Philly Reigns as a Vacation Destination

Recently the Visit Philly crew came together for a celebratory event. The group feted the fact that Philadelphia has become a bonafide vacation destination, a state of being that has been almost twenty years in the making.

You knew Philly was a great place to live, but it’s a great spot for visitors as well.

The group met last week at the Doubletree Hotel for their annual New Year’s breakfast, an event as much about celebrating the successes of the new year as it is a chance for  members to wish each other a happy new year. Meryl Levitz, president of Visit Philadelphia, told attending hospitality and tourism industry reps that visitation to the Philly metro area is soaring, a state of affairs that marks the culmination of a campaign that’s been constantly in motion since 1997.

The Greater Philadelphia area (which encompasses five counties) outpaced national visitation averages by three and a half times over, proving that the metro is definitely a draw. Levitz proudly announced the fact that there has been an eighty-four percent increase in overnight leisure visitation to the area since Visit Philly began marketing itself in 1997 as a great place to visit. Weekend hotel occupancy is at a high level, indicating the area’s strength as a getaway destination.

In  2014, hotel occupancy in Center City sat at a rosy seventy-six percent… definitely nothing to sneeze at. The travelers visiting the area represented all demographics and areas of the visitor spectrum, leisure and business travelers alike. A lot of thanks for the growth goes to the successful “With Love” campaign, which has been known to affect the way that visitors feel connected, emotionally, to the area. Three cheers for great visitors, and a great place to visit!