D.C. saw a modest increase in visitors to the city in 2025. While that is welcome news to the city’s tourism arm, the entirety of that increase was from domestic travelers as the city saw a decline in international tourists who tend to stay in the city longer and spend more money during their visit.
According to Destination DC, the city’s official tourism marketing organization, of the 27.2 million visitors they tallied last year, 20,000 more than 2024, over 25 million of them were domestic travelers. International travel declined by 4%, still better than the overall U.S. decline in international travelers of 5.5% last year.
Elliott Ferguson, the president and CEO of Destination DC, said rhetoric in foreign countries is often depicting D.C. as an unsafe space to travel.
“We’re really focusing on the narrative that’s out there, the concerns that people have, and really the 700,000 people that live in Washington, D.C., that have a different narrative,” Ferguson told reporters after a Travel Rally at the Lincoln Theater.
“As we hosted World Pride last year, the numbers were down, but the overwhelming message from those that live in Washington is that Washington was a safe place.”
Ferguson said they hope to highlight the city beyond the monuments and memorials and the museums on the National Mall.
“The more we are able to position Washington beyond just a day trip and to go into our neighborhoods experience parts of the city that perhaps don’t get the same recognition as monuments, memorials and museums. It really helps us in terms of promoting D.C. as a whole,” Ferguson said.
“I think what we have seen over the course of many years is that international travel has been made more difficult, not just for D.C., but for America,” Mayor Muriel Bowser said.
“We want all of the things that make that easier, peace for one, getting visas, making it easier to get into the United States. All of those things are important. The international dollars continue to be important, because those travelers, they stay longer and they spend more.”
Mayor Muriel Bowser in the latest city budget has proposed extending D.C’s Tourism Recovery District, which puts more marketing dollars toward Destination DC and the city’s business attraction efforts.
According to Destination DC, economic spending for the city rose 4%, to $11.9 billion and $2.4 billion was generated in tax revenue — also a 4% gain. Tourism in the city also supported around 114,000 jobs up two percent year over year.
Both Ferguson and Bowser hope events tied to America’s 250th Birthday this summer will boost tourism into the city.
“I think the sporting events are what’s really unique about this Fourth of July season in the District. We’ll have the Indy car race. I understand there’s already a lot of hotel activity around that we’ll have the UFC match,” she said.
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