As the leading advocate for international visitation to Philadelphia, the PHLCVB Global Tourism team provides a gateway for your business to connect with overseas travelers and tour operators. To strengthen these connections, we offer insights into recent global travel trends and how our dedicated team can best assist you in capitalizing on these opportunities.
What does the PHLCVB Global Tourism team do?
The PHLCVB Global Tourism team positions Philadelphia as a leading destination for international visitors and domestic group tours. The team partners with our in-market representation offices and promotes Philadelphia in our key global markets.
These markets are the United Kingdom, Ireland, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, France, India, China, Netherlands, Italy, Spain, Australia, and New Zealand.
What themes are impacting international visitors to choose their destinations?
Currently, overseas travelers want to visit lesser-known destinations for authentic and memorable experiences. While in a destination, visitors gravitate towards pop-culture landmarks, food tourism, wellness attractions, and luxury experiences. Because of the carbon footprint international travel can have, they’re also interested in sustainable experiences and dining to offset their impact.
How does the PHLCVB promote Philadelphia to an international audience?
The PHLCVB’s Communications team creates a content plan to ensure consistent messaging across the global network while determining specific themes per market. We work with our network of international offices to set the strategic direction to promote Philadelphia through press releases, newsletters, social media, direct pitches, and marketing and media campaigns.
Keep us informed on what’s new with your business by sending us press releases, story starters, fact sheets, background info, and anything else through our content collection form. This information helps us promote Philadelphia and our partners to international audiences.
What unique selling points attract international visitors to Philadelphia?
Philadelphia boasts various distinctive features that attract international visitors to the city. Our walkability is a major selling point, as travelers can easily get around the city without public transportation or rentinga car. The tax-free shopping on clothing and shoes and the overall affordability of Philadelphia are also appealing to travelers.
Many international travelers plan multi-destination trips, making Philadelphia’s proximity to cities like New York and Washington D.C. attractive. Because of its ease of accessibility, PHL International Airport is a preferred East Coast gateway for international travelers coming from direct flight destinations.
What in-market challenges influence consumer decisions, and how can partners take action to overcome them?
Rising costs and currency exchange rates are currently two of the biggest challenges international customers face when choosing their travel destinations. Partners can offer flexible pricing solutions for incoming groups to combat rising costs. You can provide more flexibility with cancellation terms, offer value adds to the trip, and honor 2023 rates for 2024.
What can partners do to target international markets?
If possible, partners should translate their informational materials into the following languages: Spanish, German, French, Italian and Mandarin. Advertise that these materials are available and make them easily accessible on your website. If you don’t have the budget to translate materials, consider implementing Google Translate features on your website.
To attract international visitors to your business, advertise key events and dates as far out as possible. International travelers plan their vacations well in advance – anywhere from two months to a year ahead of time. If you know the dates of your key events, publicize them as soon as possible so travelers can plan accordingly.
How can partners take advantage of their PHLCVB membership to reach global markets?
Our online Partner Portal provides the tools to attract global customers. Check out Global Tourism leads, your resource for tour operator contact information, providing opportunities to book new business and develop relationships. Contact us about the possibility of joining our team on our various sales missions and calls to make these connections directly. And of course, contact our team if you have any questions or need guidance.
