Photo Credit: diegograndi for Adobe Stock
Tourism Economics released an updated forecast, which predicts that the nation's capital will experience a 5.1 percent drop in international visitors in 2025. This number is slightly less that the 8 percent decline in oversees visitors that is estimated to impact the United States as a whole.
Last year, Washington, D.C., welcomed a record-breaking 27.2 million visitors who added $11.4 billion to the local economy. Of these, 2.2 million travelers hailed from oversees. According to Destination DC, the city's convention and visitor's bureau, international visitors typically stay longer and spend four times as much as domestic travelers.
"As you talk to cities around the country, we are all experiencing a downturn in terms of the number of inquiries from international business," said Elliott Ferguson, president and CEO of Destination DC. Ferguson noted that there is "a lot of concern right now about getting the credentials to come into the U.S. and the sense of safety in the U.S."
The revised forecast comes as the National Guard is currently deployed in Washington, D.C. But events continue to be held at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center and Destination DC has been actively reaching out to planners with gatherings scheduled to take place in the next 90 days to reassure them of the city's safety and field any questions they may have. The organization has also devised sales and marketing strategies to help counter the negative rhetoric about the destination.
"Our goal is to give insight as to what actually is happening in Washington, how the city remains open and that crime is down," said Ferguson.
Looking Ahead
Although the city has lost some domestic and international group meetings due to political factors, convention center business is expected to generate more than 470,000 room nights in 2026. Future bookings that are projected to bring major revenue for the city include:
- International technology association in July 2028 with an estimated economic impact of $26.3 million;
- International medical association in July 2030 that will bring $17.2 million to the city; and
- International medical association in September 2032 that could generate $13.4 million in economic impact.
Washington, D.C, also has 21 new or renovated hotels with more than 3,000 rooms in the pipeline. Other new additions that are coming to town and expected to drive visitation include a $40 million renovation of the National Archives Museum that will debut this fall and 250 newly planted cherry blossom trees around the Tidal Basin next spring. Also coming in 2026 are the reopening of the National Geographic Museum of Exploration and the addition of a new 14-gate concourse at Dulles International Airport.