Philadelphia– Philadelphia, the ‘City of Brotherly Love’ started the year 2015 on a high as it has been ranked among the top destinations to travel and go shopping by ‘The New York Times’ and ‘Conde Nast Traveler’ respectively. While The New York Times ranked Philadelphia third among ‘Top 52 Places To Go in 2015’; Conde Nast Traveler, a leading consumer travel magazine ranked the City second among the ‘Best Shopping Cities in the World’.
These rankings are recognition of the efforts by the Philadelphia Convention & Visitors Bureau (PHLCVB – the official tourist promotion agency of Philadelphia) towards promoting the various facets of the destination among different segments of travelers – business or leisure. The City drew 673,000 overseas visitors in 2013, marking a 13% increase over the previous year according to data compiled by the U.S. Department of Commerce, Office of Travel and Tourism Industries (OTTI – http://travel.trade.gov/). The increase in visitation also moved Philadelphia up a slot on the list of Top 20 U.S. Cities for Overseas Visitation, climbing from 14th to 13th on this list. India is amongst the top 5 overseas feeder markets for Philadelphia. The City welcomed 31,000 Indian visitors in the year 2013, an increase of 24% when compared to the previous year.
Philadelphia is a captivating city where America’s old and new amalgamate in its picturesque streets. The streets are lined with parks, rivers, shops, art, restaurants and museums within walking distance.
The must see historic attractions include the Independence Hall, the birthplace of USA; The Liberty Bell, Carpenters’ Hall that hosted the First Continental Congress in 1774 and was home to Benjamin Franklin’s Library Company; Franklin Court, Franklin’s home in Philadelphia, among others. Philadelphia’s art and culture is signified by museums like, Philadelphia Museum of Art, Barns Foundation, Rodin Museum and America’s largest public art collection of over 3800 murals.
Shopping is another major attraction for people visiting Philadelphia looking for small boutiques and antiques, to outlets and malls. And shopping is anything but taxing in Philadelphia! Take this statement literally because in Philadelphia every shopper benefits from tax-free apparel and shoes.