PHILADELPHIA, December 3, 2020 – During a difficult year for both the travel industry and the media outlets that cover the industry, Philadelphia celebrates welcome news: a nine-page story in Travel + Leisure’s December issue highlighting the diversity and creativity fueling the city’s neighborhoods. This great coverage comes on the heels of Esquire’s “Best New Restaurants in 2020” list in which Philadelphia received multiple recognitions and in the same year that National Geographic included Philadelphia as the only U.S. city on its annual “Best Trips” list. These high-profile stories keep Philadelphia top of mind for potential visitors planning future trips — critically important for the region’s post-COVID-19 tourism recovery. The two most recent stories focus on the character and resilience of Philly chefs, who represent what is perhaps the single hardest-hit industry of the pandemic: restaurants.
Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney says, “National media showcasing our city will help the hospitality industry’s recovery across all segments — leisure, business and group — and help put more Philadelphians back to work. Our residents know the incredible small businesses that make Philadelphia neighborhoods special, and when it’s safe, we will proudly welcome visitors to experience our great city.”
Adding to the sentiment, Jeff Guraracino, VISIT PHILADELPHIA president & CEO, says, “With travelers taking two to four months to plan their trips, now is the time to inspire 2021 travel. Part of our marketing strategy throughout the pandemic has been to tell people what they can do in the Philadelphia region under whatever restrictions have been in place at the time. But part of our messaging is pure inspiration for people planning future trips.”
Research shows pent-up demand for travel in 2021 and Philadelphia well-positioned as a destination1 to reap the benefits. 80% of American travelers say they have at least tentative travel plans next year, with increasingly more reporting trip plans through summer 20212. For Philadelphia, over a third of potential visitors surveyed in the city’s feeder markets have expressed consideration for traveling here within the next year3.
Good Press Happens In Philadelphia:
In the recent stories, Esquire’s “Best New Restaurant” was Kalaya, the Thai bring-your-own-bottle spot run by Chef Chutatip “Nok” Suntaranon, who gained acclaim not only for her food, but also her relief efforts for out-of-work restaurant staff. And “Chef of Year” and “Pop-Up of the Year” both went to Chef Omar Tate, essayist on Blackness and founder of the Honeysuckle pop-up series and the upcoming Honeysuckle Community Center. Author Jeff Gordinier describes Philadelphia as “a city with arguably the most exciting food scene in the United States.”
Penned by Jennifer Wilson, the Travel + Leisure piece profiled nearly 20 chefs, restaurants and entrepreneurs in East Passyunk, Bella Vista, Queen Village, Fishtown and Kensington. The piece ended with this tribute, “For so many of the chefs and small business owners I spoke with, Philadelphia is a place where things still feel possible. Every conversation I had about food, or art, or a new skin care line, returned to the subject of dreams and how the city has made them achievable.”
1 Tourism Economics. Philadelphia is well-positioned to rebound quickly relative to other markets. A diverse mix of demand segments and a high share of domestic visitors make Philadelphia a resilient market during the current crisis.
2 Destination Analysts
3 Russell Research
VISIT PHILADELPHIA® is our name and our mission. As the region’s official tourism marketing agency, we build Greater Philadelphia’s image, drive visitation and boost the economy.
On Greater Philadelphia’s official visitor website and blog, visitphilly.com and uwishunu.com, visitors can explore things to do, upcoming events, themed itineraries and hotel packages. Compelling photography and videos, interactive maps and detailed visitor information make the sites effective trip-planning tools. Along with Visit Philly social media channels, the online platforms communicate directly with consumers. Travelers can also call and stop into the Independence Visitor Center for additional information and tickets. 6th & Market Streets, (800) 537-7676