Philadelphia officials are lauding the
city's newest accolade: A top gay destination.
The 13th annual LGBT Tourism
Study of 4,500 gay and lesbian travelers ranked Philadelphia the 13th
most visited U.S. destination for gay and lesbian travelers.
Philadelphia's ascent as a gay
destination began in 2003 when the city launched the Philadelphia-
Get Your History Straight and Your Nightlife Gay campaign. The
ads ran in several high-profile mainstream publications and in
venerable gay media outlets like The Advocate.
“Just a few years ago, Philadelphia
wasn't even on the gay map, but today the city is among the
most-recognized lesbian and gay tourism brands out there,” said
Thomas Roth, president of Community Marketing, the San
Francisco-based research firm that conducted the study. “To see
this kind of consumer recognition is a tribute to taking a
well-considered and steady approach to LGBT travel marketing and it
is a huge achievement.”
Philadelphia first broke the prized
“Top 20 U.S. Destinations” list in 2006, when it topped out at
#16.
“Philadelphia, our partners and
especially the members of the Philadelphia Gay Tourism Caucus are
immensely proud to know that gay and lesbian travelers are
increasingly discovering Philadelphia and The Countryside,” said
Meryl Levitz, president and CEO, Greater Philadelphia Tourism
Marketing Corporation (GPTMC). “We believe that our region's rich
history, incredible dining, exclusive events, vibrant nightlife and
great hotels – all of which are affordable – offer gay and
lesbian travelers an unrivaled experience.”
On the Net: For information about gay
happenings in Philadelphia, visit www.gophila.com/gay