Greater Philadelphia’s Tourism Industry Recovering Faster Than Other Northeast Cities

Photo: K. Huff / PHLCVB

Greater Philadelphia saw increased visitor activity this summer, and that translated into more hotel stays, a sure sign that recovery from COVID-19 is underway. Through the end of August, hotels there performed 3% better than projected, with the Center City leisure market performing 32% stronger than forecasted, according to reports from STR.

To keep this momentum going, VISIT PHILADELPHIA® will launch a fall tourism marketing effort to promote hotels, restaurants, shops and attractions through an advertising, social media, web site and public relations push designed to drive overnight hotel stays from Northeast markets through December.

“We’re always happy to report good news about our tourism industry, but we know there’s still a ways to go before our region’s strong mix of business, group and leisure travel returns in full,” says Jeff Guaracino, president & CEO, VISIT PHILADELPHIA. “Our team is as committed as ever to doing our part to keep the industry moving forward, and we have a nice mix of marketing and partnerships in the works this fall to ensure that Philadelphia is top of mind for those looking for a fun and easy getaway.”

Hotel Performance Year-To-Date:
Reports from Tourism Economics, STR and other data sources show the following:

• The Philadelphia metropolitan statistical area (MSA) is recovering faster than the Northeast competitive set, including Boston, New York City and Washington, DC.
• Hotel occupancy on Friday and Saturdays in Philadelphia County is outpacing expectations. Labor Day weekend was particularly strong, with 67% occupancy on Friday and 85% occupancy on Saturday. That’s the highest occupancy rate on record since the onset of the pandemic and shows just how important large-scale events such as Made in America are to our recovery.
• Leisure travel is outpacing forecasts by 32% in Center City and driving recovery for the region.
• Hotel Average Daily Rate (ADR) is outperforming forecasts in the city and region, but it’s still below 2019 levels. Hotel ADR held in July and August — a good sign for hotel recovery.