D.C. had 20,000 more tourists in 2025, generating $2.4 billion in revenue

The District had 27.2 million visitors in 2025, an increase of 20,000 visitors from the previous year, Mayor Muriel Bowser and a tourism marketing group said Wednesday.

In a release, Destination DC said the higher number of visitors was attributable to a slight increase in domestic travelers, 25.1 million in total. Destination DC is the official tourism marketing organization for the District.

By comparison, the number of international travelers coming to the city dropped by 4%, though the decline was less severe than the nationwide average decline of 5.5%. 

Among the 2.1 million international visitors, the largest countries of origin were, in order, Canada, India, the United Kingdom, Germany, China, France, Mexico, South Korea, Italy, Spain, Brazil, Australia, and Japan, Destination DC said.

Tourists spent $11.9 billion in total, generating $2.4 billion in tax revenue; both metrics increased 4% year over year. In addition, Destination DC said, tourism money helped pay for more than 114,000 jobs across the city, 2% more than in 2024. 

“We live in the best and most beautiful city in the world, with fantastic restaurants and hotels, great parks and a public transit system that takes you all over the city and region,” Ms. Bowser said. “… We had some great events last year, like World Pride and the FIFA Club World Cup, and this summer we have a full lineup of America 250 events. … we want people to check out all we have to offer.”

• Brad Matthews can be reached at bmatthews@washingtontimes.com.