Fourteen travel agents were treated to a shopping and sightseeing educational to Philadelphia and New York courtesy of USAirtours, Philadelphia Convention and Visitors Bureau and USAirways. The sponsors wanted to show that the tax-free haven of Philadelphia was a good alternative city-break destination to New York but only 1hr 30mins away by Amtrak. This will be reduced to 45mins when a new high-speed service is introduced in May.
Before: I hadn’t really sold many holidays to Philadelphia or New York before. I’m not really into shopping so that side of the trip didn’t really excite me but there were some sights in New York that I wanted to see. My image of the cities was that they were just hustle and bustle and very noisy and smelly.
After: We went to see the Liberty Bell and Liberty Hall in Philadelphia and then took the Amtrak train to New York. We did a cruise along the Hudson River and also went up the Empire State Building and explored Central Park. The fam trip was excellent. I would definitely recommend both Philadelphia and New York. I would say that Philadelphia is a great shopping venue without the hustle and bustle of New York. Philadelphia is also a great place for clients interested in American history is it was where the Declaration of Independence was written. New York is just fantastic – I discovered the shopper in me there! It’s a city no one should miss.
Kelly Draper, Asst Manager, Travelworld, Northampton
Before: I thought New York would be busier than it actually was. I also imagined it to be bigger and just good for shopping. As far as Philadelphia goes, I didn’t know what to expect from it. I had sold a few holidays to New York but nothing at all to Philadelphia.
After: It will be really easy to sell both these destinations now. There is tax-free shopping in Philadelphia, which is a good selling point. It is also cheaper to stay there so I would recommend it as a good alternative to New York, which is only about 90mins away by train. You would really need to spend at least four days in New York and three days in Philadelphia. New York has lots more shops and is more spread out while Philadelphia’s shopping is centred around shopping malls, which is easier.
Rebecca Sharp, Senior Travel Consultant, Vacation Travel, Blackpool
Before: I thought New York and Philadelphia would just be non-stop, hustle and bustle with people everywhere – a bit like being on the London Underground. I also thought New York would be really scary and that I would constantly be looking over my shoulder. I had sold quite a few shopping weekends to New York but not much to Philadelphia.
After: I felt really comfortable in Philadelphia and New York. We did lots of walking around New York which was not a problem at all. It seemed very safe although I don’t know what it would be like at night. The trip will make selling both destinations so much easier. I would recommend clients to take the Trolley Tour of Philadelphia and the Circle Tour of New York as a good introduction to the city. I will also be able to tell them exactly which sights they simply can’t miss. The whole trip was really well organised – the USAirtours and Philadelphia tourist representatives were brilliant.
Richard Holbourns, Managing Director, The Travel Centre, Potters Bar