In London, Mayor Nutter will lead a consortium of Philadelphia area travel partners, including PHLCVB President & CEO Jack Ferguson, on the tradeshow floor at WTM.
As part of Mayor Michael A. Nutter’s November trade mission to London and Tel Aviv, the Philadelphia Convention & Visitors Bureau (PHLCVB), Philadelphia International Airport and key partners will promote Philadelphia as a global travel destination for conventions and leisure travel beginning at World Travel Market (WTM) in London, U.K. and then Tel Aviv, Israel.
In London, Mayor Nutter will lead a consortium of Philadelphia area travel partners, including PHLCVB President & CEO Jack Ferguson, on the tradeshow floor at WTM. This leading global travel industry event is expected to draw more than 47,000 travel professionals along with trade and consumer press, from across the globe. The delegation will also host an event with airline executives about new potential flights, which will provide a vehicle to drive additional business and leisure travelers to Philadelphia in the coming years.
“I want to thank the PHLCVB and all those who are supporting this effort and working every day to promote Philadelphia on the global stage. Through these relationships, we will attract new international travelers, students, investment and trade opportunities for Philadelphia businesses, and create new jobs for Philadelphians,” said Mayor Nutter.
Mayor Nutter and Ferguson will attend the WTM Ministerial Dinner in association with UN World Tourism Organization on November 5, which will include Tourism Ministers from around the world, as well as editors from leading global travel trade publications.
“Philadelphia is lucky to have such strong leadership from Mayor Nutter who sees the economic impact of international business, including the business of travel,” said Ferguson. “The magnitude of this mission is powerful with so many partners from various business sectors coming together to promote our great city as a hub for trade, travel, education and innovation, while positioning Philadelphia a world-class destination.”
To further “drive” the message home, the PHLCVB has partnered with Brand USA to wrap 11 London taxicabs that will be on the streets for the month of November. Philadelphia messaging and images will appear on the exteriors of the cabs as well as on the interior headrests and taxi receipts. The PHLCVB is launching a contest on Facebook and Twitter for people in London to spot the cabs, share a photo, and be entered to win a VIP trip to Philadelphia.
Other partners in the mission include the Barnes Foundation, Philadelphia Museum of Art and the Valley Forge Convention & Visitors Bureau. Following WTM, part of the team will head to Paris to continue the global promotion of Philadelphia as an arts and culture destination. Mayor Nutter and his delegation, including PHLCVB Executive Director of Tourism Brian Said, will continue to Tel Aviv, Israel where they will explore trade partnerships between the Sister Cities.
The trade mission will arrive in London on November 2, 2013, departing for Tel Aviv on November 6, 2013, arriving back in Philadelphia November 12, 2013. A full list of businesses will be published by the City of Philadelphia closer to the departure date, but companies signed up to participate include: Aberdeen Asset Management, the Mark Group, Artisan Mobile, and Derbyshire Machinery and Tool Co.
In addition to the PHLCVB, the trade mission is made possible by the support of a number of partners, including the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, UK Trade and Investment, the Consulate-General of Israel, Select Greater Philadelphia, the International Visitors Council, the World Trade Center of Greater Philadelphia, Drexel University, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia, the Philadelphia-Israel Chamber of Commerce, US Airways, British Airways, the United States Commercial Service, Philadelphia International Airport, The Mark Group, Aberdeen Asset Management, London and Partners, the British American Business Council, the Honorary British Consul, and Greenberg Traurig.
Theodore is the Co-Founder and Managing Editor of TravelDailyNews Media Network; his responsibilities include business development and planning for TravelDailyNews long-term opportunities.
