Philadelphia and the Countryside - Press Room

Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation (GPTMC) today launched its 2010 $1.7 million tourism marketing campaign with 25 new With Love, Philadelphia XOXO™ ads, bringing the total to 115 personalized love letters addressed to travelers with all sorts of interests. Along with a winter TV commercial, the new ads will begin appearing today in publications such as People, Entertainment Weekly and Real Simple.

“For the next push of With Love, Philadelphia XOXO™, we’re running ads on television and in popular entertainment and lifestyle magazines to keep Philadelphia top of mind for travelers during this need period for hotels,” said Meryl Levitz,

As part of the new With Love, Philadelphia XOXO™ campaign, visitors who book one of the 80 featured packages on gophila.com/withlove will receive a special gift at check-in. The giveaway includes a Philadelphia Privileges coupon book, a Dining Guide that gives hotel guests a pass to exclusive prix-fixe menus around the city, a five-pack of With Love postcards and a With Love pin, along with other brochures, coupons and maps. Soon, it will also include the Official Philly Brag Book, featuring 200 reasons to love the Philadelphia region. And with starting rates ranging from $77 to $415 per night, gophila.com/withlove

The Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing (GPTMC) today announced the launch of the With Love, Philadelphia XOXO™ Dining Guide, the newest component of the popular tourism campaign that gives hotel guests a pass to exclusive prix-fixe menus around the city. Now through December 30, 2009, visitors who book their stays on gophila.com/withlove receive upon hotel check-in a guide to the 26 restaurants offering three- and four-course meals for $20, $30 and $35 per person. Participants include some of the area’s best eateries, such as Audrey Claire, Lacroix at The Rittenhouse, Le Bec-Fin’s Le Bar Lyonnais, Positano Coast, The Prime Rib and

Does Chef Jose Garces indulge in scrapple? Has DJ/producer Diplo run the Rocky steps? Readers of uwishunu.com will find out the answers to these and many other questions when they read the “With Love Letters” series on uwishunu.com. In the posts, the “personality” of the Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation’s With Love, Philadelphia XOXO™ campaign interviews noteworthy Philadelphians in order to learn more about their relationship with the city and why they love it here.

First up is chef and restaurateur Jose Garces, who dishes on dollar dog days at Citizens Bank Park, shopping at Reading Terminal Market and

Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation (GPTMC) recently launched the newest component of its With Love, Philadelphia XOXO™ campaign, and it’s got heart: an online postcard generator enabling Philly locals, visitors and fans to send one of eight postcards to friends and family with a personalized message. Those who send a postcard from gophila.com/withlove are automatically entered to win a $100 Stephen Starr or Jose Garces restaurant giftcard. In the first weekend alone, more than 1,000 people penned a message—sending out postcards featuring the Philly Phanatic, Philadelphia skyline, Independence Hall, the Liberty Bell and more.

Not only can visitors to gophila.com/withlove

This summer, as part of the new With Love, Philadelphia XOXO™ marketing campaign, the Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation (GPTMC) is asking 5,000 Philadelphians to send postcards to friends and family all over the country inviting them to visit Philadelphia and stay over in a hotel.

Philadelphians can write their messages on pre-stamped postcards at a series of postcard-writing booths throughout Philadelphia in June and July. Locations include Sunoco Welcome America’s Party on the Parkway, at Citizens Bank Park and at Suburban Station.* The booths will be adorned with With Love, Philadelphia XOXO™ letters, and postcard writers may receive

CAMPAIGN NAME: With Love, Philadelphia XOXO™

CAMPAIGN OVERVIEW: Launching May 2009, With Love, Philadelphia XOXO™ is part of GPTMC’s 2009 recessionary strategy to boost leisure visitation and overnight hotel stays in Philadelphia. It appeals to many different audiences through various letters addressed to travelers. Penned by the city itself, the letters let a bit of Philly “atty-tude” through while extending the invitation to visit.

FUNDING: In fall 2008, the mayor of Philadelphia and City Council approved a 1.2% increase in hotel tax on Philadelphia County hotel rooms to be shared among GPTMC, the Philadelphia Convention & Visitors Bureau and the

The Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation (GPTMC) today revealed With Love, Philadelphia XOXO™, a new $1.4 million tourism marketing campaign developed in direct response to the current economic climate and designed to increase leisure visitation and hotel occupancy.

In total this summer, GPTMC will spend $2.5 million to woo leisure visitors here. GPTMC’s tourism marketing repertoire features With Love, Philadelphia XOXO™, which includes promotion of Historic Philadelphia; the Galileo, the Medici and the Age of Astronomy exhibition at The Franklin Institute Science Museum; Philly Overnight®; Philadelphia – Get Your History Straight and Your Nightlife Gay®; and efforts with the Canadian