Philadelphia prepares for one of its busiest 4th of July holiday weekends in years

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- The city is heading into what hospitality leaders say will be one of the busiest holiday weekends Philadelphia has seen in years, as America 250 celebrations and the final World Cup match converge on Saturday.

Industry officials describe the moment as the peak of an already packed four week stretch.

Gregg Caren, president of the Philadelphia Convention and Visitors Bureau, said signs of the surge are visible across the city.

"We're hearing that they're busy, and if you walk through the hotel lobbies, if you walk through the restaurants and the bars, and my favorite barometer is always Reading Terminal Market. I mean, if you walk through there, you're seeing people wearing these international jerseys for their nation's teams," he said.

New hotel data from the June 19 Brazil-Haiti match offers a snapshot of the demand.

Hotels reached 93.5% occupancy that day, generating more than $6.2 million in revenue - levels last seen during major events such as Taylor Swift's 2023 Eras Tour concert.

Caren said that was the only other time the city saw a single night with comparable revenue.

"So even if you're not fully sold out, if they're able to get that kind of increased demand can generate, that's a win," he said.

He added that officials are still compiling numbers, but this weekend could be one for the record books.