Washington D.C. welcomed a record number of visitors in 2023 – 25.85 million – surpassing 2019’s figures by almost one million.
In 2022, the destination remained four million shy of 2019's numbers: the marked growth last year represented a 29% increase in visitor spend, supporting 102,366 jobs in the US capital.
The UK had a large part to play in setting the new record for visitors as the second most valuable international market in terms of visitors, only behind Canada.
Elliott L. Ferguson, the destination board's president and CEO, described 2023's numbers as "a major milestone," continuing, "Put simply, 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.
"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 longer and spend more."
