The nation’s capital had a record breaking tourist season in 2015, according to new data.
The District of Columbia saw international and domestic tourists spend $7.1 billion locally, a 4.4 percent increase over the last year and a record for the sixth year in a row.
More than 19.3 million domestic tourists visited Washington, D.C. in 2015, which is another record, according to new data released by Destination DC, the city’s tourism and marketing organization.
“I applaud Destination DC for helping us show the world what D.C. has to offer,” D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser said. “Year after year, more visitors are coming to the District, which is a huge boon to our city. Tourism is one of our strongest sectors, yielding jobs for our residents and dollars for our local economy.”
According to Destination DC, visitor spending increased by $300 million over the previous year. Tourism and hospitality now supports more than 74,000 jobs in the district.
“These coveted numbers represent the impact of tourism investment in the nation’s capital. The return on investment study that we commissioned from Destination analysts determined last year’s spring and summer advertising shows that our city received $2.65 in taxes for every $1 we spent,” said Elliott L. Ferguson, president and CEO of Destination D.C.
Retail sector spending grew by 4.7 percent in 2015, spending on meals rose 5.1 percent, and entertainment spending rose 2.6 percent, Destination DC said. New hotels popped up around D.C. last year, and spending on accommodations rose 5.3 percent.
The growth could have to do with Destination DC’s summer advertising campaign it launched last summer. The campaign was relaunched this year, and will include a TV commercial and print ads in magazines such as Boston Magazine, The New Yorker and New York Magazine.
Events DC, the city’s convention and sports authority, said the city hosted more than 450 events in 2015 that generated an estimated $415 million in visitor spending. In 2016, D.C. will welcome a total of 15 city-wide conventions with an estimated total economic impact of nearly $278 million.
