How Can Philly Lure Tourists?
Philadelphia has everything tourists crave, but the trick for the local hospitality industry is showing the world that the city is more than the Liberty Bell and Rocky. That's why we're excited to discuss the future of the hospitality market with the expert speakers at Bisnow’s Philadelphia Hospitality & Casino Summit at the Ritz-Carlton Philadelphia on Dec. 4 at 8am.
As the birthplace of the nation, the city has centuries of history to be explored, Visit Philadelphia CEO Meryl Levitz, who will speak at our event, tells us. “But increasingly, we’re being known for our food scene and as an arts destination,” she says. Foodie districts are drawing people to neighborhoods all over Philly—East Passyunk Ave, Reading Terminal Market and the Italian Market, for example. Street food includes gourmet trucks and carts slinging cheesesteaks. Vegetarian and vegan eateries are de rigueur, from high-end restaurants to casual takeout. “The food scene delivers exceptional experiences without pretension,” Meryl says.
The other thing that surprises first-time visitors, she says: Philly’s art, indoors and outside. “You can find it in museums and galleries, but also on the exteriors of buildings, on sidewalks, in parks—just about anywhere you look,” Meryl says. The public art scene is "vast and accessible," and the museums are world-renowned. (We got a cheesesteak from Pat's the other day that belonged in a museum, but we ate it instead.) Pictured: “Nature morte au crane,” by Cezanne, which is at the Barnes Foundation.
Hersha Hospitality Management president and CEO Naveen Kakarla, another speaker, and one of whose properties is the Rittenhouse Spa & Club, agrees that Philly’s art scene is now a major attraction, especially with the recent incorporation of the Barnes Foundation to the Ben Franklin Parkway stacking up one of the world’s largest private collections of fine art alongside thousands of outdoor public art pieces. As for places to eat, in the last year alone 42 new outdoor seating locations have been added in Center City, he says.
Valley Forge Casino CEO Mike Bowman, who will also be a speaker, tells us that Philadelphia has the hotels, as well as restaurants and theater and other entertainment--such as gaming, naturally--to compete effectively with other Northeastern cities for visitors. Another advantage: The city’s also very easy to navigate. (Sign up here.)
