News

Free Giveaways This Weekend for International Visitors as Part of World Tourism Day

PHILADELPHIA-(Business Wire)-September 25, 2008 - Philadelphia Convention & Visitors Bureau:

WHAT: International visitors to Philadelphia will receive a special welcome this weekend (September 26-28), when the Philadelphia Convention & Visitors Bureau (PCVB), Independence Visitor Center Corporation (IVCC), and the city join the rest of the world in marking World Tourism Day. Presented by the U.N. World Tourism Organization. World Tourism Day is celebrated across the U.S. and around the world on September 27^th to champion the benefits of travel, both economically and socially.

To kick off the weekend, media are invited to witness international visitors “make their mark” in Philadelphia by placing a push pin on their country of origin in exchange for a Philadelphia USA pennant. George Washington and General Lafayette will also be in attendance.

WHEN:		Friday, September 26, 2008
		11:00 – 11:30 a.m.

WHERE:		Independence Visitor Center 6^th & Market streets

WHO:		Representatives from the Independence Visitor Center Corporation and the Philadelphia Convention & Visitors Bureau; Historic Philadelphia, Inc. interpreters George Washington and General Lafayette; and a group of 38 international visitors from France, Germany, Ireland, Spain, Canada, Poland, Mexico, and Switzerland.

DETAILS:		The Philadelphia Convention & Visitors Bureau and the Independence Visitor Center Corporation are hosting this to thank international visitors for choosing to visit Philadelphia and to showcase Philadelphia’s international visitor services including: New signage informing international visitors of [Essential] Philadelphia, the PCVB’s international visitor guides available in French, German, Italian, Dutch, Russian, Spanish, Japanese, Chinese, Anglicized English, and soon to be available, Korean. New Multilingual GPS Ranger™, a self-guided walking tour device available for visitors to rent in English, French, German, Italian, and, Spanish. Multilingual visitor concierges to provide international visitors with trip-planning, brochures, tours, etc. They can also help international visitors find a tour guide that speaks in their native tongue.

Philadelphia had a record number of 550,000 international visitors in 2007, an increase of more than 100,000 from the previous year. The Independence Visitor Center welcomes more than 2.5 million visitors annually, including an increasing number of international visitors.

EDITORS NOTE: PROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER WILL BE ON SITE. FOR PHOTOS, CONTACT ELLEN KORNFIELD, 215/636-3471.

Send this news item to a friend.

Print This Page