Philly Tourism Organization Pairing With Air BNB
By Marcy Norton
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - VisitPhilly, the city's official tourism and travel group, is creating a partnership with Air BNB, with a goal of expanding its marketing efforts to new types of tourists.
VisitPhilly President and CEO Meryl Levitz says Air BNB clients, who rent privately owned homes and apartments, are a different type of client than those who choose to stay in hotels.
She says sharing information about these clients will help VisitPhilly target its message to travelers it may have been missing. She expects the partnership to help highlight Philly neighborhoods, as opposed to more widely known historical attractions, because Air BNB has the ability to put somebody right in the neighborhood and live like a local, with a local:
"Who knows the best coffee shop, the best rooftop bar, the best place to get pancakes, the best all night drugstore, whatever?"
Levitz adds that the upcoming Papal visit enticed Air BNB to expand into our area sooner than originally planned.