Destination DC announces record numbers for tourism in nation’s capital

By Aria BrentAFRO Staff Writerabrent@afro.com In 2023 Washington D.C. saw a record setting number of visitors. The increase in tourism resulted in a great amount of economic stimulation. (Unsplash/ Mariah Oswalt) Mayor Muriel Bowser’s office and Destination DC (DDC), the official destination marketing organization for the nation’s capital, have announced that Washington D.C. received more visitors than ever in 2023. The announcement came via a press conference that the mayor’s office livestreamed on May 29, sharing the good news and its economic impact.& The D.C. area welcomed a total of 25.95 million visitors last year, which is a 17 percent increase from 2022 that surpasses the pre-pandemic record set in 2019. The new groundbreaking number resulted in a whopping $10.2 billion in visitor spending and helped support 102,366 local jobs.“This is a major milestone for Washington, D.C. 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,”& said Elliott L. Ferguson II, president and CEO of DDC. “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...