PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — The coronavirus pandemic slammed the door on tourism early on in 2020.
Jeff Guaracino, president and CEO of Visit Philadelphia, said globally, tourism was at a standstill. But now, there has been some movement — at least locally.
"Early on, we have seen in July, August and September encouraging resilience in the tourism industry," Guaracino said, though it's been an uphill journey. "We are still very far away from our record high that we received in 2019 of 46 million visitors, who spent $7 billion in our region."
The Delaware Valley averaged 4 million tourists a month in July, August and September.
Guaracino said they're turning their attention to a new campaign, Our Turn to Tourist, which had a soft rollout over the summer. The focus is on getting people back into retail outlets, shops and restaurants and getting the tourism industry back on its feet.
"And to really explain that Philadelphia is ready and open to have tourists, especially locals," he added. "Discover the great region in which we live."
Although COVID-19 lingers — and may pick up speed — Guaracino said there are still many other safe options out there to celebrate upcoming holidays across the region. Visit Philly's website has 151 itineraries for people to consider.
