By Aria Brent
AFRO Staff Writer
abrent@afro.com
In 2023 Washington D.C. saw a record setting number of visitors. The increase in tourism resulted in a great amount of economic stimulation. (Unsplash/ Mariah Oswalt)
Mayor Muriel Bowser’s office and Destination DC (DDC), the official destination marketing organization for the nation’s capital, have announced that Washington D.C. received more visitors than ever in 2023. The announcement came via a press conference that the mayor’s office livestreamed on May 29, sharing the good news and its economic impact.
The D.C. area welcomed a total of 25.95 million visitors last year, which is a 17 percent increase from 2022 that surpasses the pre-pandemic record set in 2019. The new groundbreaking number resulted in a whopping $10.2 billion in visitor spending and helped support 102,366 local jobs.
“This is a major milestone for Washington, D.C. We are seeing the results of our increased marketing and sales efforts thanks to the tourism recovery district legislation, and the city is benefitting from increased tourism,” said Elliott L. Ferguson II, president and CEO of DDC. “There is still work to do, however, since international travel hasn’t fully recovered. The additional funding allows us to continue to entice international visitors who stay longer and spend more.”
Of the record-setting 25.95 million visitors, 24 million traveled from within the U.S. These numbers mean that domestic visitation has been fully restored to 105 percent in 2019. Meanwhile, international visitation continues to reflect towards pre-pandemic levels. There were a total of 1.95 million international visitors, indicating an 85 percent return, and a 40 percent increase from year to year.
Elliott L. Ferguson II, president and CEO of DDC. (Courtesy Photo)
“We are proud to show millions of visitors every year why Washington, D.C. is the most important city in the world,” Bowser said. “Tourism is critical to our city’s vitality, yielding jobs for our residents, dollars for our local businesses, and revenue for our investments in a stronger DC.”
“As we continue to share the story of our city and create fantastic destinations for our visitors, we are grateful to Destination DC and all our hospitality partners for the work they do every day to remind people that there’s only one DC.”
In November of last year DDC launched its award-winning campaign, “There’s Only One DC,” which has helped creatively display the district as a unique tourism location, all the while highlighting the region’s diverse experiences and activities, along with its rich history. Additional funding from the tourism recovery district has allowed DDC to spread their message to all potential travelers. “There’s Only One D.C.,” has the largest reach of any DDC campaign to date.
Hopes are high for visitors and tourists this summer as a series of events and anniversaries will be taking place in our nation’s capital including the reopening of the Folger Shakespeare Library (June 21), a Capitol Hill landmark which holds the world’s largest Shakespeare collection along with a host of other highly anticipated festivals,concerts and sporting events
