Philadelphia Convention & Visitors Bureau Promotes Shopping to International Travelers through "www.taxfreephilly.com".

PHILADELPHIA -- With the U.S. still a great value for international travelers, the Philadelphia Convention & Visitors Bureau (PCVB) has created a new Web site to showcase the value of tax-free shopping on shoes and clothing in the Philadelphia region. The site, www.taxfreephilly.com, is translated in Anglicized English (for the U.K.), German, French, Italian, Spanish, and Dutch, and contains news and facts about shopping in the Philadelphia region as well as up-to-date travel packages. The travel packages list hotel and airline deals specific for shopping and, for the first time, the PCVB is offering the opportunity to book a trip directly from the site.

"Everyone is looking for a bargain these days," said Fritz Smith, vice president of tourism, PCVB. "Our taxfreephilly.com Web site is a great added feature to promote Philadelphia as a premier shopping destination to international travelers by showing visitors how much they can save. Plus, it's easy for them to compare different tour operator packages all in one place and then book their trip."

In addition to the continuously updated travel packages, every other month on www.taxfreephilly.com, new "hot deals" are listed showing cost comparisons on name brand items, which are often significantly lower in Philadelphia. Visitors to the site can also follow a suggested shopping itinerary featuring a three-day shopping tour covering everything from vintage to couture, or create their own shopping expedition from the variety of shopping options available throughout the region.

As an extra bonus, the PCVB has partnered with regional department stores and shopping outlets, such as Macy's Center City and Philadelphia Premium Outlets, to offer one lucky visitor a chance to win a fabulous shopping spree every other month by clicking on the "Scoop" section of the site.

The Web site also links to the PCVB's international language-specific pages, which, in addition to shopping information, features information about dining, attractions, accommodations, nightlife, and more. The PCVB's international Web sites have more original translated content than any other convention and visitors bureau in the U.S.

To drive people to www.taxfreephilly.com, the PCVB is advertising in targeted international consumer and trade publications and is promoting the site through its tour operator clients, magazine promotions, and public relations. As the result of press visits this past fall, articles about Philadelphia as a shopping destination have already appeared in leading international consumer publications including OK! magazine in the U.K.

The PCVB created the site as another tool to promote Philadelphia as an international destination. Since the PCVB's international marketing campaign began in 2002, Philadelphia has seen an increase in international visitation. In 2007, Philadelphia hosted a record-breaking 550,000 international visitors, an increase of more than 100,000 from the previous year and was one of only three cities that reached a record level of international visitors in 2007.

The Philadelphia Convention & Visitors Bureau (PCVB), www.PhiladelphiaUSA.travel, a private non-profit membership corporation, is the official Tourism Promotion Agency for the City of Philadelphia, and the primary sales and marketing agency for the Pennsylvania Convention Center. The PCVB competes with its counterparts worldwide for conventions and tourism business. The organization has departments dedicated to the multicultural, sports, and life sciences markets.