WASHINGTON, D.C. – More people visited Washington, D.C. in 2023 than ever before, according to Destination DC (DDC), the official destination marketing organization for the nation’s capital.
Washington, D.C. welcomed 25.95 million total visitors last year, up 17 percent from 2022 and surpassing the pre-pandemic record set in 2019. The new benchmark resulted in a record $10.2 billion in visitor spending and supported a record 102,366 local jobs.
“This is a major milestone for Washington, D.C.,” says Elliott L. Ferguson, II, president and CEO, of DDC. “Put simply, 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. 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 visitors, 24 million traveled domestically. That means domestic visitation has fully rebounded to 105 percent of 2019 figures. International visitation continues to trend towards pre-pandemic levels. The 1.95 million international visitors indicate an 85 percent return, but a 40 percent increase year-over-year. International travelers typically stay longer and spend twice as much as their domestic counterparts.
The increased tourism had a huge impact on the city’s economy, with visitor spending up 29 percent and local jobs created from tourism up 25 percent year-over-year, respectively.
“We are proud to show millions of visitors every year why Washington, D.C. is the most important city in the world,” says Mayor Muriel Bowser. “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 D.C. 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 D.C.”
The new data was revealed during DDC’s Travel Rally, held annually with the U.S. Travel Association, which focuses on ways to make travel easier and promotes the industry’s importance
