International visitation to the USA is down, but Washington, D.C. tells travellers to look beyond politics to see what the destination has to offer. Destination DC President & CEO Elliott Ferguson explains how the capital differentiates its tourism offering.
No stranger to Australia and New Zealand after countless trade missions post-pandemic, Ferguson was keen to dispel perceptions that did not mirror the realities of travelling to the US, and distinguish DC, the destination from Washington, the capital.
“Washington is one of those cities, we’re always in the headlines, it’s always usually politically motivated,” he said.
“There are less than 400 people who come to Washington who are members of Congress. We welcome them into our city, but they represent the United States as a whole and we want them to understand the ripple effect of the decisions and policies that they’re making.
“We don’t separate ourselves from the government, per se, but we are separate from the government. We benefit from so many things that happen because of the government, and sometimes we have to deal with some of those things as well.
“As a destination, we focus on things that are different from just the politics. We talk about our destination through a different lens and share why Washington should be a part of every itinerary.”
Ferguson said people who have never been to Washington, D.C. are often surprised by how green and walkable the city is.
“Of course, the guy who sells DC is going to get up and talk to you about how great our city is,” he told international media at IPW 2026.
“The big surprise is things that don’t always resonate automatically when you think about a city like Washington. Yes, we’ve got great food, nightlife, theatre and so many different amenities, as do so many different cities.
“But the question is, what makes us stand out as a destination? It’s really the people of Washington, D.C.,” he said.
Despite being the US capital, Washington, D.C. has a population of just 700,000 people, of which 15 per cent are international, including the largest El Salvadoran and Ethiopian communities outside of those countries, plus 185 embassies.
It’s an international mix that has flavoured the local food scene, and attracted a MICHELIN Guide, which Ferguson said validates DC’s dining offerings.
“Every city has great restaurants. I think the thing that makes Washington unique is that between our 185 embassies and the 15 per cent international folks who live in the city, there is so much ethnic diversity in terms of our food scene that it really resonates as another reason to visit our city,” Ferguson said.
More than 14 per cent of the DC population identify as part of the LGBTQIA+ community, which took centre stage when the city hosted World Pride 2025 and welcomed visitors from around the world.
“When I travel to your cities, it’s all about, of course, history, the culture, and all the other things, but it’s how I feel when I’m in that destination. Do I feel welcome? Do I feel safe?” Ferguson said.
“All the concerns [about World Pride 2025] were immediately alleviated when folks came and saw how welcoming Washington was as a destination, specifically because of our people.”
The USA was the only country in the world to see a decline in international tourism in 2025, and Ferguson addressed the impact of government shutdowns that disrupted travel globally and also caused the closure of federal buildings and national parks.
“While a shutdown does impact Washington, I guarantee you, there’s no padlock that says Washington is closed during the government shutdown,” he said.
“Monuments, memorials and museums overwhelmingly are part of the reason why people want to come to DC.
“What we do is we focus on other things that folks can do that are impactful. So, though we cannot control what’s happening with our government, our team was really good at making sure that we shared what’s happening in Washington during that timeframe.
“International visitation, we all know, is down. It’s not as far down in Washington, D.C. We see a lot of momentum as we’re looking at visitors potentially coming back to the United States into the nation’s capital, especially international.
“So, we’re focusing on the 700,000 of us that welcome the folks you all influence to come to the United States,” Ferguson said.
