PHILADELPHIA CONVENTION & VISITORS BUREAU DELEGATION SHOWCASES CITY AT LONDON'S WORLD TRAVEL MARKET

Philadelphia, PA – November 9, 2015 – A team from the Philadelphia Convention & Visitors Bureau (PHLCVB) including Board Chairman, Nick DeBenedictis; President & CEO, Jack Ferguson; Executive Vice President, Julie Coker Graham; and Executive Director of Tourism, Brian Said; were in London last week for World Travel Market (WTM), the largest travel trade show in the English-speaking world. The Philadelphia delegation also included representatives from the Philadelphia International Airport, the Chester County Conference & Visitors Bureau, the Valley Forge Tourism & Convention Board and One Liberty Observation Deck, (slated to open in Philadelphia later this month).

“The U.K. is Philadelphia's #1 international feeder market bringing 87,000 visitors to our city in 2014, with travel from Ireland to Philadelphia also growing quickly,” said Nick DeBenedictis. “Attending WTM enabled us to reinforce Philadelphia's commitment to excellence in the customer experience, as well as to international partnerships and initiatives that support sustained growth from the U.K. and Ireland travel markets to our city and the region.”

World Travel Market draws more than 50,000 senior travel industry professionals, government officials and press from across the globe to conduct business and network. The PHLCVB and partners collectively fielded 75 appointments with receptive tour operators, travel agents and international media during the show.

Last week at WTM, the U.S. Ambassador to the U.K., Director General of the U.K.'s Border Force and the U.S.Customs and Border Protection Commissioner, announced the expansion of Global Entry to U.K. citizens which would allow expedited clearance of pre-approved, low-risk travelers. Philadelphia currently has seven daily flights from the U.K. and Ireland (5 x London Heathrow, 1 x Manchester and 1 x Dublin).

“With daily flights to PHL and the expansion of the Global Entry program to U.K. citizens it becomes even easier for visitors to choose Philadelphia as their gateway into the U.S.,” said Jack Ferguson. “With the recent Papal visit giving Philadelphia unprecedented exposure across the globe, the PHLCVB is working to keep that momentum going and bring even more overseas visitors to the city.”

In addition to attending tradeshows like WTM, the PHLCVB has participated in and launched several initiatives geared toward further promoting travel to Philadelphia such as the Brand USA MegaFam Finale, which brought the 100 top-selling travel agents from the U.K. and Ireland to Philadelphia earlier this year. Additionally, last week the organization launched a customized training module for travel agents as part of Brand USA's USA Discovery Program, which encourages agents from across the U.K. to become accredited Philadelphia specialists, earning a Philadelphia Specialist badge.

“The program allows travel agents to learn everything they need to know about the birthplace of America, including information on the city's dining, nightlife, accommodations, excellent tax-free shopping, unique attractions and ease of access from the U.K.,” explained Brian Said. “This is the first step in centralizing our agent education efforts in our primary feeder markets, making it more convenient for top sellers to learn more about Philadelphia through Brand USA's infrastructure. We will be rolling this out to other markets in the near future.” 

###

About Philadelphia Convention & Visitors Bureau

The Philadelphia Convention & Visitors Bureau (PHLCVB), www.discoverPHL.com, a private non-profit membership corporation, is the official Tourism Promotion Agency for the City of Philadelphia globally, and the primary sales and marketing agency for the expanded Pennsylvania Convention Center. The PHLCVB competes with its counterparts worldwide for convention and tourism business. The organization has departments dedicated to the multicultural, sports, and life sciences markets. The PHLCVB incorporates the short code PHL, an open source graphic identifier for the City of Philadelphia into the Convention & Visitors Bureau brand identity. The graphic identifier and other assets for use by public, private and non-profit organizations can be found at www.PHLpartners.com.