Visit Philly Wins Travel + Leisure Social Media Award

PHILADELPHIA, June 5, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- The Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation (GPTMC) announced today that it has received a Social Media in Travel & Tourism Award (SMITTY) from Travel + Leisure for its Visit Philly Twitter account, which currently has 45,000 followers. To win in the "Best Use Of A Social Media Platform" category, Philadelphia competed against hundreds of national and international destination marketing organizations and travel companies.

(Photo:  http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20130605/PH26906)

The SMITTYs -- now in its second year -- spotlight the travel industry's most innovative and effective uses of social media that provide value to consumers in this new landscape. To celebrate the 28 winners, Travel + Leisure is hosting an event on June 6 in New York.

In 2008, GPTMC -- known to social media users as Visit Philly -- launched its first Twitter account, which grew 78% in 2012 over 2011. GPTMC uses the account to activate and engage Philadelphia fans and build the city's image. Twitter sent more than 300,000 visits to GPTMC's web properties since March 2008, and from Twitter, people have clicked on links to GPTMC's popular With Love, Philadelphia XOXO^® ads nearly 200,000 times.

Last year, GPTMC won an inaugural SMITTY award in the "Best Use Of A Social Media Platform" category for its presence on Foodspotting. Philadelphia became the first destination to launch a major Foodspotting program with a branded channel, multiple Philadelphia-based guides, a contest at launch and Foodspotting's full marketing support.

The Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation (GPTMC) makes Philadelphia and The Countryside^® a premier destination through marketing and image building that increases business and promotes the region's vitality.

For more information about travel to Philadelphia, visit visitphilly.com or uwishunu.com, where you can build itineraries; search event calendars; see photos and videos; view interactive maps; sign up for newsletters; listen to HearPhilly, an online radio station about what to see and do in the region; book hotel reservations and more. Or, call the Independence Visitor Center, located in Historic Philadelphia, at (800) 537-7676.

Tweet It: The @VisitPhilly Twitter account's a real winner: http://vstphl.ly/11c4x0v

SOURCE Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation

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