Greater Philadelphia Tourism 2012: A Report to the Region

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Strategic PlanIn addition to marking GPTMC’s milestone 15 th anniversary, 2011 called for thecreation of a new five-year strategic plan. We engaged Decision Strategies International(DSI) to conduct a scenario-based strategic plan that would carry us from 2012 to 2016 (see sidebaron facing page). During the process, we convened key stakeholders to help us consider four potentialfutures for Philadelphia tourism over the next few years. Together, DSI and GPTMC evaluated thescenarios’ implications for what we do and how we do it.Scenario #1: Survival of the FittestPerception of Philadelphia: High, Tourism Funding: LowForward-thinking organizations have come through a turbulent time of mergers andre-organizations, and those that remain are high-level and productive. While resourcesare scarce, Philadelphia is perceived as a leisure destination of choice.GPTMC’s Role in This Scenario: The Convener-in-ChiefGPTMC takes a leadership role in bringing together organizations to enable them allto thrive despite a financially challenging environment.Scenario #2: It’s a Beautiful DayPerception of Philadelphia: High, Tourism Funding: HighPhiladelphia enjoys a civic renewal and cultural renaissance and serves as a top destinationfor domestic and international tourists. Dedicated funding supports continued publicimprovements and tourism marketing efforts.GPTMC’s Role in This Scenario: The MagnateGPTMC leads tourism marketing efforts in Philadelphia, enjoys bountiful funding andattracts high-caliber collaborators and talent.Scenario #3: Where Is the Love?Perception of Philadelphia: Low, Tourism Funding: LowEconomic fortunes sink further, and Philadelphia struggles to maintain its attractiveness toboth tourists and residents. A downward spiral ensues, as residents move out of the city andvisitation drops, further drying up the tax base and funding streams.GPTMC’s Role in This Scenario: The ActivistGPTMC fights to reclaim its downtrodden city in a world of scarce resources.Scenario #4: Urban BlightPerception of Philadelphia: Low, Tourism Funding: HighA gap opens between Philadelphia and surrounding areas, with the economic vitality of theregion failing to impact a neglected and dangerous urban core. The perception of Philadelphiasuffers, as businesses and civic institutions struggle to combat a negative reputation, even asthe city begins to recover.GPTMC’s Role in This Scenario: The House FlipperGPTMC works to revamp the image of a misperceived and undervalued city in an effortto attract tourists back to the area.10 Greater Philadelphia Tourism 2012: A Report to the Region
Capabilities for Future SuccessGiven a variety of possible futures, GPTMC identified several factorscommon to our success in each. These six robust capabilities represent astrategic guide for our decision making over the next five years. Here’s alook at what we must do to succeed no matter what the scenario:1. Create strong and sustained funding streams2. Develop and connect relationships strategically3. Gather, generate and distribute content4. Build and protect the city’s image5. Organize and staff flexibly6. Empower a vested staff and innovative corporate cultureFlexible ApproachThe scenario-planning process also allowed us to consider a range ofoptions that vary in importance depending on external happenings. Overthe next five years, our strategic plan will continue to inform an evolvingstrategy, and here’s how we intend to adapt:Monitor Scenario Signals: GPTMC and DSI have identified potentialtriggers that will help us gauge which of the four scenarios seems to beunfolding at any given time. By watching the economy, travel trends andquality-of-life indicators, we’ll be prepared to make decisions about howGPTMC should market the city and region.Prepare Alternatives: After considering a range of possibilities, GPTMCis prepared to act flexibly as conditions demand. For example, in onescenario, it might make sense for us to expand our advertising reach, whilein another, it might be more appropriate to focus on civic partnerships.Develop Annual Marketing Plans: GPTMC’s annual marketing planscarry out our strategic direction, while adapting to the changingenvironment. For fiscal year 2012, our goals are to:• Stay consumer-centric• Get value for what we do• Continue to innovate and experiment• Make the most of our fans, friends and followersWhat Is Scenario Planning?Scenario planning is a methodologythat helps organizations preparefor an uncertain future. While atraditional planning process projectscurrent trends into the future anduses them to build a single strategy,scenario planning considers arange of possible futures. Thisprocess helps organizations stretchtheir thinking, develop a flexibleapproach and monitor changes inthe external environment over thelife of the plan.GPTMC and DSI engaged a widevariety of stakeholders to helpbuild four scenarios for the futureof Philadelphia tourism based onvarious perceptions of the city andvarious funding levels available fortourism. GPTMC then examinedthe implications of each potentialfuture, identifying both the areasthat are important under all scenarios(robust capabilities) and responsesthat are scenario-specific (flexiblecapabilities). The goal of the processis not to drive the future towards thepreferred scenario, but to developa flexible approach, which we canquickly adapt based on changes inthis uncertain world.Race Street PierPhiladelphia’s momentum has been building for many years withthe addition of dozens of new attractions, parks and public spaces in the city and countryside. This developmentcontinued into 2012 with the opening of the Barnes Foundation, Sister Cities Park, the Hotel Monaco and more.
Page 1 and 2: Greater Philadelphia Tourism 2012:
Page 3 and 4: Executive MessageThe theme of this
Page 5 and 6: Team Tourism2012 Board of Directors
Page 7 and 8: Tourism is a growth industry.Travel
Page 12 and 13: Online & In Charge2011 brought a ne
Page 14 and 15: Marketing CampaignsWith Love, Phila
Page 16 and 17: With Art PhiladelphiaPhiladelphia i
Page 18 and 19: Philly 360° ®Our Philly 360°® c
Page 20 and 21: Just the Stats: Visitors, Hotels &
Page 22 and 23: Hotel PerformancePhiladelphia’s h
Page 24 and 25: According to the PressNational Geog
Page 27 and 28: GPTMC’s ToolkitAs this report dem

Greater Philadelphia Tourism 2012: A Report to the Region

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