HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO US!

GPTMC is turning 10 this year, and we can hardly believe it. In just a decade and with the help of our many regional partners, Philadelphia and The Countryside™ has become a major tourist destination. In fact, overnight leisure tourism has increased 49% since GPTMC began advertising, from 5.59 million visitors in 1997 to 8.34 million in 2004 (when data was last available).

Together, we've accomplished a lot, and it's exciting to think about what we can do over the next 10 years. But first, it's time for an anniversary party.

We invite you to celebrate with us on May 17, 2006 from 5:30-7:30 p.m. at the Park Hyatt Philadelphia at the Bellevue. We'll enjoy the present and toast the next great summer.

Kindly RSVP to RSVP@gptmc.com. We look forward to seeing you there.

HOTELS ARE FLYING HIGH

Source: PKF Consulting Last year, 2005, was a banner year for hotels in the five-county Philadelphia region, where hotel occupancy climbed to 70.7%, a 3.3% increase over 2004's occupancy (68.5%). The average daily rate (ADR) increased 8.2% in the region, from $103.63 in 2004 to $112.17 in 2005, and revenue per available room (REVPAR) grew 11.8% in 2005, from $70.95 in 2004 to $79.32. But, that's not all: 2005 was the first year since 1998 that hotel occupancy was above 70% for the year in the five-county region. 2005 was the first year that ADR in the five-county region was above $110. 2005 was the first year that hotel demand in the five-county region rose above 8 million room nights. 2005 was the first year that five-county hotel revenue was more than $900 million. According to PKF Consulting, leisure travelers accounted for 32% of hotel demand in the five-county region in 2005. Source: Smith Travel Research Return to Top

GPTMC EMBRACES THE BLOGOSPHERE

In conjunction with online PR consultant Shel Holtz - an acknowledged leader in consumer-generated media (CGM) - GPTMC began working in 2006 at the intersection of PR and the Internet to maximize our content on blogs, podcasts and the greater Web. In March, our online pressroom instituted six different RSS (really simple syndication) feeds for What's New, Dining, Events, Seasonal Travel, Hotel Packages and Tourism Research. That means journalists can "subscribe" to topics that are specifically of interest to them. Here are more of Shel's best teachings:

1. Monitoring: Marketers should begin monitoring the blogosphere to identify risks, threats, trends and opportunities. Mostly free services that are invaluable: Technorati, PubSub and BlogPulse.
2. Blogs: Blogging is here to stay, and some categories of blogs will be particularly helpful to tourism, including enthusiast blogs, staff blogs, leader blogs and short-term blogs. Bloggers of every stripe are becoming influential with consumers; we've already had great success pitching content to top blogs.
3. Wikis: These collaborative editing tools can and should be used for project management, as well as for content distribution. In addition to setting up our own wikis to manage projects, we should contribute to wikis relevant to Philadelphia (e.g., Wikipedia).
4. Podcasting: This technology offers a low-cost, low-risk means of getting alternative content to a rapidly growing audience of listeners.
5. Open-Source Marketing: A great way to connect with enthusiasts of any product, open source marketing allows you to launch contests, campaigns and initiatives for enthusiasts to submit images, slogans and even video.

Subscribe to any of GPTMC's RSS feeds here.
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ACCORDING TO THE PRESS

GPTMC's PR department is off to a good start in 2006. Here's a look at some of our best hits to date:

• " www.gophila.com - Wasn't this one of Godzilla's opponents during the 1970s? Regardless, it's also the name of the new and improved Web site devoted to tourism in the City of Brotherly Love, which allows would-be visitors to research everything from cheese steaks to the Rocky statue." - The Chicago Tribune (950,582 circulation), February 12, 2006
• "Several years ago, when I made an off-the-cuff comment about the rivalry between Philadelphia and New York, I found myself quickly corrected by a native New Yorker. 'Philly might have a rivalry with New York,' she declared, 'but New Yorkers are barely aware Philadelphia exists.'" This may still be largely true, but Manhattanites would be well-advised to sneak a peek over their shoulders from time to time, because Philadelphia is gaining on them. - Toronto Globe and Mail (1,265,000 circulation), February 4, 2006
• Philadelphia's used to being in between New York and Washington, but a recent article in the New York Times puts Princeton in the middle: "Princeton hopes to capitalize on the university's proximity to New York and Philadelphia to attract working artists." - The New York Times (1,126,190 circulation), January 21, 2006
• "Philadelphia is pulling out all the stops to celebrate Ben Franklin's 300th birthday - including putting ads in Boston T stations. Which rankles Franklin impersonator Bill Meikle...But as 2006 approached, Meikle said Philadelphia kept planning more and more events, while Boston lagged behind." - Boston Herald (230,543 circulation), January 12, 2006
• "The City of Brotherly Love is experiencing a resurgence as tourists flock to attractions like the elegant National Constitution Center, the refurbished Liberty Bell Pavilion, new art galleries popping up in Old City and an increasingly hip dining scene that's serving up more than cheesesteaks. Another dra plans to blanket the city with free wi-fi." - Time Magazine (4,050,589 circulation), January 9, 2006
• "Experiencing Philadelphia is hardly limited to seeing the Liberty Bell, running up the Philadelphia Museum of Arts steps a la Rocky, and getting sick on cheese steaks. With a hot music scene and some cool new restaurants, historical sites are now just one key aspect of a city that became surprisingly modern when no one was looking." - Southwest Airlines Spirit (426, 837 circulation), January 2006

