D.C. Tourism Flatlines as Foreign Visitors Fall, Marketing Slumps

Washington, D.C.’s visitor growth flatlined in 2025, edging up by just 20,000 travelers to 27.2 million as the city’s tourism agency faces a two-thirds cut to its advertising budget.

The plateau follows a year of strain on D.C.’s visitor economy. National Guard troops have been deployed in the city since August 2025, spooking some potential overseas visitors. Repeated federal shutdowns and mass firings of federal workers gutted business travel demand.

“I’d probably need a shot of vodka to tell you how I really feel about how it’s been,” said Elliott Ferguson II, president and C