|
|
| CONTACT: | Cara Schneider | Philadelphia | (215) 599-0789 | cara@gptmc.com |
| Rebecca Pawlowski | Washington, D.C. | (202) 789-7099 | Rebecca@washington.org |
WASHINGTON, DC AND PHILLY TEAM UP TO
PACKAGE NATIONAL TREASURES
Sparked by
Upcoming Major Motion Picture, Alliance is a First for the Two Destinations
PHILADELPHIA, October 18, 2004 – The Washington, DC Convention & Tourism Corporation (WCTC) and the Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation (GPTMC) have come together for a first-ever joint tourism promotion, surrounding the release of National Treasure, a film starring Nicolas Cage set to open nationwide on November 19, 2004. At the heart of the partnership is the new Washington, DC & Philadelphia Tour, inspired by the movie National Treasure, and featuring sites in the nation’s current capital and its first. Using images and clues from the film, the tour leads visitors on a multi-day, two-city tour of National Treasure’s key locations.
Motivation behind the $200,000 alliance is the American fascination with movies. According to the Travel Industry of America, five million tourists a year flock to film sites featured in movies. To promote the Washington, DC & Philadelphia Tour, the two destinations have created a 10-panel, four-color brochure and custom website blending the historic sites featured in the film with contemporary treasures in each city.
“Both Washington, DC and Philadelphia have tremendous appeal to history buffs and to traveling families. We couldn’t pass up this opportunity to partner with another iconic American city whose assets are such a strong complement to our own,” said William A. Hanbury, president and CEO, WCTC.
“Visitors to the mid-Atlantic have been pairing up our two cities for quite some time, and we have been looking for a way to make that connection easier for them. With Hollywood shining the spotlight on landmarks such as Independence Hall and the National Archives in this new movie, we felt that the timing was right,” added Meryl Levitz, president and CEO, GPTMC.
Elements of the collaboration include:
The Washington, DC & Philadelphia Tour, inspired by the movie National Treasure: A 10-panel, four-color brochure that maps the movie’s path in both cities, guiding visitors on their own treasure hunts with fun and informative commentary. The brochure is available at the Independence Visitor Center in Philadelphia, the DC Visitor Information Center, the National Archives and at participating hotels.
Hotel Packages: Discounts on accommodations at eight Philadelphia hotels and 14 in Washington, DC. Hotel packages can be purchased beginning September 29, with promotional rates available November 1, 2004 through March 31, 2005.
Amtrak Discount: Savings of 50% on a companion fare with purchase of a regular fare ticket on regional trains between Philadelphia and DC, redeemable at Amtrak.com. Travelers can take advantage of this offer by referencing fare code V631. Restrictions apply.
Advertising Supplement: Four-page advertising insert in the November issue of Condé Nast Traveler, promoting the film and the tour in Philadelphia and DC. (The supplement features a small sampling of what’s found in the tour brochure.)
Movie synopsis: A secret from our nation’s past will lead to the greatest adventure in history.
Academy Award®-winner Nicolas Cage stars as the brilliant Benjamin Franklin Gates, third generation treasure hunter. All his life, Gates has been searching for a treasure no one believed existed: amassed through the ages, moved across continents, to become the greatest treasure the world has ever known. Hidden by our Founding Fathers, they left clues to the Treasure’s location right before our eyes … from our nation’s birthplace, to the nation’s capitol, to clues buried within the symbols on the dollar bill.
Gates’ life-long journey leads him to the last place anyone thought to look: A map hidden on the back of the Declaration of Independence.
But what he thought was the final clue is only the beginning.
As word of the invisible map spreads among the enemies of freedom, Gates realizes in order to protect the world’s greatest treasure, he must now do the unthinkable: Steal the most revered, best guarded document in American history before it falls into the wrong hands.
In a race against time, Gates must elude the FBI, stay one step ahead of his ruthless adversary (Sean Bean), decipher the remaining clues and unlock the 2000 year-old mystery behind our greatest national treasure.
The Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation (GPTMC), Philadelphia's regional tourism marketing agency, is a private, non-profit organization dedicated to building the region's economy and positive image through tourism and destination marketing. For more information about travel to Philadelphia, call the new Independence Visitor Center, located in Independence National Historical Park, at (800) 537-7676, or visit www.gophila.com. For information about arts and cultural attractions in the region, click on the CultureFiles link.
The Washington, DC Convention & Tourism Corporation (WCTC) is the lead destination marketing organization for the nation’s capital. A private, non-profit membership organization of more than 1,000 businesses and institutions, WCTC is committed to promoting the area as a premier global convention, tourism and special events destination with a special emphasis on the arts, cultural and historic communities. www.washington.org
# # #
Note to Editors: For photos of Greater Philadelphia, visit the photo gallery of
gophila.com/pressroom.
