Spread the love

New data from Travel Market Insights, National Travel & Tourism Office and the U.S. Department of Commerce shows that Australia’s visitor numbers to Washington, DC grew by an impressive 11.1% in 2017, placing Australia firmly in the top six international arrivals markets. In 2017, one out of every 15 Australian visitors to the U.S. travelled to DC.

Elliott L. Ferguson, II, President and CEO of Destination DC, confirmed the banner year for DC’s tourism industry and identified the company’s investment in the Australian market as having successfully raised awareness and improved intention to travel to the nation’s capital.

“Washington, DC welcomed 2 million overseas visitors last year, 90,000 of whom were from Australia,” said Ferguson. “Australia is an important market for us and we have been highly active in executing impactful marketing programs with our trade industry partners to drive visitation and achieve these record numbers.”

“While we were thrilled to see growth in overseas visitation, we are faced with certain realities about the political climate and how the U.S. is perceived from a global perspective,” said Ferguson. “That’s why we’re doing everything we can to welcome the global community and increase our presence in Australia and other international markets, both emerging and established.”

DDC also announced plans to sustain the momentum of an uptick in visitation by previewing a new advertising campaign called “Discover the Real DC” (view campaign video). Launching in 2019, the campaign is born from the organisation’s desire to convey authentic Washington, DC experiences.