View From Afar S1, E8: IPW 2025 | Angela Val, President and CEO of Visit Philadelphia

I’m Michelle Baran, deputy editor at Afar. Welcome to View From Afar, a podcast that spotlights the people and ideas shaping the future of travel. And in this special series, I’m coming to you live from the floor of IPW, the annual travel conference organized by the U.S. Travel Association to share the best of America with the rest of the world.

This year the conference is held in Chicago. And it’s a rather interesting year to be talking about travel in the United States: In March 2025, data from the World Travel & Tourism Council showed that international visits to the U.S. had decreased, resulting in an estimated $12 billion loss in tourism revenue. At the same time, the country is gearing up for America’s 250th anniversary—and the energy is palpable. So at IPW, my colleague Billie Cohen and I sat down with travel industry leaders and executives to bring you the biggest conference news and insights and to share what’s on the horizon for America’s 250th birthday.

You’ll hear each of those conversations over the following week.

In this episode, I’m talking with Angela Val, President and CEO of Visit Philadelphia. Given that the city is where both the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution were signed, Philadelphia is uniquely positioned to capture and capitalize on all the excitement surrounding America’s 250th birthday.

This is actually Angela’s second tenure with Visit Philadelphia. She started at the organization in 1998, and spent nearly two decades promoting the city before leaving in 2015. When she rejoined in 2022, her main focus was assisting the city with its pandemic recovery efforts. That has included a series of events to celebrate America’s 250th, and an initiative called “In Pursuit of a More Perfect Union,” that showcases Philadelphia as a welcoming, inclusive, and respectful U.S. destination.

Welcome, Angela!

Transcript

Michelle: I’d love to start with In Pursuit of a More Perfect Union. Can you tell me how this initiative came to be, what it aims to achieve, and why it’s so important at this time?

Angela: We had seen—just as everybody has seen throughout the U.S.—that not everyone is as welcomed in some of the spaces that they used to be. And Philadelphia’s core value is the City of Brotherly Love. And we wanted to make sure that people understood that they’re always welcomed in Philadelphia. We don’t have to agree with your lifestyle, your religion, your race, your ethnicity, but in this place you will be able to be yourself, feel a sense of belonging and be welcomed.

We did not think that that could happen just by posting a statement on the website. We didn’t think that could happen just by running some basic banner ads on other people’s websites, we thought we really had to take action. And so that’s how you saw the drag queen sorority time. Right. And the little Freedom Libraries, which is how we kicked that off.

But it is part of who we are, part of our brand. And it needed to be put into action.

Michelle: Absolutely. And this welcoming message comes at a really exciting time for the country with America 250 on the horizon. And as a destination that is constantly celebrating the birth of America, how do you plan to amplify this momenta celebration?

Angela: Yeah, so Philadelphia, birthplace of America and birthplace of modern day democracy. We see Philadelphia as the epicenter of the 250th anniversary of the country. We also really believe to our core that no matter how you got here, when you got here, why you came here, that every single person has contributed to this country and the United States has contributed to the world. Not just a 250 years of history, which is short compared to many of the countries throughout the world, but also what we’ve contributed in food and fashion and music and art. That there is a lot to celebrate here. And this is just the beginning and that’s how we see 2026 is more of a starting point, not an end point, but a start for how the country and how Philadelphia will evolve.

Michelle: I love that. Thinking about it as like the next 250 years, right?

And what’s in store. So living with our origin story day in and day out, what inspires you the most about it? There are definitely some key elements that inspire us all about it.

Angela: Yeah. I think what really inspires us is that the U.S. is always a work in progress, right? Take a few steps back, few steps forward, but at our core, democracy is really what allows for that to happen and that we all have to participate in it. So the first thing that we did at Visit Philadelphia was partner with TED on a new equity called TED Democracy, which we’ve entered into a three year contract with them.

We’ve had so far about five fireside chat and panel discussions in ‘24 and ‘25. And then we will have a big TED, the first one for TED Democracy, kicking off the 250th celebration in Philadelphia in June with 15 national and international speakers to talk about the impacts of democracy, why it is so important, and what it allows for us to do.

