VisitPittsburgh, Positively Cleveland join forces in new marketing program
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PITTSBURGH — Arch rivals in sports, but partnering in tourism? That’s right. Two seemingly rival tourism agencies — VisitPittsburgh and Positively Cleveland — are teaming up to attract visitors to both cities.
The distance between Pittsburgh and Cleveland is only 130 miles. And, both cities market themselves as gleaming urban centers with amenities that boast an exceptional quality of life for cities their size. So, in 2010, VisitPittsburgh and Positively Cleveland are working on a unified marketing campaign to attract visitors from each other’s cities.
Residents living in specific zip codes in each metro area can receive discounts on attraction tickets and earn GetGo gift cards through their respective tourism agencies. VisitPittsburgh is offering $25 in GetGo gift cards for each hotel night booked at visitpittsburgh.com.
There are currently 150 GetGo stores located throughout western Pennsylvania and Ohio. Discounted admission tickets may also be purchased at visitpittsburgh.com for a number of attractions, including the Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium, Gateway Clipper Fleet river cruises, Kennywood Park and the Pittsburgh Pirates. Buy one, get one free (BOGO) tickets are available for the Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh, Carnegie Science Center, Carnegie Museums of Art and Natural History, National Aviary, Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens, Senator John Heinz History Center and Duquesne Incline.
Hotel rooms must be purchased through VisitPittsburgh, either by calling 1-877-LOVE PGH (1-877-568-3744) or logging on to www.visitpittsburgh.com. Only visitors from eastern Ohio zip codes are eligible for the GetGo gift cards and discounted attraction tickets. Pittsburgh area residents can log on to www.positivelycleveland.com to purchase a “Cleveland Plus Pass” – a discount card that offers admission to 10 major attractions and other valuable discounts to the region. In addition, if the Plus Pass is purchased at the Cleveland Plus Visitors Center, visitors can receive a $25 GetGo gas card free.
“The focus of the campaign is on the similarities between the cities, but with a nod to the unique qualities each has to offer,” said Tinsy Lipchak, executive director of Tourism & Cultural Heritage for VisitPittsburgh. She noted that the goal is to bring Pittsburghers to Cleveland and Clevelanders to Pittsburgh by capitalizing on what makes these two cities great places to visit: proximity to one another, quality of life, beautiful natural resources, interesting dining and nightlife, family-friendly attractions, interesting cultural and historical offerings and friendly, welcoming people.
“This just makes sense from a business and hospitality standpoint,” noted Lipchak. “Ohio is Pittsburgh’s No. 1 feeder market, and we expect that this marketing promotion will attract even more visitors from the Buckeye state.”
Both VisitPittsburgh and Positively Cleveland are focusing part of their media buys in each other’s respective cities. The partnership came about as a result of decreased tourism funding. In 2010, grant programs to Pennsylvania tourism promotion agencies were cut dramatically, while Ohio’s state tourism office also experienced dramatic funding cuts. Pooling limited advertising funds with two “rival” cities is a first!
VisitPittsburgh’s campaign includes direct mail, radio and online advertising, as well as select magazine advertising placements. Several Minor and Major League Baseball promotions in Cleveland and Pittsburgh are also part of the plan, including the Pirates vs. Indians series in Pittsburgh, June 18-20.
According to Pennsylvania tourism research, Cleveland ranks number three in the top 10 markets that send visitors to Pittsburgh. The markets of Cleveland-Akron, Canton-Massillon and Youngstown-Warren collectively represent the largest percentage of visitors to Pittsburgh.
VisitPittsburgh is the official tourism marketing and promotion agency of the Pittsburgh region. It is dedicated to generating conventions, trade show and leisure travel business for the Pittsburgh region.
