PHILADELPHIA - November 3, 1999 - | One of the region's most-visited Internet sites, philly.com, has expanded the range of services it provides to consumers with its roll-out of CityGuide, a comprehensive visual guide to the greater Philadelphia area. Accessible by going to http://cityguide.philly.com, the service provides real-time video tours and 360-degree panoramic photographs of some of the area's most popular destinations.
A boon to local residents and visitors as well, CityGuide also provides maps and door-to-door directions for getting to places such as Independence Mall, the Port of History, City Hall, and others. Its video imagery makes it the only such site on the Internet to provide such a comprehensive look at the Delaware Valley.
"Through our partnership with Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corp. (GPTMC)," said Fred Mann, General Manager of philly.com, "Internet users can find this valuable service not only through philly.com, but also through GPTMC's new website, gophila.com. GPTMC primarily markets their gophila.com website to travelers outside the region who are considering Philadelphia as a destination vacation place. Those people will now have access to interactive tours. And GPTMC's exclusive sponsorship of the CityGuide ensures our users will be able to tap into that website's valuable resources."
The site's streaming video was produced in conjunction with KR Video, which is owned by Philadelphia Newspapers, Inc. (PNI). PNI publishes The Philadelphia Inquirer, Philadelphia Daily News, and philly.com, and is owned by Knight Ridder of San Jose, CA (NYSE: KRI). City Guide is periodically updated with additional video and photo tours. Additional expansion plans call for increased interaction with the community and will be announced in coming weeks.
