Philly: Top Motorcoach Destination
Sunday, 26 Jul, 2006
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Tour groups are flocking to Philadelphia as the region’s reputation as a top group tour destination grows. As a result, the Philadelphia Convention and Visitors Bureau (PCVB) reports a 30 percent increase in the number of group tour room nights – 69,262 hotel room nights in 2005, compared to 53,405 room nights in 2004. In addition to the increase in group tourism, Philadelphia has been selected as a top 2006 motorcoach destination by two group travel associations, the National Tour Association (NTA) and the American Bus Association (ABA). The ABA has also selected the PCVB as “the CVB That Works Hardest for Groups,” for the fourth year in a row.
In an annual survey of ABA members (more than 1,000 motorcoach owners and tour companies in the U.S. and Canada), Philadelphia was among the top three cities in the annual “The Best and the Rest” survey, published in the June 2006 issue of ABA’s Destinations magazine, joining other popular destinations Nashville and Chicago in this category. ABA members also chose the PCVB as the number one “CVB that works hardest for groups.”
In Byways magazine, a publication of the National Motorcoach Network, Philadelphia jumped from 11th to third place in “The Top Motorcoach Destinations of 2006,” category, surpassing such popular group destinations as Williamsburg, Virginia, Branson, Missouri and San Francisco, California.
“We’re excited about these three designations,” said Fritz Smith, vice president of tourism,PCVB. “We feel like we’ve hit the tri-fecta of group tourism,” he added.
The PCVB recently added more than a dozen new experiential tours to their product including a Philadelphia in the Movies tour with stops at movie tour locations, and an Underground Railroad tour where visitors can enjoy a gospel music performance. These hands-on, behind-the-scenes tours for groups adds an extra dimension to the group travelers’ experiences.
“Tour operators are increasingly looking for ways to expand and enhance their customers’ experiences, and the fact that Philadelphia is among their top picks as a destination for groups verifies that we are on the right track in our group sales and marketing efforts in introducing new and experiential product
Courtesy: Leisure Group Travel
Vikas Chawla
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