NEW “PHILLY FRIENDS AND FAMILY” CAMPAIGN TAPS INTO
CLOSE-TO-HOME TOURISM TREND   

Three-year, $4 Million Initiative Includes Programs, Events and “Tourism Tools”
For Regional Residents To Become Tourists-In-Their-Own-Hometown And Tour Guides    

PHILADELPHIA, October 1, 2002 – The Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation (GPTMC) today launched the Philly Friends and Family campaign by unveiling new tourism tools for regional residents designed to encourage tourism within the region as well as help residents become an expert tour guide to their visiting friends and relatives.  

“With nearly seven million people living within a two-hour drive of the Philadelphia region and another five million people a year coming here to visit their friends and relatives, the tools of this campaign will make information on events, attractions, shops, dining and hotels more easily accessible to the public,” said Meryl Levitz, president and CEO, GPTMC. “This campaign will help residents appreciate and enjoy all there is to offer in Philadelphia, Bucks, Montgomery, Chester and Delaware counties.” 

The highlights of the three-year, $4 million Philly Friends and Family campaign includes:

•  Philadelphia Speaks: A new interactive CD-Rom, created by D4 Creative Group and Swain Entertainment, offering users a guided tour to all the exciting things to see and do in the Philadelphia region. Plan a trip, book a hotel room and learn about great ways to save. Philadelphia Speaks features “The Philadelphia Song” performed by Linda Swain.

• The Trip Planner: A 60 page color, comprehensive guide to the region with maps, directions, phone numbers and tips on places to visit and things to do. The planner offers information on arts and culture, sports and recreation, gardens and arboretums, nightlife, dining, shopping, and cruising form Philadelphia’s Pier 1. Check out the regional map to find the area’s visitor centers.

• Culture Clock: Through a partnership with the Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance and the Pew Charitable Trusts, a public service advertisement will appear in The Philadelphia Inquirer, beginning Oct 1 and continuing for 35 consecutive weeks, on a different theme each week and specific information on activities, resources and events throughout the region.

• Neighborhood Tourism Network: Residents can go beyond the better-known tourist sites to showcase the rich history and diverse culture of seven neighborhoods. Each tour offers an authentic experience with ethnic food samples, interactive demonstrations by local artists, social history lessons by neighborhood guides and shopping. (Sept-Oct ’02 and returns in 2003-2005)

• New Hotel Packages: Residents can plan a “fun” weekend getaway for themselves with the “Philly Overnight Hotel Package” or spend New Year’s Eve in Philadelphia to enjoy midnight fireworks on Penn’s Landing. GPTMC is developing a special Friends and Family hotel package with the Greater Philadelphia Hotel Association.

• DRPA Days: A series of special events throughout the region designed to attract residents to the regional visitor centers as well as moving them to other parts of the five-county region.

• The Virtual Brochure Rack: A low-cost way for regional attractions to disseminate their brochure to more than 2 million consumers annually who visit www.gophila.com and a convenient way for people to find the most up-to-date information on their favorite places.

• Advertising, Pubic Relations and Research: More than $3 million will be spent on advertising, public relations and research during throughout the campaign.

“Recent travel surveys have showed that people’s travel behavior has changed due to a weakened economy, the events of September 11^th and people’s desire to reconnect with family and friends, “said Gary Esolen of Travel Places, Inc. “The travel industry is definitely seeing a new trend in close-to-home, driving vacations among travelers. With one quarter of the country’s population within a five-hour drive of the region, Philadelphia is quickly gaining a reputation as an affordable and popular destination.”

“The Delaware River Port Authority is pleased to partner with GPTMC on this campaign to keep residents of the region moving to other parts of the region in their journey through their hometown,” said Manny Stamatakis, chairman, Delaware River Port Authority. “The success of the Philly’s More Fun When You Sleep Over campaign concretely demonstrated that people can and will be tourists right here at home and even spend a night or two in a hotel room. We now have the opportunity to do more over a longer period of time.”

The Delaware River Port Authority is the sponsor and underwriter of the Philly Friends and Family campaign. 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 www.gophila.com or call the new Independence Visitor Center, located in Independence National Historical Park, at (800) 537-7676.               

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Editors: For photographic images of the Philadelphia region, visit www.gophila.com/pressroom

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