THE GREATER PHILADELPHIA TOURISM MARKETING CORPORATION PLAYS HOST TO A RECORD
NUMBER OF VISITING JOURNALISTS IN SPRING/SUMMER 2003
Three Press Trips Showcase The Philadelphia Region To Major Media Outlets

PHILADELPHIA, July 18, 2003 — The media is buzzing about Philadelphia these days. That’s due in part to the work of the Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation (GPTMC), which has hosted a record number of media guests this spring and summer. The organization’s Visiting Journalist Program is responsible for bringing in more than 85 media guests in the last ten weeks alone, including 61 writers during the Society of American Travel Writers’ (SATW) joint chapter meeting that occurred April 30 through May 4, 2003. The SATW meeting brought media guests from many important outlets, including The Dallas Morning News, Cincinnati Enquirer, Home & Away, National Geographic Magazine, Travel America, The Florida Times-Union and Southern Living. Stories have already run in the Miami Herald, Houston Chronicle and the St. Petersburg Times, to name a few.

One of the tours offered during the SATW conference was “Hipstoric™ Philadelphia,” showcasing the city’s hip and historic attractions. This theme will be expanded for a weekend press trip planned for July 18-20, 2003, which will highlight the city’s historical treasures along with some of its hippest hot spots. One of the highlights of the trip will be a visit to the brand new National Constitution Center.

In addition, GPTMC recently hosted a highly successful press trip entitled “Philadelphia Neighborhoods.” The trip was designed to showcase the cultural diversity of the many neighborhoods of the city and to introduce Philadelphia Neighborhood Tours to national media. Some 13 writers visited the city for this tour and have already produced six articles in such outlets as The Chicago Crusader, El Diario and about.com.

GPTMC 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 gophila.com or call the new Independence Visitor Center, located in Independence National Historical Park, at (800) 537-7676. For information about arts and cultural attractions in the region, visit the Philadelphia CultureFiles at gophila.com.

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

July 2003

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