Philadelphia Makes Travel Industry History

The Travel Industry of America (TIA) announced today that the Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation (GPTMC) has made history by winning three of eight prestigious 2006 Odyssey Awards: the Domestic SeeAmerica Marketing Award; the Publicity and Promotion Award; and The Tourism Economic Award.

Never before has an organization won multiple Odyssey Awards in the same year. This year's competition was open to destinations, attractions, hospitality and transportation (airlines, cruise lines, etc.) companies from all over the world.

TIA's Odyssey Awards, the premier recognition program for the $646 billion U.S. travel and tourism industry, rewards the very best organizations in the travel industry for attaining new levels of excellence.

According to TIA, the Odyssey Awards are bestowed upon those that have demonstrated originality, creativity and effectiveness combined with notable, measurable results for the previous year. GPTMC President and CEO Meryl Levitz will accept the awards on October 12, 2006, at the TIA Marketing Outlook ForumOther 2006 Odyssey Award winners are the Pennsylvania Tourism Office, Vegas.com, Travel Oregon, the Greater Houston Convention and Visitors Bureau and the U.S. Tourism Promotion Program.

TIA is the national, non-profit organization representing all components of the $646 billion travel industry. TIA's mission is to represent the whole of the U.S. travel industry to promote and facilitate increased travel to and within the United States.

The Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation (GPTMC) builds the region's economy and image through destination marketing to increase the number of visitors, the number of nights they stay and the number of things they do in the five-county region. For more information about travel to Philadelphia, visit http://www.gophila.com/ or call the Independence Visitor Center, located in Independence National Historical Park, at (800) 537-7676.

Source: Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation
PHILADELPHIA, Aug. 8 /PRNewswire/ --