PHILADELPHIA PREPARES TO SHOW
OFF ITS GREEN SIDE
New Tourism Campaign, Boundless Philadelphia, Focuses On
Region’s Vast, Beautiful Backyard
View more outdoors releases in the Boundless
Philadelphia press room section, here
.
PHILADELPHIA, June 21, 2006 – Firmly
established as a heritage tourism hotspot, Philadelphia is ready to
show off its green side, with a new tourism campaign that invites
visitors to come play outside. Called Boundless
Philadelphia, the $1.7 million effort promotes the quality
and quantity of the Philadelphia region’s natural assets and
outdoor experiences. Although surprising to some, the area
consistently ranks as one of the best biking, running and rowing
cities by national publications such as Runner’s World and
Bicycling Magazine. The Greater Philadelphia Tourism
Marketing Corporation (GPTMC) is at the helm of the three-year
campaign, which aims to show the average tourist just how easy it
is to combine a city visit with the pleasures of the outdoors.
Sedgley Woods Disc Golf Course
Photo by G. Widman for GPTMC
An 18-month, in-depth study commissioned by GPTMC shows that
while outdoor tourism is one of the fastest growing segments of the
travel industry, most visitors and even many residents are not
fully aware of the breadth of the region’s offerings. Whether it’s
hiking, biking, rowing, fishing, sailing, running, horseback riding
or dog walking, Philadelphia and The CountrysideTM is full of fun
ways to play outdoors.
The campaign is a regional and collaborative effort funded
primarily by a $1 million grant from the William Penn Foundation.
Funding is also being provided by a grant from the Growing Green
Fund Program administered by the Bureau of Recreation and
Conservation, Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural
Resources.
Campaign Elements:
- Internet: New outdoor content, available on gophila.com/outdoors, is
the key component of the campaign and gives visitors the online
help they need to plan their outdoor adventure. More than 150
easily searchable, comprehensive pages covering 10 categories give
visitors the lowdown on the region’s vast outdoor assets. Each
page, dedicated to a single location or activity, describes the
site and gives standard information, including rental equipment
availability, bathroom access, contact details and more. The Web
site will be consistently updated, and as always, visitors to the
site will be able to plan their entire trip online – learning about
attractions, booking hotel rooms and even blogging.
- Advertising: The print advertising campaign
blends indoor and outdoor pleasures. As the Boundless Philadelphia
manifesto reads, “I want to go to a place that understands the two
me’s…the mixed-drink me and the trail-mix me.” The
Boundless Philadelphia logo represents this
city/countryside duality with a green tree that silhouettes a
biker, trees, fish and the city skyline. Ads will appear this
summer in four outdoor publications, including National
Geographic Adventure, National Geographic Traveler,
Outside and Outside Traveler. The campaign was
developed by the Philadelphia agency, Red Tettemer. In addition,
Internet ads will target consumers looking for recreational
opportunities in Philadelphia.
- Buzz marketing: To encourage word-of-mouth
interest in outdoor Philly, GPTMC will unleash a series of buzz
marketing tactics beginning in June. These include:
-
- A Boundless Philadelphia brigade, appearing at
outdoor events all summer to engage audiences and promote the
campaign.
- Fuji Bike Giveaway, including 12 Fuji trail
bikes given away throughout the summer to luck entrants on gophila.com/outdoors
- Boundless Air Tire Pumping Station, dispensing
free air for leaky bike tires along popular trails six weekends
throughout the summer, also sponsored by Fuji Bicycles.
- A Boundless Philadelphia roving reporter, who
will report on dozens of outdoor events throughout the region
beginning this summer. The entries will appear on gophila.com/outdoors.
- Public relations: The PR team has a rich
inventory of images and written material backing up the claim that
Philadelphia truly is a great outdoors spot. The team
will conduct extensive media outreach and give national press
a chance to experience the region’s outdoor offerings.
- Research: The Philadelphia-based Osiris Group
conducted research to determine the importance of outdoor
adventures in travel, assess what visitors thought about
Philadelphia’s offerings and quantify the five-county region’s
outdoor assets (Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery and
Philadelphia counties). Additional research will be conducted later
on in the campaign.
What’s So Great About Philly’s
Outdoors?:
Founded by William Penn to be a “greene countrie town,”
Philadelphia has always cherished its lush landscapes and open
spaces. The city’s most popular spots for outdoor recreation are
Fairmount Park, one of the nation’s largest
landscaped, urban parks; and the Delaware and Schuylkill
rivers. In addition to boasting major attractions such as
Longwood Gardens and Valley Forge National
Historical Park, each of the surrounding counties has
unusual features well suited for outdoor fun. The audible sounds of
Bucks County’s Ringing Rocks, the
orienteering-friendly French Creek State Park and
the ecologically fascinating Goat Hill Serpentine
Barrens in Delaware County are just a few of the
highlights. In addition, regional partners are now establishing an
abundant network of uninterrupted trails for hiking, cycling and
other outdoor activities and creating new ways to access the
region’s rivers, creeks and streams. The state parks, such as
French Creek and Lake Nockamixon,
round out the offerings with plenty of water- and land-based
recreation opportunities. But the real beauty of playing outside in
Philadelphia is that visitors are never far from a night on the
town and all the dining and cultural options that go along with
it.
When To Visit:
Outdoor pilgrims may plan a visit around a sporting event, like a
spring or fall regatta, the Philadelphia Triathlon (June),
trout season (April to October), the Dragon Boat Races
(September) or the Philadelphia Marathon (November). Or
they may prefer a trip that coincides with bloom time at one of the
region’s more than 25 gardens. Festivals drive visitation, too, and
there are dozens listed on gophila.com/outdoors.
Those planning a visit can always find hotel packages and deals on
gophila.com, where they can also book
their accommodations.
The William Penn Foundation, founded in 1945 by Otto and Phoebe
Haas, is dedicated to improving the quality of life in the Greater
Philadelphia region through efforts that foster rich cultural
expression, strengthen children's futures, and deepen connections
to nature and community. In partnership with others, the Foundation
works to advance a vital, just, and caring community. Learn more
about the Foundation online at www.williampennfoundation.org.
The Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation (GPTMC)
makes Philadelphia and The Countryside™ a premier destination
through marketing and image building that increases business and
promotes the region’s vitality. For more information about travel
to Philadelphia, visit www.gophila.com or call the
Independence Visitor Center, located in Independence National
Historical Park, at (800) 537-7676.
Note to Editors: For photos of Greater
Philadelphia, visit our Photo
Gallery. On the pressroom, you can also subscribe to RSS feeds
to receive updates on topics that are specifically of interest to
you: What’s New, Dining, Events, Seasonal Travel, Hotel Packages
and Tourism Research.
View more outdoors releases in the Boundless
Philadelphia press room section, here
.
CONTACT:
Cara Schneider, GPTMC
(215) 599-0789, cara@gptmc.com
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