Philadelphia, – “Culture, cuisine, historic streets going green, easy for walking, tax-free for shopping, wallet-friendly, chic and trendy, totally obvious choice for your next American adventure” – is the new message being promoted by Philadelphia (PHL) to the global marketplace. Offering a budget-friendly metropolitan experience paired with a prime central location on the Northeast corridor of the U.S., PHL is a true value for the international traveler.

“We have worked hard in the international arena to tell the story of Philadelphia as a modern renaissance city offering world-class culture, dining and attractions” said Jack Ferguson, president & CEO, Philadelphia Convention & Visitors Bureau (PHLCVB).  “But what we also need to remind the global traveler is that we are incredibly easy to get to through Philadelphia International Airport and a great bargain compared to many other large cities.”

As a region, America's East Coast is home to eclectic and bustling cosmopolitan cities including Philadelphia, Boston, New York and Washington, D.C. With the average travel time of less than three hours between each destination, global travelers can easily immerse themselves in the diversity of experiences the region offers,without ever boarding a plane once they arrive in the U.S. Philadelphia is ideally situated in the center of this region and the perfect hub for fly-drive-rail adventures.

PHL: MAKE IT ACCESSIBLE

Philadelphia International Airport (www.phl.org) connects PHL with more than 124 cities including, over 30 international destinations. According to statistics, the airport served more than 30.5 million passengers in 2013, 4.3 million of which were international. Non-stop flights from global hubs such as Amsterdam, London, Rome, Frankfurt, Edinburgh, Paris and Doha (the first flight connecting the Gulf Region to Philadelphia via Qatar Airways launched on April 2, 2014), make Philadelphia easily accessible from anywhere in the world. With the merger of U.S. Airways and American Airlines and the designation of Philadelphia International Airport as a One World Alliance Hub, PHL is truly a gateway to the U.S. for global travelers.

Once visitors arrive, exploring other U.S. destinations is easy via rails services via Amtrak (www.amtrak.com)rail service. Philadelphia is located less than a two-hour train ride from both New York and Washington, D.C., while Boston can be reached in roughly six hours. Megabus (www.megabus.com) and Bolt Bus(www.boltbus.com) also offer budget-friendly options from PHL to surrounding cities.

While staying in Philadelphia, visitors will find a walkable downtown area with parks, outdoor cafes andcobblestone streets, alongside modern skyscrapers, a thriving business and financial district and charming, friendly neighborhoods.

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Add 2/PHL: Here for the Making

PHL: MAKING GREAT DEALS

Visitors staying overnight in Philadelphia have plenty to choose from. Nearly 40 hotels are located in theCenter City area offering more than 9,000 hotel rooms. World-class hotel brands representing the luxury, boutique and economy markets provide quality relaxation for visitors to the City. Over the span of the past year many hotels in the downtown area have spent millions of dollars renovating and upgrading their properties,including the Radisson Blu Warwick Hotel, the Loews Philadelphia Hotel, the Rittenhouse Hotel and the Wyndham Philadelphia Historic District. Over the next few years PHL will see a slew of new hotel openings including a SLS International Hotel to open in 2016, a W/Element Hotel and new Four Seasons hotel (both scheduled to open in 2017), as well as a third Kimpton property in PHL (also scheduled to open in early 2017).

Once travelers have selected their hotel accommodations and unpacked their bags, Philadelphia offers a plethora of shopping options to fill them once again. A shopper's paradise, PHL offers Tax-free shopping on all clothes and shoes and more than 2,000 shops and boutiques in the downtown area to choose from. A short drive from Center City visitors will also find the King of Prussia Mall, the U.S.A.'s largest retail shopping complex and Philadelphia Premium Outlets featuring more than 150 brand outlet stores.

For more information on Philadelphia as a world-class destination visit www.discoverPHL.com (information available in more than 10 languages including Spanish, French, German and simplified Chinese.)

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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. ThePHLCVB 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 atwww.PHLpartners.com.