MEMBER NEWS

Dear Members,

Thanks to the Mayor’s budget proposal and DC City Council approval, Destination DC has launched our Experience DC advertising campaign for 2022, which features custom digital content, HTML banners, streaming video and audio and paid social and search placements. Accordingly, it's a great time to upload spring and summer offers to washington.org as we continue to drive more visitors to Washington, DC. Visit the Member Extranet to add your deal or package today and make sure to tag your specials with the corresponding category.

The city recently welcomed back Washington Nationals baseball and will continue to cheer on D.C. United, the Washington Capitals, the Washington Mystics and the Washington Spirit in the coming weeks and months. Exciting upcoming events include Passport DC (May 1-31), Filmfest DC (April 21 – May 1), Project GLOW (April 30 – May 1) and Broccoli City Festival (May 7-8).

You should have received an invitation to our upcoming Travel Rally on May 3, which is an opportunity to celebrate our industry and discuss continued recovery efforts. Please register to join us if you haven’t already.

Kind regards,

Elliott L. Ferguson, II
President & CEO
Destination DC

Celebrate July 4 with DDC & AEF

Join Destination DC and our affiliated 501(c)(3) charity, the American Experience Foundation, for an exclusive Washington, DC celebration this July 4th. Attend to enjoy a perfect view of the fireworks while giving back to DC students.

Support the Student & Youth Travel Association Annual Conference (Aug. 26-30) 

Help impact the lives of students at this summer's SYTA Annual Conference. Get involved by offering in-kind tickets for delegates to experience your business, upload special deals and discounts or showcase your brand at DDC’s welcome celebration for 700+ attendees.

Stay in the Loop with Industry Buzz

Find out what's happening in the Washington, DC tourism and hospitality industry.

'PIXELBLOOM' at ARTECHOUSE

Jump into the metaverse and glide through a virtual world of cherry blossoms brought to life only at ARTECHOUSE. Visit today and experience the immersive, interactive thrill ride PIXELBLOOM.

The communications team continues to support DC's recovery through inspirational pitches about 2022, significant anniversaries, sustainability, hotel product, spring and summer travel. The Experience DC advertising campaign kicked off its first phase on April 7. Web content is tailored to target segments coming from paid media, while additional consumers are coming from organic search, social and email channels. The latest content includes an updated guide to summer, the reopening of the U.S. Botanic Garden, Smithsonian museums and the return of tours to the White House and U.S. Capitol. On social media this March, the team generated its highest engagement in FY2022 with a mix of posts, social videos, stories and giveaways about the National Cherry Blossom Festival and new exhibits in the city. Industry-focused social channels highlighted DDC staff's return to international sales and media missions, site visits and trade shows; it also recognized Erica Riddle as the Employee of the Quarter. 

The sales team is focusing on a proactive engagement plan for client outreach, with an emphasis on personalized touch points, program restructuring and rebooking and customer engagement. The team held more than 46 presentations, virtual client sales calls and in-person meetings in March.

Upcoming & Recent Activities:

• Global DMC Partners United Kingdom Customer Connection Familiarization Trip (April 10-11, Washington, DC)
• Cvent Connect (April 11-14, Las Vegas, NV)
• European Association Summit (May 3-5, Brussels, Belgium)

DDC's tourism team continues to host and attend events for group tour operators from around the world to highlight the benefits of visiting DC. Theresa Belpulsi, VP of Tourism, Sports and Visitor Services, will join CRUSA in Germany later this month for a sales and media mission. Meanwhile, supplier registration opened for CRUSA's Global Travel Exchange event in October, which gives tourism clients from around the world an opportunity to connect with local businesses. DC is also bidding on two major sporting events to continue elevating the city's reputation as a world-class sports town. 

What three things are visitors asking about?

1. How do I tour the White House and the U.S. Capitol?
2. What museums still require timed entry passes?
3. What tours do you suggest for someone with limited mobility?

Make sure to use #ExperienceDC

Industry Social Channels: @DestinationDC

Leisure Social Channels: @visitwashingtondc