Hotels and restaurants suffering in aftermath

Hotels are vacant. Restaurants are not doing the business they once did. And few people are getting on planes headed for vacation paradise.

In the wake of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, the nation's hospitality industry has suffered immensely, and Philadelphia has been no exception.

City government is already taking steps to tackle the problem, with Mayor John Street proposing a $3 million aid package in response to the sharp downturn. According to Street, such a measure is necessary, in large part, because there is no way to tell when consumer confidence will regain its strength.

"The national hospitality industry has certainly not returned to business as usual," Street said in a press conference on Monday. "And while the heightened security at airports has begun to attract business and some leisure travel, it is difficult to project just when we will return to a more normal travel environment."

The money for the fund would be provided by city, state and private sources, with each providing $1 million.

A. Bruce Crawley, chairman of the Convention Visitors Bureau, said that the fund would help to ensure that the industry continues to flourish.

"The goal is to provide support to the ongoing growth of the hospitality industry in the light of the crisis," Crawley said. However, he added that "we see this hopefully as a short-term circumstance."

And Meryl Levitz, president of the Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corp., said that the money will help to plan for the future even as the present is uncertain.

"What we're looking to do is to build up for the future," Levitz said.

All things considered, the convention industry seems to be doing quite well. The city has 52 large conventions confirmed over the next 15 months, though some may eventually back out.

"This will be the best convention year ever for the city of Philadelphia," Crawley said.

However, Street said he wants to make sure Philadelphia does not see a drop-off in the next few months. The city plans to contact all the major conventions in the near future and confirm their schedules.

Most convention-goers are fliers because, as Crawley said, "the delegates to conventions are a national audience." But Philadelphia may be spared some of the collapse of the tourism industry other regions are expecting because of its proximate distance to several major metropolitan areas.

"We also have the advantage of being especially accessible, as compared to other destinations, and we are planning to take maximum advantage of that in the months to come," Street said.

Specifically, Street pointed out that Philadelphia has Amtrak accessibility throughout the eastern seaboard. Levitz emphasized that the City of Brotherly Love is within driving distance of many locations.

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