Visit Philadelphia Launches Atlanta Advertising Campaign as Part of New Fly-Market Strategy

PHILADELPHIA, July 16, 2024 – Visit Philadelphia has launched its first advertising campaign in the Atlanta metro area, marking the tourism marketing agency’s first marketing efforts in a high-volume destination in years.

A series of newly developed outdoor and digital ads are live in the Atlanta area as part of Visit Philadelphia Come for Philadelphia. Stay for Philadelphia. campaign. These ads highlight key Philadelphia themes including events and festivals, arts and culture, culinary offerings and walkability.

“Expanding our advertising in air travel markets gives us the opportunity to attract travelers from further afield, encouraging them to book longer stays. These stays typically exceed the length of visits for those traveling within a market radius by car,” said Angela Val, president and CEO of Visit Philadelphia. “This strategy is designed to increase travel and hotel bookings, while helping us fulfill our mission of inspiring more people to do more, spend more and stay longer in the Greater Philadelphia region.”

To identify themes for the campaign, Visit Philadelphia relied on research from media agency USIM, as well as Tourism Economics for data on the spending habits of Atlanta residents visiting Philadelphia, and Ipsos for data on the diversity of travelers to Philadelphia. The Atlanta market entry is part of Visit Philadelphia’s overall efforts to attract diverse visitors, including African-American travelers; 48 percent of Atlanta’s population identifies as Black or African-American, according to the U.S. Census. Visit Philadelphia combined this information with input from leaders at the Atlanta Convention and Visitors Bureau to complete its marketing strategy.

“We are optimistic about the impact our campaign, which speaks directly to Atlanta residents with fun and relevant messaging, will have on visitation and economic impact in 2024,” said Neil Frauenglass, chief marketing officer of Visit Philadelphia. “Our research from Tourism Economics shows that, based on credit card spending, Atlanta travelers spent more than $1.4 million in our region in 2023, representing a 24% year-over-year increase and highlighting potential for further growth.”

All new listings are additions to Visit Philadelphia Come for Philadelphia. Stay for Philadelphia. The campaign, launching in early 2023, encourages travelers to explore the city’s lesser-known landmarks and attractions in addition to its many iconic mainstays. The newly developed ads include phrases such as:

• “Come for the powdered wigs and petticoats. Stay for the suits and sportswear.” (Philly Fashion Week)
• “Come for the Founding Fathers. Stay for Mother Bethel.” (The church located on the oldest piece of land in the United States still owned by African Americans)
• “Come for the untouchable history. Stay for the Please Touch Museum.” (Philadelphia’s iconic children’s museum)

Other ads launched in Atlanta highlight the various destination-defining accolades Philadelphia has recently received, as well as Atlanta-specific features, such as its short flight time from Philadelphia. For example:

• “The most walkable city in America? Philadelphia. How do you like those peaches?” in a nod to Philadelphia landing Most Walkable City in the United States as voted by USAToday’s Readers’ Choice Awards in 2024 and 2023.
• “Just a two-hour flight from one of the top 10 cities to visit on the planet in 2024. Thanks, Lonely Planet!” in reference to Philadelphia receive a 2024 “Best in Travel” distinction awarded by the travel publication.
• “Southern hospitality meets brotherly love,” highlighting the personalities of each destination.

A photo gallery of all the announcements launched in Atlanta is available here.

Visit Philadelphia ads will run within the Atlanta perimeter, referring to a geographic area of ​​the city bounded by Interstate 285. The campaign uses a variety of mediums, including traditional print and digital billboards, as well as programmatic ads in medical offices, on TVs, on bar jukeboxes, on taxi tops, in Ubers and more. Ads will also run on social media channels such as Instagram, TikTok and Facebook.

Visit Philadelphia launched marketing efforts in Atlanta this summer with the goal of driving travel to Philadelphia in the fall, when Atlanta Public Schools are on vacation in October.

In developing the campaign, Visit Philadelphia also worked with Philadelphia International Airport to identify potential air markets to expand marketing efforts. On average, there are 13 to 17 nonstop flights each day between Atlanta and Philadelphia operated by five airlines: American Airlines, Delta, Southwest Airlines, Spirit Airlines and Frontier Airlines, according to FlightsFrom.com. The approximate round-trip fare for these flights is $130.

“Philadelphia International Airport is an important first stop for many travelers from Atlanta, as it is our second-largest domestic destination in terms of passenger volume,” said Atif Saeed, CEO of Philadelphia International Airport. “Visit Philadelphia’s campaign to attract the Atlanta market creates an opportunity to encourage more travelers to consider Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and the surrounding metropolitan area as a place to visit and stay, which ultimately encourages more air travel, which we and our airline partners appreciate.”

About Visit Philadelphia

Visit Philadelphia® is our name and our mission. As the region’s official tourism marketing agency, we build Greater Philadelphia’s image, drive visitation and boost the economy. On Greater Philadelphia’s official visitor site, visitphilly.com, visitors can discover things to do, upcoming events, themed itineraries and hotel packages.

Captivating photos and videos, interactive maps, and detailed visitor information make this site an effective trip planning tool. Visitors can also find plenty of inspiration on Visit Philly’s social media channels.

Note to Editors: For high-resolution photos and high-definition B-roll of Greater Philadelphia, visit the Photos & Videos section of visitphilly.com/mediacenter.