Conventions brought the Washington region a particularly strong influx of spending this year, according to figures from the District of Columbia’s tourism agency.
The Washington D.C. Convention and Tourism Corporation booked 1.26 million hotel rooms as a result of conventions during its fiscal year, which ended Sept. 30. Those bookings represented about $1.1 billion in direct spending within Washington.
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The numbers are the strongest in the corporation’s history, spokeswoman Rebecca Pawlowski said Tuesday. Last year, the group booked about 1.2 million rooms.
A study done by Strategic Marketing & Research Inc. found the group’s summer marketing campaign brought in about 450,000 additional visitors to the city, and they spent almost $100 million in the district.
The campaign emphasized Washington’s allure as a summer vacation destination.
WCTC Chairman Dan Mesches said tourism in general brought in $5.24 billion in revenue for the District overall this year.
Already 18 conventions are booked for 2008 at the newly christened Walter E. Washington Convention Center, for such groups as the American Psychiatric Association and the National Black MBA Association.
