NEW APPROACHES IN TOURISM MARKETING PLANNED IN 2004
GPTMC Will Launch New Campaigns Aimed At Leisure, Multicultural,
Gay/Lesbian and ‘In-Region’ Tourists Beginning This Summer

PHILADELPHIA, May 13, 2003 – The Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation (GPTMC) today announced several new marketing programs to increase leisure tourism to the five-county region – Philadelphia, Bucks, Chester, Delaware and Montgomery counties. Next month, GPTMC will simultaneously launch new advertising and a new hotel package for summer, special interest marketing campaigns and a program called “Philly Friends.”  

“Philadelphia’s tourism industry is in a position to take major strides ahead of our competition for leisure travelers,” said Meryl Levitz, GPTMC president and CEO. “Now that GPTMC has created a more positive image for Philadelphia among all travelers, we can layer precision approaches into our marketing programs to attract specific types of travelers.”

Programs on the horizon for GPTMC in 2004 include:

• Philly – You Just Can’t Do It In A Day™ Hotel Package: A new summer package available at 60 hotels offering visitors the opportunity to stay one night and get the second night free when they check in Thursday through Sunday from June 26 through September 14, 2003, with free parking both nights. This summer strategy builds on the successful Philly Overnight™ winter hotel package, which sold 32,000 room nights in its second year. Since the Philly Overnight™ Hotel Package was introduced in 2001, the package has sold more than 67,000 hotel room nights.

• Philly Friends: Beginning in June, GPTMC will turn passionate Philadelphia area residents into “Philly Friends.” After attending a fun, interactive orientation, Philly Friends will encourage in-region tourism among themselves, their neighbors and their visiting friends and family.

• Multicultural Initiatives: In June, GPTMC will start a new marketing campaign with Philadelphia native Ayoka Dorsey in customized television and radio spots, as well as public relations and Web promotions, which are all part of a $600,000 multicultural marketing campaign.

• Gay- and Lesbian-friendly Marketing: This fall, Philadelphia and Its Countryside will launch a special marketing campaign for gay and lesbian travelers, an untapped segment that spends more than $54 billion dollars a year in travel nationwide. Working in collaboration with the newly formed Philadelphia Gay Tourism Caucus, GPTMC will develop a cooperative- and image-advertising program, conduct research and continue its aggressive media relations and Internet strategy.

• Philadelphia’s Road Show: In 2004, GPTMC will strengthen its marketing partnerships with area organizations, such as the Philadelphia Orchestra and the Philadelphia Museum of Art (PMA), to enhance Philadelphia’s image while “on the road” in other cities and countries. Last year, GPTMC and PMA arranged a special preview of the Degas and the Dance exhibit.  This year, GPTMC will focus on the Philadelphia Orchestra’s Latin American tour and the Manet and the Sea exhibit at PMA.

• Enhancements: Several established programs will be enhanced in the next year.
  
  - The CruisePhilly program will further develop land-based, pre-and post- cruise tours for ship operators and passengers, as well as programs for      tour operators and travel agents.
  - CultureFiles, launched in March, will see the addition of two new sections – architecture and public art – and will begin a series of seminars.
  - GPTMC’s PR department will distribute new materials for use by national and regional media, including a new photo CD-Rom and b-roll for television. 
  - Gophila.com, which recently joined with www.phila.gov to create new information sections, will undergo a redesign

“Every day something in the news can impact the tourism industry – SARS, war or the economy,” said Levitz. “GPTMC has strategically built diversified programs and revenue streams to address these types of issues. With a sustained and increased investment in tourism, our region will attract more tourists, create more jobs and foster new amenities that all of us can enjoy, not just our visitors.”

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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Note to Editors: For story angles and photographic images of Philadelphia and its surrounding countryside, visit www.gophila.com/pressroom.     May 2003

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