Philadelphia, USA Awarded Title of  “Best History-Culture Destination”
by Top Travel Magazine in China 

Beijing, China, — The City of Philadelphia was named the “Best History-Culture Destination” by Top Travel magazine during its annual award ceremony in December 2015. Best known as the “Chinese Travel Oscar,” this designation is significant, as Philadelphia has become the first destination in the United States to receive this title in China. Moreover, just in November, Philadelphia was named the first “World Heritage City” in the United States through a vote taken by the XIII World Congress of the Organization of World Heritage Cities.

"We are honored that Top Travel chose Philadelphia for this prestigious award, recognizing it as a world-class city full of historic and cultural attractions that will impress visitors from across the globe, and we look forward to welcoming even more visitors from China in the coming years," said Julie Coker Graham, President and CEO of the Philadelphia Convention & Visitors Bureau (PHLCVB), the global tourism promotion agency for the City of Philadelphia.

In March of 2015, the PHLCVB demonstrated its commitment to the Chinese market by opening its first representation office in China in addition to appointing Stefan Merkl as the International Tourism Sales Manager for the Asia Pacific region with a focus on China. The PHLCVB also produces an International Visitors Guide for Chinese visitors, which was developed in partnership with National Geographic Traveler.

Philadelphia is perfectly situated on the East Coast of the United States, just two hours or less by train from Washington, D.C. and New York City. The city is safe, affordable and group-friendly, and in addition to its rich historical and cultural attractions, it is also a center for higher education, home to top schools including the University of Pennsylvania and its Wharton business school, as well as Temple and Drexel universities.

As the birthplace of America, visitors can walk in the footsteps of history along Philadelphia's charming cobblestone streets lined with historical landmarks, such as Independence Hall (a UNESCO World Heritage Site), the Liberty Bell and beautiful colonial homes. Travelers will also be thrilled with the city's cultural scene, where they can take in world-renowned music performances by the Philadelphia Orchestra at the architecturally-stunning Kimmel Center; or opera, ballet or Broadway shows at the Academy of Music. In addition, Philadelphia's world-class museums showcase some of the country's finest art collections. 

Philadelphia is also known for its shopping – all shoes and clothing purchases are tax-free – and dining, as many world-class chefs call the city home. The city is continuously adding new attractions to enhance the visitor experience, including the recently opened One Liberty Observation Deck, which features stunning views of the skyline and surrounding areas. There are also many attractions adding translated resources for international visitors, including the Big Bus and Philadelphia Sightseeing Bus, which will begin offering audio guides in Mandarin on their hop-on/hop-off double-decker bus tours in early 2016.

“Earning this great award presented by Top Travel magazine in less than a year's time of launching new efforts on behalf of the PHLCVB is the best recognition for our work,” said Mr Vincent Zheng, China Country Manager with East West Marketing, the PHLCVB's representation office in China.

The 2015 Top Travel Ceremony was co-hosted by the high-end outbound travel magazine Top Travel, the only outbound travel lifestyle magazine in China that is produced by the Boutique Media Group. Since it was founded in 2007, Top Travel magazine rapidly became one of the favorite travel and lifestyle magazines for high-end consumers in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou. Actresses Ma Su and Tong Yao, actors Shao Bing and Geng Le and 10 other celebrities attended the ceremony, along with over 300 people from the tourism field, finance and other industry sectors. 

To find out more about PHLCVB's work in the international markets, visit www.discoverPHL.com/international. 

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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.