Michelle: That’s so incredible. So this is going to be like a live event that people can attend?

Angela: Yes!

Michelle: And they can also attend virtually and listen in. Oh my gosh, I love that.

Angela: And some of the speakers, they will of course be recorded and be able to be part of school curriculums throughout the U.S.

Michelle: Oh yeah, I was going to say, it sounds like such an opportunity, a learning moment, a teaching moment to really dig into what democracy is all about. And again, like inspire us again as a country and others around the world. So I really love that approach. Besides the iconic historical landmarks in Philadelphia, what are some of the main reasons people feel compelled to visit Philly today?

Is it sort of like they are really only coming for that, and then the other things are the icing on the cake, or are there people coming for a lot of other reasons? I assume it’s the latter.

Angela: People are coming for a lot of other reasons. Yes, history is a big part of Philadelphia. But we are also a place, one of the cities along the Northeast corridor, so we always have a lot of friends and families visiting Philadelphia. Our culinary scene—it’s just screaming, right? We have everything from street food, the cheesesteak—everybody loves it—to very, very high-end dining, James Beard winners, and we are, right now, going through the Michelin process, and at the end of the year they’ll be announcing what restaurants are also Michelin stars for Philadelphia.

And that will be our first two. The other reason, a lot of folks definitely come to Philadelphia: it is a walkable, green city. It is so easy to get to Philly. We are about 90 minutes outside of New York, which is one of our largest feeder markets. And about two hours from Washington, D.C. We have three airports very close to us. Amtrak goes in and out, so people make day trips to us and overnight trips as well. We also have an amazing arts and culture scene. A lot of artists live in Philly. It’s still a really affordable place to visit, but also live. But we also have high-end art institutions like the Barnes Foundation and the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

So there’s a lot of things to see and do in Philly. And at the end of the day, I think a city is its people first. We are a very real, approachable, authentic city, that has a dense population that lives in the downtown as well. So you really are part of the experience that happens every day for residents.

Michelle: So speaking of the authenticity, what are your favorite ways to sort of get off the tourist trail in Philadelphia? I mean, this is something we’re sort of obsessed with at Afar but you know, whether it’s emerging neighborhoods, great local experiences, or food that brings visitors closer to the communities who call Philly home.

Angela: *Laughs* Not the tourist spots. That’s the real deal. I would definitely say, um, going into South Philly, into East Passyunk, you still have a couple streets there that are always going to reflect the immigrant community that’s more prominent in Philadelphia. It was referred to as the Italian market at one time, and now we just call it the Ninth Street market because right now it is a lot of Asian communities and Hispanic and Latino communities.

That is food vendors. There are small bakeries, there are folks who are just starting out, and it is probably the most authentic experience of how you can see the country changing. So I love going there. I also love being able to support somebody who has a small business. There’s also a great artist, John Wind, also in South Philly. He has an amazing art studio that also happens to be an event venue for private events. But he has taken his art and his mother’s art as well and combined it into almost like a small showroom where you’ll be able to make an appointment to see some of the art, but also have an opportunity to make your own little charm bracelets that represent the trip that you have taken.

If you’re with a big group, like a bachelorette party, you can use that private space for a lunch or an evening.

Michelle: I feel like all mother-son duos now need to go do this together.

Angela: They have to do it. It’s really awesome. And the other thing that I would say that’s really popping up a lot in Philly is some of these neighborhoods that are outside of the downtown area where you will find little pocket parks, but also some of the best small bakeries and ice cream where it’s made in small batches. Mostly residents know about it, but it is something that’s worth the Uber ride or the bus ride.

Michelle: Right. It’s like my trick. You just jump in. If there’s a long line outside of a bakery, just jump into it. No question.

Angela: *Laughs* Just jump into the line.

Michelle: Because the locals know they’re in line for a reason. So obviously there’s so many amazing reasons to visit Philadelphia, both, like we said, the classic historic sites and all these really great areas that celebrate the city’s diversity. But what are some of the biggest challenges facing Philadelphia when it comes to travel and tourism?

