Discover PHL: Philadelphia Convention & Visitors Bureau Launches New Websites To Drive Growth Of Conventions And International Travel To City

PHILADELPHIA, April 19, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- The Philadelphia Convention & Visitors Bureau (PHLCVB) today announced the launch of the destination's official convention and international visitor website, www.discoverPHL.com. The new website, which brings the vibrancy of Philadelphia to life through striking full-screen photography, extensive content and fresh branding, is designed to meet the demands of key Philadelphia travel audiences – international visitors, convention attendees and meeting planners.

The PHLCVB also launched www.discoverPHL.cn, a fully translated Chinese website hosted in China – a first for any U.S. travel destination, a robust mobile site, fully translated websites in four languages (French, German, Spanish and Portuguese) and a mobile application on the iOS platform.

"We are always excited and eager to tell Philadelphia's story to the world and discoverPHL.com does just that," says Philadelphia Mayor Michael A. Nutter. "Philadelphia is ranked 12th in terms of international visitation to the U.S. and the launch of these new online tools is just one of the things we're doing to attract even more international visitors to our modern renaissance city."

"We have taken every measure to ensure that our website and supporting products are robust and accessible to all our audiences," says PHLCVB president and CEO Jack Ferguson. "Whether serving meeting planners, or welcoming convention attendees and international visitors, our websites will serve as a starting point for inspiring people to discover Philadelphia."

Some of the site's new features:

• Meeting and Convention Resources. New tools for meeting planners preparing events at the Pennsylvania Convention Center and other venues.
• Booking Engine. New hotel booking engine powered by Booking.com. The booking engine was chosen because of its global reach and availability to consumers in 41 languages and currencies.
• Member-generated Events and Deals– PHLCVB members can now add searchable events and deals, increasing their exposure and driving traffic.
• Maps and Itineraries. Plot an itinerary, search for hotels by categories, view restaurants in particular neighborhoods and more, via a new interactive map.
• Favorites. Create an account and map Favorites – restaurants, attractions, hotels etc., which can be saved and accessed at a later date, including from a mobile device.

MMGY Global, one of the world's largest travel marketing firms, was engaged to build discoverPHL.com. They specialize in digital travel programs and web site development for global travel brands.

Contact:
Khaila Edward
+1-215-636-3412
Khaila@discoverPHL.com