New hotels, new direct flights, a major new tourist attraction and an increase in UK visitor figures.
The number of UK visitors travelling to Philadelphia rose to 88,000 in 2013 with the UK representing the largest international visitor market for the city. The momentum of growth is set to continue across Philadelphia and by 2017; four brand new hotels and over 1,200 hotel rooms will be introduced to the city.
In addition to the expansion of hotel products, both Delta Air Lines and American Airlines have announced new direct flights from London Heathrow from spring 2015. In summer 2015, Philadelphia will also welcome the arrival of a major new tourist attraction when the city’s only high-level viewing platform opens to the public on the 57th floor of One Liberty Place.
The latest news from Philadelphia includes:
Philadelphia to welcome four new hotels
In 2016, Philadelphia will welcome the opening of the SLS International Hotel, with 2017 also bringing the addition of three new properties to the city. Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants, which has recently been acquired by InterContinental Hotels Group, is opening its third property in Philadelphia and Four Seasons Hotel will occupy the top floors of the new 59 storey Comcast Tower. W/Element Hotel will also open its doors and is expected to include 41,000 square foot of meeting space. With almost 62% of UK visitors choosing hotels as their preferred overnight accommodation choice in Philadelphia, the opening of the new properties with further the brand choice available for both the business and leisure traveller.
Two new properties, Home2Suites by Hilton in Philadelphia’s business district and Courtyard by Marriott at Philadelphia Navy Yard have recently opened in 2014 bringing 418 additional rooms to the city. Courtyard by Marriott at Philadelphia Navy Yard occupies a prime position close to the city’s stadiums and nightlife hotspot, Xfinity Live! making it the ideal choice for leisure visitors.
New direct flights announced with Delta Airlines and American Airlines
Delta Air Lines has confirmed that from 8 April 2015, the airline will operate a new daily direct service to Philadelphia, in partnership with Virgin Atlantic. The flights will depart from London Heathrow on a 164-seat Boeing 757-200. In the same week, rival airline American Airlines also announced that it will add a second daily round-trip flight on its route between Philadelphia and London Heathrow from 29 March 2015. Delta Air Lines will become the fifth airline to fly directly to Philadelphia from London when it joins British Airways, Iberia, US Airways and American Airlines in spring 2015.
Major tourist attraction viewing platform opening on 57th floor
In summer 2015, Philadelphia’s only high-rise viewing platform will open on the 57th floor of One Liberty Place. The unveiling of the attraction in the iconic Helmut Jahn-designed skyscraper will allow visitors to view the city from a whole new perspective for the very first time. The project is the brainchild of major tourism attraction company, Montparnasse 56, who have chosen Philadelphia to be home to their next major project.
UK visitor figures revealed
In 2013, an additional 1,000 UK visitors travelled to Philadelphia compared to 2012 bringing the total number of annual visitors to the city from the UK to 88,000. Figures released by the National Travel and Tourism Office (NTTO) in their spring 2014 forecast also suggest that the number of visitors from the UK to the US is expected to grow at an annual average rate of 3% between now and 2018.
Tatiana is the news coordinator for TravelDailyNews Media Network (traveldailynews.gr, traveldailynews.com and traveldailynews.asia). Her role includes monitoring the hundreds of news sources of TravelDailyNews Media Network and skimming the most important according to our strategy.
She holds a Bachelor's degree in Communication & Mass Media from Panteion University of Political & Social Studies of Athens and she has been editor and editor-in-chief in various economic magazines and newspapers.
