Washington may not have beaches or roller coasters, but the region’s cultural attractions draw more than 1 million visitors and several hundred million in revenue each year. And this season’s Shakespeare Festival — a first-of-its-kind, region-wide, six-month celebration of Shakespeare-themed arts and culture taking place January through June — is expected to boost tourism numbers still higher in 2007.
The Washington, D.C., Convention & Tourism Corporation, an organization charged with promoting the region to business and leisure travelers, typically stages several regional promotions each year that link Washington’s attractions under one theme. Special hotel rates and packages, along with restaurant deals, supplement the events.
“WCTC works with the hospitality and cultural communities to identify themes that really resonate with the city, its assets and its history,” said Victoria Isley, a spokeswoman for the organization. “When we work together building on major exhibitions or major openings, it helps smaller and larger organizations feed off of one another’s visitors.”
For example, last summer’s “American Originals” promotion, which celebrated American arts and culture and included more than 80 events and attractions, resulted in $350 million in additional direct spending by tourists, according to numbers from several research firms tracking tourism in Washington. That number translated into $9.3 million in taxes for the District. The promotion also brought in an extra 420,000 room nights in area hotels, representing 14 percent of all room nights between May and September.
This season’s Shakespeare Festival could bring in even more revenue and room nights since the festival, which is anchored by performances at The Kennedy Center, The Shakespeare Theatre Company and the Folger Shakespeare Library & Theatre, is six months long, versus the typical three or four months.
In addition to revenues from various performances, the region’s hotels market themed packages to potential visitors. Those packages — such at The FairmontHotel’s “Romeo and Juliet” package, which comes with a DVD of the movie version and a room with a balcony — typically account for several hundred extra room nights and serve as a boost during slow periods.
“[The promotions] have been very effective,” said Diana Bulger, a spokeswoman for The Fairmont Hotel. “Most of the [packages are booked] by out-of-town guests. … I think [the Shakespeare Festival] will do very well for us and very well for the city.”
