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Philadelphia celebrated the start of its tourism season with the third annual Philly Opener at the Independence Visitor Center Tuesday, previewing the bumper year of events for the city and the nation.
“This year, the work carries even greater meaning,” Kathryn Ott Lovell, President and CEO of the Philadelphia Visitor Center Corporation. “As we mark the semiquincentennial, our city is welcoming the nation and the world for a once-in-a-generation year of history, culture, sports, tourism, hospitality and civic pride.”
The event also presented Gov. Josh Shapiro with the Most Valuable Philadelphian Award, for his part in championing the Keystone state’s tourism and hospitality industry.
“We’re coordinating at all levels of government to ensure folks are safe and have a great time here in our commonwealth,” said Lt. Gov. Austin Davis, who accepted the award on Shapiro’s behalf. “And we’re putting real resources into these events to make sure they are a success. We’re investing $40 million dollars into some incredible credible events that’ll reach every corner of Pennsylvania.”
The opener featured Philly’s major league mascots, historical reenactors, members of the Visit Philly’s Phambassador program and the Philadelphia Freedom Band and Color Guard welcoming guests. There was food and beverages from local businesses including Federal Donuts, Irv’s Ice Cream and Ma Lessie’s — as well as the chance to taste cheesesteaks made by Nihonbashi Philly Tokyo’s Tomomi and Kosuke Chujo.
The city’s planned spending for its part in the nation’s 250th anniversary is $120 million, according to a city controller’s report from March. Along with those July Fourth events, Philly has already hosted major events like the NCAA men’s basketball tournament, and will host the 108th PGA Championship in Delco, then six games of the FIFA World Cup and the full MLB All-Star week in South Philly.
The picture isn’t without some trepidation for Philly’s tourism and hospitality industry. A hotel outlook report of the 11 World Cup host cities by the American Hotel & Lodging Association found that nearly 80% of Philadelphia hotels surveyed said “booking pace was below expectation and behind a typical summer.”
“Many respondents describe the tournament as a “non-event” in [Boston, Philadelphia, San Francisco and Seattle], citing late FIFA room releases and weak international fan travel as dominant concerns across markets,” the report stated.
The sentiments during Tuesday’s party were more optimistic about the inflow of tourism that will be coming to Philly this year.
“This summer when the world shows up — and despite what they say, the world is going to show up — remember this, you are not just welcoming visitors, you are setting them in motion.” Anne Ryan, the state’s Deputy Secretary of the Office of Tourism, said to the hospitality and tourism leaders in the center on Tuesday.
“As we look ahead to all of the big marquee events coming up in 2026, we need to remember that Philadelphia is not just a host city. It is the spark,” said Ryan. “It’s the moment that a visitor steps in and decides, ‘I want more of this.’”
