Day: December 25, 2015

3.1 Million Hotel Room Nights Account For 77% Occupancyrn

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rnCenter City Philadelphia Hotel Market Mix 2015rnCenter City Philadelphia is on track to close 2015 with record hotel occupancy. The leisure travel segment—those who come to Philadelphia for fun trips and getaways—is a major contributor to these milestones.rnrnRecord Hotel Occupancy: 77.4%:rnCenter City Philadelphia’s hotel occupancy is projected to hit a record 77.4% in 2015, up from 75.5% in 2014. Travelers from all segments (leisure, group, business) will have filled a projected 3.1 million rooms, another record.rnrn“People are coming for Philadelphia—the destination itself is the reason to visit, and travelers are doing it more and more every year,” said Meryl Levitz, president and CEO of VISIT PHILADELPHIA®. “The pope was here for a weekend; the rest of the year succeeded simply because of Philly.”rnrnLeisure Is One Of Three Major Segments:rnLeisure will close out a record year in 2015 as well. Leisure travelers are projected to account for 31% of room nights in Center City, as opposed to just 14% in 1997, when VISIT PHILADELPHIA® began marketing Philadelphia as a leisure destination (254,000 vs. 976,400 room nights, a 284% increase).rnrnThis means one in every three Center City hotel guests is a leisure traveler. Once viewed as a gap filler during hotel need periods, leisure is now a critical part of the market mix.rnrnLeisure travelers fill rooms every day of the week, especially from June through October. In 2015, Saturday night occupancy—a major indicator of a city’s strength as a leisure destination—will hit a record 88% and take its place as the highest of the week in Center City, as it has been for more than a decade.rnrnHotel Room Rates:rnThe 2015 average daily rate (ADR) is projected to hit $182, another record for Center City. Each of the three major segments are showing increases in ADR compared to 2014: Commercial is projected to increase 5% to $200, group is projected to increase 5% to $188 and leisure is projected to increase 4% to $166.rnrnSource for all numbers: PKF Consulting Forecasts as of November 2015rnrnVISIT PHILADELPHIA® makes Philadelphia and The Countryside® a premier destination through marketing and image building that increases the number of visitors, the number of nights they stay and the number of things they do in the five-county area.rnrnOn Greater Philadelphia’s official visitor website and blog, visitphilly.com and uwishunu.com, visitors can explore things to do, upcoming events, themed itineraries and hotel packages. Compelling photography and videos, interactive maps and detailed visitor information make the sites effective trip-planning tools. Along with Visit Philly social media channels, the online platforms communicate directly with consumers. Travelers can also call and stop into the Independence Visitor Center for additional information and tickets.rnrnContact(s):rnDonna Schorr, (215) 599-0782