Gay Philadelphia Wins Prestigious Travel Award

PHILADELPHIA, PA -- The Travel Industry of America (TIA) announced today that the Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation (GPTMC) has made history by winning the top award in domestic tourism competing against mainstream entries for Philadelphia's Get Your History Straight and Your Nightlife Gay(r) campaign. This year's competition was open to destinations, attractions, hospitality and transportation companies (airlines, cruise lines, etc.) from all over the world.

TIA's Odyssey Awards, the premiere recognition program for the $646 billion U.S. travel and tourism industry, rewards the very best organizations in the travel industry for attaining new levels of excellence. According to TIA, the Odyssey Awards are bestowed upon those that have demonstrated originality, creativity and effectiveness combined with notable, measurable results for the previous year.

In a press release, TIA states that: "Philadelphia stands out because it became one of few cities worldwide to promote itself as a gay-friendly destination. The Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation launched a $1 million, three-year campaign to capture its share of the $64 billion gay travel market. In partnership with the Philadelphia Gay Tourism Caucus, they made history when their 30-second "Penn Pals" commercial aired on national television. Their Gay-friendly Merchant program, connecting tourists to gay-friendly businesses, demonstrated Philadelphia's gay appeal and its genuine intentions to welcoming gay and lesbian travelers. Publicity coverage alone was valued at $10 million in advertising equivalency with 183 million impressions. More than 14 hotels now offer the gay- friendly Philadelphia Freedom Hotel Package."

GPTMC President and CEO Meryl Levitz will accept the awards on Oct. 12, at the TIA Marketing Outlook Forum. TIA is the national, non-profit organization representing all components of the $646 billion travel industry.