Australasian travel to Boston, Philadelphia and Washington DC has remained stable this year, despite political headwinds—and the cities’ tourism bosses want to make it clear that they ‘always will be open, inclusive and most important welcoming to all’.
Speaking at a light-hearted debate in Sydney last night, Destination DC ceo Elliot Ferguson was joined by Meet Boston ceo Martha Sheridan and Gregg Caren, ceo of DiscoverPHL—and the trio tackled ‘that topic’ head on. Noting that Boston led the beginning of the US demographic revolution, while the US Constitution was developed in Philly, before Washington became the seat of power and the US capital—the trio say ‘the three cities are the embodiment of democracy’. To that end the trio leaned into the current political backdrop, with Ferguson urging the journalists present to remember ‘the person saying most of it is just a visitor to DC’. In terms of inclusivity, all three cities have diverse populations and DC recently hosted World Pride. While numbers were down for the event, due to some uncertainty; Ferguson said well over 1.5 million people attended. “The thing that really resonated the most is that people [attending] basically said going through [US] Customs was not as hard as the rhetoric that’s out there,” he added.
. . . Sport, Food & More
Boston, Philly and Washington DC are all easily accessible via Amtrak’s rail network, and once there the three cities are also very walkable, meaning there’s no need for a car for mobile clients. There’s also a host of free attractions across the cities which help Kiwi travellers extend their budgets. While all three destinations are steeped in US history, they’re also famed for their sports and cuisine. Brand USA research shows that sport continues to be a drawcard for the Australasian market. And each city has its own sports teams from the much-loved Boston Red Sox and Fenway Park to the Philadelphia Eagles NFL team and the Washington Capitals hockey team. At the same time the trio debated who offered the best cuisine from Boston’s lobster rolls, clam chowder and cannolis from North End, to the legendary Philly cheese steak and Washington DC’s diverse options from Ben’s chilli to Michelin-starred restaurants.
See upcoming issues and stories for more on the three cities.
