Tourists are flocking to Washington this summer, drawn by buzz over President Barack Obama, “Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian” and — perhaps most importantly, given the recession — free sightseeing.
“We have had an increased demand for travel to Washington,” said Blake Fleetwood, owner of Cook American Express travel agencies in New York. “It’s a lot cheaper than going to Europe, you don’t have to fly, and for a family it’s definitely an educational experience.”
The number of visits made to the 18 free Smithsonian museums — and zoo — during the first six months of the year totaled 15.5 million, up 3.5 million from 2008.
In June alone, the Smithsonian locations saw roughly 700,000 more visits than a year ago.
“The museums are free, and if people are looking for things that are less expensive for a family trip, that’s appealing,” spokeswoman Linda St. Thomas said.
Having the promotion of a major Hollywood movie doesn’t hurt, either. ‘Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian’ has had a huge impact,” she added.
But even with those advantages, tourism is off from last summer.
D.C. hotels brought in $18.5 million in tax dollars in June, $2.6 million less than a year ago. In May, Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport flew 88,000 fewer passengers than the 1.66 million flown a year earlier.
“We are starting to feel the effects of the economic recession here in D.C. that a lot of other destinations did last year,” said Destination DC spokeswoman Rebecca Pawlowski. While tourism last year rose 3 percent from 2007, she said, the travel bureau predicts a drop in 2009.
Hotels have worked hard to bring in business.
“We certainly have felt the effects [of the economy]. We’ve had a lot less group and business travel,” said James Adamson, general manager of Hotel Helix on Rhode Island Avenue Northwest. “So we’ve just had to come up with creative ideas to compensate for that.”
One of those ideas is a “Summer Playground” campaign that the Kimpton Hotel group is offering at the Hotel Helix and six other city hotels. Guests can win a free room upgrade if they hula hoop for 20 seconds at check-in or beat a front desk agent at “rock-paper-scissors.”
The “playground” seems to be paying off.
Occupancy levels for all seven hotels in July and August are equal to last summer, said Sarah Horner, Kimpton’s spokeswoman for the mid-Atlantic region.
Though such promotions help boost occupancy rates, revenue still drops. Hotel taxes collected so far in July totaled $2.1 million less than the $19.06 million collected a year earlier.
The city’s paid museums have scrambled to compete with the Smithsonian.
“Any paid attraction is going to have a tough time in D.C.,” said Colin Thomas, general manager of Madame Tussauds Wax Museum, which charges $20 for adults. “I think it’s safe to say we’re all in the same position.”
Madame Tussauds has joined with Open Top Sightseeing to sell a $47 package, which includes a two-day bus tour and museum entry.
“That has stimulated business, but we are still not where we’d like to be,” Thomas said.
Group bookings at the Crime and Punishment Museum are up from last summer, but walk-up traffic is down, according to Chief Operating Officer Janine Vaccarello.
To compensate, the museum has reduced ticket prices from $19.95 for adults to “$6 After 6 p.m.”
“It’s been good, but I don’t think everyone knows about it,” she said.
Madame Tussauds, the Newseum and the crime museum opened within the last two years and are struggling to establish themselves.
“The Smithsonian may or may not be experiencing the effects of the economy,” said Joe Urschel, executive director of the Newseum. “But the rest of the tourism business is feeling a bit of a downturn.
