| Journal: TWUK | Section: |
| Title: | Issue Date: 21/08/00 |
| Author: | Page Number: 50 |
| Copyright: Other |
Philadelphia by Alan Moore
Programmed for promotion
City targets UK visitors with special events and new attractions
Programmed for promotion
City targets UK visitors with special events and new attractions
IT is just over two weeks since Philadelphia waved goodbye to around 20,000 delegates and media attending the 2000 Republican National Convention in the US’s most historic city.Off stage, some of the many social activities were centred around the Delaware River waterfront at Penn’s Landing, which now also provides a new retreat with the opening up of lots of trendy street cafes, bars and clubs.
All this exposure has been good news for the Philadelphia Convention and Visitors Bureau, which is hoping all the attention will help boost the number of European visitors to the city during the autumn short-break season, particularly those from the UK who can choose from three daily non-stop flights to Philadelphia.
These include services from Gatwick and Manchester by US Airways and another from Gatwick with British Airways.
To add to visitor interest, Philadelphia is half way through an 18-month- programme of special events to celebrate the millennium, which ends on December 31 with a gala party at historic City Hall.
Today, on some of the many available tours of the city, tourists are encouraged to savour an ale in the City Tavern, as did founding fathers Thomas Jefferson, George Washington and Benjamin Franklin and take the seats of the legislators at Congress Hall, where the House and Senate met when Philadelphia was the nation’s capital.
New for this summer is a permanent exhibition of the collection of founding documents on display in the west wing of Independence Hall.
These include the final draft of the Constitution, a working copy of the Articles of Confederation and the first printing of the Declaration of Independence.
A new visitor complex and Liberty Bell centre with an interpretive exhibit area have also opened.
On September 17 – Constitution Day – the city breaks ground on a new Constitution Centre that will open on Independence Mall in 2002. It will be the first museum that tells the story and events leading up to the US Constitution and will include interactive exhibits.
Adding to the attractions this summer is the opening of Disney Quest on 8th and Market Streets – an 80,000sq ft indoor, interactive theme park with virtual rides and attractions along the lines of the similar concept at Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando.
n Philadelphia has introduced the CityPass which gives entry to museums, zoos and aquariums and costs around $27.50 for adults and $20 for children for nine days.
Penn’s Landing, Philadelphia: has trendy streets with cafes, clubs and bars