VisitPittsburgh has hosted tour operators, media and partners at the United States Embassy in London as it seeks to boost its profile as a tourism destination for UK visitors.

Guests heard about the city and its story of transformation.

A number of key partners were present on the night including Pittsburgh International Airport, Butler County, Visit Washington County, Allegheny Conference on Community Development and the Pittsburgh Technology Council.

Pittsburgh is a city of 300,000 people.

Located at the confluence of the Allegheny, Monongahela, and Ohio rivers, it has been known for decades as the Steel City.

It is currently home to more than 300 steel-related businesses.

With more than 446 river crossings, it is also sometimes known as the City of Bridges.

Rich Fitzgerald, county executive of Allegheny County, home of Pittsburgh, said: “Number one, we are back!

“We did a similar event a few years ago – and we were on an ascent at the time – this has continued.

“Steel is what we were – we built American years ago; every skyscraper, every bridge and every rail line was made in Pittsburgh.

“The city made more steel during WWII than Germany and Japan, combined.”

He added: “But we have come a long way.

“We are home to autonomous vehicles, Boeing is building near-autonomous aeroplanes nearby, and Shell is building the largest petrochemicals plant outside of the Gulf region.

“We are booming.”

The city is currently seeking to transition from its industrial roots, to become a modern, high-tech hub and centre for innovation.

It has focused on small manufacturers, medicine and technology, and is in the running to host a second Amazon headquarters, with a decision expected shortly.

Pittsburgh is home to the headquarters of eight Fortune 500 companies, including Kraft Heinz Company and Atlas Energy.

Currently 18 airlines have a base at Pittsburgh International Airport, offering departures to 74 destinations.

Christina Cassotis, chief executive of Pittsburgh International Airport, added: “The last piece of the Pittsburgh puzzle was the airport – it was lagging.

“But we have worked very hard to bring the facility up to speed.

“We are still looking for more airline partners – this community is still underserved.

“We have a real interest in meeting new partners and investing with them to ensure the city has the connections it derseves.”

More Information

Take a look at a series of images from the event here.

Find out more about visiting on the official website.