GPTMC STRIKES GOLD, SILVER AND BRONZE

Philadelphia Museum of Art

The Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation (GPTMC) left its mark on the 16th annual Adrian Awards Gala, garnering six awards at a ceremony held in New York City. The Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International (HSMAI) honored GPTMC with the following awards:

• Gold Adrian Award: Best public relations campaign, Salvador Dalí, in partnership with the Philadelphia Museum of Art and Advanta
• Silver Adrian Award: Best public relations press kit, Ben Franklin 300 Philadelphia
• Silver Adrian Award: Best public relations feature, Cooking Light
• Bronze Adrian Award: Best advertising series for television spots entitled, "These and These"
• Bronze Adrian Award: Best advertising campaign, Salvador Dalí
• Bronze Adrian Award: Best public relations special event: Fourth of July

CABLE TV SHOWS PHILLY THE LOVE

Stephen Colbert with Ben Franklin

LOOK OUT: THINK OUTSIDE™ IS COMING

Valley Forge National Historical Park

WYETH LEADS THE WAY

Keurner Farm
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When Andrew Wyeth: Memory and Magic, a collection of 100 rarely seen works, goes on display at the Philadelphia Museum of Art (March 29-July 16, 2006), it will certainly motivate art lovers to explore the city and countryside that inspired the Brandywine Valley artist. Visitors to the region can perfect "The Art of the Long Weekend" with an itinerary highlighting the fine arts, performing arts, even the literary and culinary arts throughout Philadelphia and the Brandywine River environs. The three-day, two-night tour is available at gophila.com/itineraries.

AAA TRAVEL TRENDS

In an expedia.com survey of 1,000 customers, 32% resolved to travel more in 2006. This could be a turning point in an American trend. At the end of 2005, Expedia projected that Americans would not use 421 million vacation days, meaning that each worker would give back three of their days at the end of the year. The epidemic, dubbed "Vacation Deprivation," has existed in five annual Expedia surveys. Because vacation is a necessary part of many workers' mental health, Expedia suggested some tips for Americans to utilize their precious work-free days: plan ahead; build a travel fund; be savvy when booking travel; leave work at work; fun is the only concern on vacation; don't overdo it; allow time to transition back to work; and, when you get back from vacation, start planning your next one.

BEN'S IMAGE IS BIG BUSINESS

Ben Franklin

COMING ATTRACTIONS

Devon Horse Show and Country Fair

Believe it or not, spring is finally upon us. Here's a look at some events and exhibitions that promise to help drive tourism demand:

• April 8-11, 2006: Philadelphia Antiques Show, 33rd Street Armory, www.philaantiques.com
• April 27-29, 2006: Penn Relays, Franklin Field, www.thepennrelays.com
• May 1-7, 2006: Equality Forum, throughout Center City, www.equalityforum.com
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• May 6-28, 2006: 105th Annual Student Exhibition, Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, www.pafa.org
• May 12-13, 2006: Dad Vail Regatta, Schuylkill River, www.dadvail.org
• May 25-June 3, 2006: Devon Horse Show and Country Fair, Devon Show Grounds, www.thedevonhorseshow.com
• May 27-28, 2006: Jam on the River, Penn's Landing, www.jamontheriver.com
• May 27-29, 2006: Brandywine River Museum Antiques Show, Brandywine River Museum, www.brandywinemuseum.org
• June 8-September 10, 2006: Disney's The Lion King, Academy of Music, www.kimmelcenter.org/broadway

Photos by: M. Kennedy, R. Kennedy and B. Krist for GPTMC.