Levitz said the challenge for her organization now is to build on the image and sell Philly to a broader mix of visitors. Despite progress, Philly still trails its main tourism competitors, New York, Boston and Washington. Philadelphia draws a well-balanced mix of leisure travelers. The Liberty Bell was the top draw for city visitors in 1999, while King of Prussia Mall was the main attraction in the suburbs. The typical overnight travelers come from the mid-Atlantic region, are almost equally divided between males and females, between the ages of 25 and 54, married, well educated and professional.
Most visitors arrive by car and typically stay four nights.
The study surveyed 200,000 people for each of the three years and was conducted by a Toronto firm that specializes in tourism research for states and cities, including Colorado, New Jersey, Hawaii, Denver and New Orleans. If you experience any problems with the Daily News Web site, please let us know. Include the date and time of the problem and a brief description.