Suburban Tourism Officials Ready To Accommodate Guests During Papal Visit
By Brad Segall
NORRISTOWN, Pa. (CBS) -- The papal visit next September is expected to bring thousands of people from around the world to Philadelphia and hotel rooms are expected to be scooped up quickly.
In tourism lingo, it's called compression. The hotels in the city are expected to fill up first and then the suburban counties around Philadelphia will help accommodate the overflow. But tourism officials like Tore Fiore with the Brandywine Conference and Visitors Bureau says people may want to look at Delaware County first.
"We have about 15 hotels that are right on that 291 corridor," she says, "which is a hop skip and jump from the airport and 291 is also a hop skip and jump into Center City."
Fiore also says the rooms should be more affordable.
"You can get a hotel room here, taxes, parking, all that sort of stuff, probably $100 a night less than you can in Philadelphia."
Meanwhile, Visit Bucks County Vice President Paul Bencivengo says hotels and Bed-and-Breakfast's are gearing up.
"If they want a little something different from what I'll call it the city environment, they can come out to the suburbs and get maybe just a little more relaxing, yet still easily get down into the city and enjoy all the festivities," he says. "We're going to be encouraging individuals, and you know they can come stay in the countryside and then you can take public transportation into the city."
Officials say there are about 20,000 rooms in the four counties surrounding the city and many of those hotels and motels are already blocking out rooms in anticipation of the visit next September.
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