For the third year in a row, Washington, DC’s tourism industry set a record for visitation and economic impact. More than 27.2 million people visited the nation’s capital in 2025, modestly surpassing the previous year’s record by 20,000 visitors. Despite overall visitation remaining on par with 2024, Destination DC, the city’s official destination marketing organization, announced record economic impact from tourism: $11.9 billion in visitor spending, $2.4 billion in tax revenue and 114,013 jobs supported.
India remains a standout market for Washington, DC in 2025. It is DC’s top market for spend and second for international visitor volume. Surpassing the United Kingdom, Indian travelers generated approximately $342.7 million in visitor spending and continued to outperform pre-pandemic visitation levels, reinforcing the market’s long-term strategic value for Washington, DC tourism.
“India continues to be one of Washington, DC’s most valuable international markets, with travelers contributing significant economic impact through longer stays and higher visitor spending,” said Elliott L. Ferguson, II, president and CEO, Destination DC. “The strong interest from Indian travelers in DC’s educational, cultural and premium experiences reinforces the importance of maintaining visibility and strong partnerships in this critical growth market.”
Of the 27.2 million overall visitors, 25.1 million traveled domestically – a slight increase year-over-year. International visitation, however, declined by 4 percent – performing better than the 5.5 percent decline to the U.S. overall.
With over 17 years of experience in the B2B travel and hospitality sector, she brings deep insight into travel trade dynamics, industry challenges and market developments. She holds an MA in English Literature and a Diploma in Journalism from the Xavier Institute of Communications, Mumbai, which underpin her strong editorial expertise. An avid nature enthusiast, she prefers outdoor and adventure-led travel, including hiking and trekking.