The Philadelphia Convention and Visitors Bureau hosted a Global Tourism Update last week at the Barnes Foundation to highlight sales and promotional activities and present key data on international visitation to Philadelphia.

Tourism Economics, the leading global provider of market forecasts and international travel data, reported that visitation from all international markets is expected to recover to 2019 levels in 2024. Room nights from all international markets are expected to exceed 2019 levels in 2024. Europe is the first region anticipated to fully recover. All top overseas markets — inclusive of the U.K., China, South Korea, Germany, France, and India — are expected to recover at the same time or prior to recovery for the U.S. In other words, Philadelphia is ahead of the national recovery trend. The top three overseas markets are expected to be the highest for Philadelphia in 2024 in one of the categories: for visits (U.K. at 111,000), for room nights (India at 334,000), and for spending (China at $94 million).

All international markets are expected to drive just under 1.3 million overnight visits in 2024 — 13.9 percent higher than 2023. Room nights generated from these visits are expected to be just under 3.5 million, which is 20.4 percent more than in the prior year. Spending is expected to increase 37.9 percent from the prior year to just under $800 million.

Svetlana Yazovskikh, Vice President of Global Tourism for the PHLCVB, welcomed the group of partners and stakeholders with a message of optimism, indicating that last year, “we surpassed one million international visitors volume, a massive plus-59 percent leap from 2022. Philadelphia is reemerging stronger than ever. From the recognition by the Michelin Guide, to topping countless 2024 ‘must-visit lists’ worldwide, to opening new international routes … Philadelphia is gaining momentum fast.”

The Philadelphia Convention and Visitors Bureau is charged with increasing Philadelphia’s position as a leading destination for international visitors. The global tourism agency for the City of Philadelphia employs a multifaceted strategy to promote the city and its assets that involves creating compelling content and travel products in various languages, promoting Philadelphia stories on 13 social media accounts in four different languages, collaborating with travel suppliers, media, and influencers, developing marketing and advertising campaigns, participating in trade shows and sales missions, and providing training to international travel agents.

At the event, the PHLCVB reported out on sales activities from the past few months and presented plans for more than 35 marketing campaigns across Canada, Europe, and Asia Pacific between now and June. The team will also host several dozen media and travel trade familiarization (FAM) tours with journalists and travel suppliers from 11 countries during that time.

The PHLCVB also creates strategic partnerships with organizations that are traveling around the world to activate alongside them to promote Philadelphia. Next month, the team will accompany the Philadelphia Orchestra on its three-city tour of Canada, engaging with travel trade partners and media through sales calls and special events.