TORONTO — The folks in charge of spotlighting tourism to Washington, D.C. have partnered with DCI to promote the U.S. capital in the Canadian market, and they couldn’t be happier to be here.
And on this Fourth of July, always one of the biggest celebrations in the U.S., what better time to talk about the nation’s capital?
At a recent event at Toronto’s Gusto 501 restaurant, Destination DC’s Kyle Deckelbaum and Lindsay Hill joined DCI rep Gabi Sandler and her team to spread the message ‘There’s Only One DC.’ “We’ve been chatting about this for ages,” said Sandler, as she introduced Deckelbaum and Hill. The lunch was DCI’s opportunity to showcase Washington DC to travel trade and consumer media, with news of new hotels, upcoming events and more.
The timing was appropriate, as Toronto was gearing up to celebrate Pride weekend. Next year DC will host WorldPride DC 2025. Coinciding with Capital Pride’s 50th anniversary, a week of additional celebratory experiences will take place across the city, spanning May 23 – June 8, 2025. Some two million visitors are expected.
It’s a big event, and just one of many on DC’s calendar. The city already attracts plenty of visitors for its National Cherry Blossom Festival every spring. Other top spring draws include Passport DC, showcasing the city’s 175+ embassies with open houses and cultural programming. There’s also the Smithsonian Folklife Festival, and the DC JazzFest (Aug. 28 – Sept. 1, 2024)
Looking ahead to 2026, DC will mark the country’s 250th birthday with ‘America 250’, a year-long celebration. Museums and theatres are planning exhibits and shows, while restaurants and festivals will incorporate the America 250 theme into their menus and celebrations.
Speaking of restaurants, DC has 20 new or renovated rooftop bars and restaurants. Deckelbaum says DC has the highest concentration of Michelin restaurants of any U.S. city.
On the hotel front, the city has 19 new hotels and more than 3,500 new rooms in the pipeline. In the NoMa neighbourhood, there’s luxury property The James and the Parisian MOB Hotel. Georgetown is getting a CitizenM, while the Southwest Riverfront is getting a Moxy. Salamander Washington DC is undergoing a full restoration. And new boutique hotel Arlo will open within one of DC’s oldest residential buildings with two restaurants, a rooftop pool, a bodega and a speakeasy.
Also on the radar and especially of interest to visitors, phase 2 of The Wharf development includes a Pendry hotel and spa, shopping and restaurants, a marina and public parks. Dulles International Airport is expanding, with construction starting soon on a US$580 million concourse that will include seven international gates. And as part of a massive expansion of the Metro’s Silver Line, travellers can now connect to Dulles via the subway.
There’s been a lot of activity in DC over the past few years, says Deckelbaum. “If you haven’t been in a long time, it will feel like a different city,” he said.
“For years we’ve wanted more of a presence in the Canadian market,” added Deckelbaum. “This is our first time having full representation in Canada and we couldn’t be more excited to be here.”
In 2023 more than a quarter million Canadians travelled to DC. Like many U.S. destinations, the city counts Canada as its largest international market. Visits from Canada in 2023v were up 58% year over year, and up 6% from pre-pandemic.
The new campaign launched last November, ‘There’s Only One DC’, spotlights everything that makes the city unique, including (but certainly not limited to) its incredible national treasures. “And you visit them all, for free,” says Deckelbaum. Admission to the Smithsonian museums and galleries in DC is free – plus, of course, the Smithsonian’s National Zoo. In a great turn of events for the zoo, pandas are on their way back, with two pandas expected to arrive at the zoo later this year for a 10-year stint.
DC is also a mecca for outdoorsy-types, with hiking trails, biking trails and more. For the fourth year in a row DC took top spot (out of the 100 most populated U.S. cities) for its park system, generally acknowledged to be the best big city park system in the country. DC’s Rock Creek Park alone is massive, coming in at twice the size of NYC’s Central Park.
Meanwhile DC’s 11th Street Bridge Park is expected to open in 2025. It’s the city’s first elevated public park, high above the Anacostia River with an amphitheatre, gardens, interactive art and event spaces.
For all the details on trips to DC see Washington.org.