Angela: Yeah. You know, I think, for us coming out of a pandemic, the same with a lot of major U.S. cities is making sure that people feel safe, right?

We still are struggling getting back police officers at the same rate we did prior to COVID. So, that will take time. And we are also right now facing a bit of a crisis with our public transportation system and making sure that it’s funded, but that is also an impact from COVID because you just didn’t have as many people taking public transportation as they used to, people not going into the office five days a week.

It’s been a little bit challenging to get people around and to make sure that we have officers throughout the city where people can feel that presence and know that that is a good street to walk down, that type of thing

Michelle: Right, right. And we talked about some of the big events coming to Philadelphia. So let’s talk about what’s in the—I mean, obviously America 250—but there’s also some other big events, which is a great opportunity for you to showcase the city to the world.

So what’s in the pipeline? Yeah.

Angela: So in addition to the TED democracy, we also have the PGA championship at Aronimink [Golf Club]. They’ll be followed by six FIFA World Cup matches. There will be a supersized Welcome America Concert on July 4th, along with one of theWorld Cup matches as well. We’ll have, that’s epic. It’s gonna be really big. It’s gonna be epic. The MLB All Star Game. We have just over 19 citywide conventions, so conventions that will sell out the city.

We have 52 weeks of first; these are first that happened in Philadelphia, but changed the world.

Michelle: Let’s stop right there. Tell me what that means.

Angela: Philadelphia is a city of first. We are one of the first cities in the U.S., Philly, New York, so we are picking 52 things that happened in Philadelphia, invented there that changed the world. Democracy is one of them.

Michelle: Great. I love it.

Angela: There’ll be a lot of great events. There’s ArtPhilly that will be a six week art festival that will be throughout the city with both visual arts and performing arts. And it’s called What’s Next, so it’s very future-focused. So we have a lot of things.

Michelle: There’s a lot! You’re going to be busy.

Angela: We’re going to be really, really busy. But we want people to come to Philadelphia. If you love history, we’ve got something for you. Love art. We got something for you. Love sports. We got something for you too.

Michelle: True, true. What is your hope for the future of Philadelphia as a travel destination? Like where would you like to see the industry in 10 years from now? I mean, there’s all these different themes. We’ve talked about diversity, we haven’t talked about sustainability, but that’s in the mix as well.

So what is your hope and vision for the city?

Angela: You know, I would really love to see Philadelphia’s population grow.

And in the early sixties, around 1962, ‘63, our population in the city was around 2 million people. Right now, we’re around 1.6. I think that density really helps with vibrancy of the streets both day and night. So I’d really like to see that. I think with the flexibility of people being able to work where they want to and live someplace else, allows for that to happen.

The other thing that I would love to see, in the same way that culinary has been really great for Philly and one of the reasons, one of the top reasons why people travel to us. I would also love to see us putting more into our artists, right? And I’m not just talking about those art museums.

Those are great. I’m talking about the people that actually produce the art. Because I do think a lot of what we’re going through today in the country, that arts and culture is a great way for us to come together as a community around those things and being known as a City of Brotherly Love, one with incredible food, one that’s very walkable, a larger population, and a place where people can see themselves in art and feel a sense of belonging and community. That’s what I hope for Philadelphia.

Michelle: I love that. So we’ve been asking a lot of the destinations to sort of give us a 30-second pitch, like not the PR pitch, but when your friends or family come to town, where are you going, what are you doing?

You know, it’s different when you’re talking to the industry and it’s different when you’re talking to your people and you’re like, OK, here’s what we’re gonna do. Here’s the plan.

Angela: Alright. My people are coming in. Let’s just say they had not been there before. I always start out at the Four Seasons because they have a sky high restaurant and a bar, and you can see the entire city.

A lot of people don’t understand how big Philly really is, and I love for them to see the skyline as the sunset is going down with a cocktail in hand.

Michelle: Perfect.

