Philly Jumps Three Spots To The 13th Most Visited Gay-Friendly Destination in the...

Philly Jumps Three Spots To The 13th Most Visited Gay-Friendly Destination in
the U.S.

Study Shows Dramatic Increase in Total Visitation By Gays And Lesbians, Who
Now Say Philly Is Top-of-Mind As A Gay-Friendly Destination

PHILADELPHIA, Jan. 23 /PRNewswire/ -- Philadelphia is the 13th most visited
U.S. destination for gay and lesbian travelers, according to the 13th annual
LGBT Tourism Study of 4,500 gay and lesbian travelers conducted by San
Francisco-based Community Marketing, Inc. This year's report shows a
remarkable increase in total visitation by gay and lesbian travelers to the
Greater Philadelphia region and marks a three-year rise in the destination's
visitation ranking. Philadelphia first broke into the prized "Top 20 U.S.
Destinations" list in 2006 when it ranked #16; it maintained that position in
2007. Gay and lesbian travelers spend $70 billion a year on travel in the
United States.

When survey respondents were asked about which city, resort town or country
has done the best job of marketing to gay and lesbian travelers, Philadelphia
ranked #3 as a top-of-mind destination, behind only Las Vegas and San
Francisco. This finding indicates potential for future growth in visitation
and is a significant boost for Philadelphia's gay-friendly reputation.

"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, Inc. "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, 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(R)," 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."

In November 2003, GPTMC launched the award-winning Philadelphia - Get Your
History Straight and Your Nightlife Gay(R) campaign. Before this campaign, the
city's total visitation by gay and lesbian travelers placed it outside the top
20 list among destinations, which includes cities such as Las Vegas, Miami,
Ft. Lauderdale, San Francisco and Provincetown.

The groundbreaking, $2 million tourism campaign has won top awards from the
U.S. Travel Association (formerly the Travel Industry Association), the
Association of National Advertisers (ANA), Hospitality Sales and Marketing
Association International (HSMAI), the Public Relations Society of America
(PRSA) and PRWeek for its approach and effectiveness.

To see the complete list of the "Top 20 U.S. Destinations," visit Community
Marketing, Inc.'s Web site at communitymarketinginc.com.

For more information about traveling to Philadelphia, visit gophila.com/gay.
To book airline reservations, visit southwest.com/gaytravel.

Community Marketing, Inc. (CMI) the San Francisco-based LGBT market research
and communications firm has released its 13th annual LGBT Tourism Study. CMI
has been studying and reporting on LGBT tourism demographics and trends since
1994. This year, the study's industry, media and educational partners include
IGLTA, USTOA, ASTA, DMAI, CLIA, NTA, Travel Weekly, and the University of
Nevada. Over 4,000 geographically representative LGBT American consumers were
surveyed about their travel patterns.

The Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation (GPTMC) makes
Philadelphia and The Countryside(R) 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 gophila.com or
uwishunu.com, where you can build itineraries; search event calendars; see
photos and videos; view interactive maps; sign up for newsletters; listen to
HearPhilly, an online radio station about what to see and do in the region;
book hotel reservations and more. Or, call the Independence Visitor Center,
located in Historic Philadelphia, at (800) 537-7676.

SOURCE Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation

Jeff Guaracino, GPTMC, +1-215-599-2290, jeff@gptmc.com, or Tom Roth, Community
Marketing, Inc., +1-415-437-3800, tom@communitymarketinginc.com