The District is rebounding from the negative economic effects of the coronavirus pandemic due to the major events of international interest that are part of the offerings for residents and tourists, according to officials with Destination DC, the official destination marketing organization of the city.
The findings of the rebound were released by Destination DC officials on Aug. 27 at its annual Marketing Outlook Meeting at the Washington Hilton Hotel in Northwest. Officials unveiled strategies for the first year of its “Only One DC” campaign and leverage events such as the upcoming 2025 presidential inauguration and WorldPride 2025.
D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser and other local officials as well as leaders in the District’s tourism and hospitality industry attended the event.
“D.C.’s comeback is about bringing more people to D.C., because more people in our city means more jobs for our residents, more revenue for our services and programs, and more opportunities for our city,” said Bowser. “And that’s why tourism is so important. I’m grateful for the people and teams who helped us hit a new tourism record in 2023. With everything we have coming up – from inauguration to WorldPride – we’re ready to welcome even more visitors and show the world why there’s only one D.C.”
Destination DC officials said a record-breaking 25.95 million total visitors came to the city in 2023, up 17% from 2022 and surpassing the pre-pandemic record set in 2019. The new benchmark resulted in a record $10.2 billion in visitor spending, $2.065 billion in tax revenue and supported a record 102,366 local jobs according to MMGY Travel Intelligence, S&P Global Market Intelligence, the National Travel & Tourism Office and the U.S. Department of Commerce.
Elliott L. Ferguson II, president and CEO of Destination DC, said 2023 showed the importance of tourism to the city’s economy.
“We thank our local officials who understand the importance of our industry as we invest in marketing our destination through the lens of our successful ‘Only One DC’ campaign,” said Ferguson. “New hotels, attractions and restaurants provide even more reasons for potential travelers to stay longer and spend more.”