Angela: It is perfect. The next thing we would probably do is go—first night definitely, so we can walk it off—to Angelo’s for a cheesesteak. You’re going to stand outside, you’re going to have three South Philly ladies with the long nails and the big hair tell you you’re in line, what your number is. And we’re going to stand outside on the sidewalk and we’re going to eat it. And the neighbors are going to be not happy with us, but it will be delicious.

Bread is also dripping. The bread is from the bakery up the street, Sacone’s. When the bread’s out, the sandwiches are over. They also have a great pizza. Once that is done, I would do late night drinks at Andra Hem. It is a cocktail bar. There is no sign. There is just a black door.

You must know where to go. But the cocktails are delicious and very expensive. And then, I would in the morning definitely have us do yoga on Cherry Street Pier. It is beautiful just there along the water and then all of that good work we do, we deserve to have a really great breakfast.

I always love going to Sabrina’s and they do an awesome job. I’d definitely say the Barnes Museum. The work at the Barnes Museum is somebody’s private collection, and it cannot tour. It’s just part of the rules and the will. So if you want to see it, you have to actually go to The Barnes. Yeah. It’s not going to be one day in Paris. No, it’s only in Philadelphia. These are artworks, these are incredible artwork by Cezanne. The thing that’s interesting, at that time, those artists, Cezanne, Picasso, were shunned. That was not the type of art people wanted to see at the time. So it’s just really interesting.

And then I’d probably end with us just taking a nice long walk around the Schuylkill Trail. I don’t think people know how many green spaces there are and how they’re connected throughout the city along the Schuylkill. And it is truly, truly beautiful.

Michelle: I love that. And I like a mix of like the outdoor and getting our yoga and our walking on, but also doing our culture and the museum and—

Angela: And there are little beer stops along the park as well. You know, a little beer festival every now and again doesn’t hurt.

Michelle: And we talked about your vision for Philadelphia for the next 10 years, but because we are on the verge of celebrating America, well, we are already celebrating America 250, the celebrations have begun. What is your hope for the country—kind of bringing it back full circle to your original welcoming message—where would you like to see and what gets you through in this complicated time for America, but also very exciting time.

Angela: I mean, I think we’ve dealt with harder, right. I’m sitting here as an African American woman, right? And my people’s history is of slavery in this country. I’m the CEO of a small corporation. I’m sitting here next to you and you’re a white woman who is not just a stay at home mom or a nurse or a teacher, that you have the right to vote, right? We are at a precipice where we have to make a decision to move forward or move backwards.

I hope everybody sees each other as human beings first. I hope that we become less divided and understand that we can have our differences and that differences should be appreciated, but it should not be an us or them. And that because someone does not look like you or believe in what you believe in, they did not cause your problem.

And that we can work together to solve the bigger problem that we’ve quite frankly created together, not separately. So I’m hopeful. Scared most days, but I’m hopeful, because I think we’ve dealt with worse.

Michelle: I really appreciate those sentiments. Thank you so much for joining us. This has been really inspiring. Thank you so much, Angela.

Angela: Thank you for having me.

Thanks for joining us for this episode of View From Afar. In the show notes, you’ll find links to everything we discussed today, as well as how to find Angela and Visit Philadelphia on social media and online, and Afar’s recent coverage of Philly. And be sure to follow along this week to hear more interviews with industry experts.

You can find more Views From Afar on afar.com. And be sure to follow us on Instagram and TikTok. We’re @AfarMedia. If you enjoyed today’s exploration, I hope you’ll come back for more great interviews. Subscribing always makes that easy. And be sure to rate and review the show on your favorite podcast platforms. It helps other travelers find it.

This has been View From Afar, a production of Afar Media. The podcast is produced by Aislyn Greene and Nikki Galteland, with assistance from Michelle Baran and Billie Cohen. Music composition from Epidemic Sound. This podcast is part of the Airwave Media podcast network. Visit AirwaveMedia.com to listen and subscribe to their other fine shows like Culture Kids and The Explorers Podcast.