey was sent to people who either purchased Philadelphia travel or subscribed to a monthly e-mail newsletter at www.gophila.com. The survey was sent to 12,500 online users. There were more than 5,000 survey responses, which represent an unusually high response rate of 41 percent.

"The www.gophila.com Web site has reached a group of travelers who represent both new overnight hotel guests and frequent return visitors, a lucrative mix," said Gary Esolen, CEO of TravelPlace.com, Inc. "For this group of travelers, the abundance of unique local restaurants and markets, the availability of fine dining and the quality of Philadelphia’s museums and performing arts are very important attractions and reasons for visiting."

The third report came from economic expert Delos R. Smith, senior analyst for The Conference Board. According to Smith, current national economic forecasts indicate that drive market cities, such as Philadelphia, will offer the most appeal for summer travelers. Smith regularly appears on CNBC, CNNFN, Fox cable and ABC.

"Consumer confidence and spending are up, which translates into people spending more on leisure activities," said Delos. "Stable gas prices also indicate that drive market cities will do well this summer, as more and more people take to their cars to avoid the hassle of flying. A good forecast for tourism is important to the local economy. It equates to more tax revenues and stable employment."

"When you review all the data together, it is evident that the Philadelphia region is on the right track," said Meryl Levitz, president and CEO of GPTMC. "Research provides invaluable data to help us identify trends and direct our future business decisions.

"Now that Philadelphia has arrived as a competitive destination the work is not over; in fact, it has just begun. The challenge is to build momentum, and momentum can only come from a sustained investment in tourism."

The Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation is a non-profit organization dedicated to generating awareness of and visitation to Philadelphia, Bucks, Chester, Delaware and Montgomery Counties. For more information about travel to Philadelphia, visit www.gophila.com or call the new Independence Visitor Center, located in Independence National Historical Park, at (800) 537-7676.

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The report reinforces the value of cultivating GPTMC’s growing Internet user base. It showed that these respondents are experienced Internet users, who make travel arrangements online and have a positive image of Philadelphia. Of the entire group of respondents, 26 percent stayed overnight in Philadelphia in paid accommodations for the first time after August 1, 2001, and 39 percent came back five or more times in just one year. Overall, sixty percent of the respondents have stayed in Philadelphia since August 1, 2001. All but 4 percent of the respondents, who visited Philadelphia, were here solely for pleasure. The study results suggest that advertising campaigns, such as the popular Philly Overnight Hotel Package, stimulated new travel to Philadelphia.