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Washington, D.C. has once again ranking among “the most desired domestic destinations” during 2021, according to AAA. The District has begun to loosen restrictions and more Americans have become vaccinated. The result is this ranking.

Washington, D.C. is on the Wish List of Travelers

“Just as the District updated its travel-related guidance for fully vaccinated out-of-state travelers and as 24 states have therefore eased restrictions,” said John B. Townsend II, AAA Mid-Atlantic’s Manager of Public and Government Affairs. “The nation’s capital is on the wish list of travelers.”

It was thought it would take roughly five years before the tourism industry recovers in the D.C. area. This is amid the Corona Virus pandemic, according to AAA. Moreover, 1.36 million people were in fact screening at the airport security checkpoints on March 12th. That is the biggest tally since March 15th, 2020. However, many Americans continue to “exhibit participating and compound emotions around safety and travel.”

Experiencing Drop Off in Tourism, Originally Record Tourism Growth for Various Reasons

After quarantine orders were put in place in and around Washington, the drop-off in tourism began in April 2020. Prior, Washington, D.C. did enjoy 10 years of record tourism growth before the COVID-19 pandemic started. DC did welcome a record 24.6 million visitors in 2019. The state spent $8.2 billion and then generated $896 million in District tax revenue.

In 2019, Washington, D.C. welcomed a record 24.6 million visitors, who spent $8.2 billion, creating $896 million in District tax revenue and was in fact responsible for 78,266 jobs in D.C.,” as Destination D.C. (DDC) reporting on February 5, 2021. “In fact, the COVID-19 pandemic has reversed this path as it did for more cities around the world.”

“As a result, the pandemic has forced us to experience what happens when tourism falls impulsively. The local hospitality businesses are suffering. Unfortunately, the residents are unemploying and moreover, the city tax revenue from visitor spending has dropped,” said Elliott Ferguson, DDC President and CEO. “Hopefully, when the pandemic eases up and then more people are traveling, there’s going to be a lot of competition to lure consumers back.”