Philadelphia's Murals Featured in World's Best Travel Article
PHILADELPHIA — Philadelphia's famous murals were yet again in the global spotlight in a travel article that was recognized as the best in the world, at the first annual Discover America Travel Writers Awards. The award in the category, "Best U.S. Travel Destination," was presented before a group of international media at the 2008 International Pow Wow travel trade show in Las Vegas, May 31-June 4. The winning article, "March of the Murals," by Neil Murray, a London-based travel writer, appeared in the spring 2007 edition of Essentially America, a publication in the U.K. that focuses exclusively on travel within the U.S. The article was generated as a resulted of a murals tour by the magazine's editor, during a press visit to Philadelphia, hosted by the Philadelphia Convention & Visitors Bureau (PCVB) as part of its international marketing campaign.
The article features Philadelphia's Mural Arts Program (MAP) and examples of some of its 2,800 murals in what Murray refers to as "America's largest outdoor public art display." It begins with Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall's tour of Philadelphia's murals last year, which itself received international coverage, and continues with "a steady March of the Murals," in cities and towns across North America.
Upon accepting the award at Pow Wow's Media Marketplace reception, Murray remarked, "I am stunned! With more than 100 stories from around the world submitted, it is an honor to be recognized for this article." Mary Moore Mason, the editor for Essentially America, who was also there during the presentation said, "I was inspired to include an article about murals after seeing the amount and quality of Philadelphia's murals. I wondered if other cities had this type of program."
When he learned of the winning article, Fritz Smith, vice president of tourism, PCVB said, "We'd like to congratulate Neil on receiving this award, which puts Philadelphia's mural arts in the spotlight for international travelers. Philadelphia's murals have become an international tourism attraction and this just reinforces that fact."
"We are thrilled to have so many wonderful mural fans throughout the world...so many that we have earned the unofficial title 'City of Murals,'" said Mural Arts Program Executive Director Jane Golden. "It is with the partnership of the Philadelphia Convention and Visitors Bureau, and their reach in the international market that enables the Mural Arts Program to be seen by visitors from overseas before they even get here."
The Discover America Travel Writer Awards were sponsored by CityPass. International Pow Wow, an annual trade show, is the tourism industry's premier international marketplace and the largest generator of travel to the United States. The show attracts more than 5,500 international travel suppliers, buyers and journalists from more than 70 countries.
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