Forget the headlines. Forget the Hollywood caricature of power suits and political scandal. DC is so much more: fiercely inclusive, quietly cool, and full of surprises waiting to be unwrapped, layer by unexpected layer.
President and CEO of Destination DC, Elliott Ferguson, wants to strip back the filters, ditch the presumptions, and show you a real Washington full of stories that haven’t been told nearly enough.
Meet the real DC
“When you’re in Washington, you can feel how proud people are of their neighbourhoods, their culture, their food,” Ferguson tells Karryon.
Openness in the city isn’t spin or strategy. It shows up in small, telling ways: in how locals are quick to share their favourite pupusería, how conversations on rooftops turn into dinner invitations, and how DC starts to feel less like a capital and more like a neighbourhood. To Ferguson, this is the city’s default setting.
He points to this year’s WorldPride as a litmus test. Thousands in the trans and non-binary community descended on the city, amid broader concerns about US safety and acceptance.
“The people who live in Washington overwhelmingly welcomed those who came for WorldPride,” Ferguson says.
“That welcome is real. It’s personal. And you feel it as soon as you arrive.”
Fourteen percent of the city identifies as LGBTQIA+. Inclusivity here isn’t curated for tourism. It’s part of the everyday.
And it matters. Because right now, visitors are asking questions about safety, about belonging, about where their dollars go.
“Talk to people who’ve actually visited. They’ll tell you what DC felt like. They’ll tell you they didn’t expect to fall in love with it.”
Beyond the monuments
Ferguson knows the version of Washington most Australians think they know. “If you’re watching the news, you’re seeing a DC tied to the president experience.”
“If you’re watching movies or TV shows, they tend to be tied to a president or an asteroid hitting the United States,” he jokes.
But that’s not the DC he’s selling.
“The real DC is the community,” he says. “The 700,000 people who call DC home, that’s the heartbeat of the city,” Ferguson says. And that’s what he wants visitors to feel: the pulse of real Washington beyond the politics and monuments.
DC’s icons are iconic for a reason. But it’s the layers beneath that make the story.
“Most travellers know the monuments, the museums, the Mall,” Ferguson says. “What they don’t expect is how green and walkable DC is. Rock Creek Park, designed by the same architect as Central Park, is actually bigger, and sits right in the middle of the city.”
He wants visitors to see the neighbourhoods too: “The architecture, the nightlife, the rooftop bars, Union Market… they’ve always been part of DC, but now people are starting to notice.”
And the best part? “You can walk it. Take the Metro. You don’t need a car. That freedom, that access, it’s a big part of what makes DC so easy to fall in love with.”
That, and the food. Ethiopian. Salvadoran. Korean. Michelin stars and market stalls.
“We have the largest Ethiopian population outside Ethiopia,” he says. “Our food scene reflects our global community. It’s not just diversity for diversity’s sake. It’s authentic. It’s lived.”
The East Coast sweet spot
DC sits at the centre of what Elliott Ferguson calls “the upper Northeastern quadrant of the United States” and that geography matters.
“You can usually fly to Washington with one stop, and if you’re coming in through another US city, Reagan National is less than ten minutes from downtown,” he says. “Then by train, you’ve got Philadelphia an hour away, New York in three and a half, and Boston not much further.”
Closer still are the gems of the DMV: DC, Maryland and Virginia. Think Annapolis, Virginia wine country, Maryland beaches, Colonial Williamsburg, and Loudoun County.
“Some of these places are only 45 minutes away,” Ferguson says. “You could spend a few days in Washington and then stretch out. The whole region’s packed with experiences.”
DC itself is gearing up for something major: the United States turns 250 in 2026. While cities like Philadelphia and New York may have held the title of capital in the past, DC is where the Emancipation Proclamation was written and where the original Constitution now lives.
“We’re not here to sugar-coat the past,” Ferguson says. “Not all men were free when the Constitution was signed. We’re acknowledging that, and showing how far we’ve come, and the work still ahead.”
Expect year-long celebrations, museum collaborations, immersive theatre, re-enactments, and events that honour all sides of America’s story.
Big-city buzz without the big-city bill
More than 100 free things to do. Twenty-five are major attractions. Smithsonian museums. The National Zoo. Monuments, memorials, and experiences that would rack up hundreds elsewhere.
“Your money goes further here,” Ferguson says. “Most cities charge entry for everything. In DC, you can fill your entire day with culture, learning, and fun without spending a cent.”
He points out, “If you’re a family of four, you’re saving hundreds in entertainment alone. That means more flexibility to upgrade your hotel, explore the food scene, or just breathe a little easier while travelling.”
Sport, stage and space to play
DC has every major league covered: basketball, hockey, baseball, American football, soccer. Plus a serious theatre scene. All of it close, all of it accessible, and all of it affordable.
The National Air and Space Museum has just reopened after a massive renovation. National Geographic is launching a new museum next year. Even regulars will find something new.
“We’re challenging our museums to reimagine how they tell stories,” Ferguson says. “The Air and Space Museum is more interactive than ever. Hirshhorn’s sculpture garden is transforming. And we have new spaces opening up that push the boundaries of what a museum can be.”
Agents, your invitation is open
Destination DC has a training platform, a Special Agent program, and a growing list of Australian advisors singing its praises. But Ferguson knows the real power lies in lived experience.
“You can’t sell what you don’t know. That’s why we want more of the trade over here. To see it. To feel it. To take that back and tell the real story.”
Because the real story is this: DC has heart. It has history. And it has room for more Australians.
KARRYON UNPACKS: DC is raw, real and ready to sell. Smart agents know it’s the East Coast’s best-kept secret: better value, bigger stories, and a warm welcome that starts the moment your clients arrive.
READ MORE FROM EAST COAST USA:
Philadelphia CVB – In our interview with Gregg Caren, President & CEO of Philadelphia CVB, discover how the city will celebrate America’s 250th with history, food & FIFA 2026. Read here.
Meet Boston – In our interview with Martha Sheridan, CEO of Meet Boston, discover how Boston will celebrate America’s 250th with FIFA, tall ships & culture. Read here.
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