WASHINGTON — As the capital of the United States, this city is known for its tourism. The industry affects both the city’s economy as well as the everyday lives of residents. Though there are varying views on tourism, most tend to be positive.
“I’m glad to have people coming here to visit the national capital of our country,” Richard Beatty, who has a family legacy in Georgetown, said. “[But] I don’t like them crowding out our things.”
The District welcomed a record 18.5 million visitors in 2012, according to washington.org. Since then, visitation has been continually rising and is predicted to do so through 2016. Because of the number of visitors, tourism has just become a part of life for most residents.
“Everyone gets used to [tourism],” Alex King, a senior at American University originally from Michigan, said.
Locals who commute definitely feel the influx and have tips to deal with it. Those include not going to attractions, such as the monuments, on a daily basis, unless family and friends are in town, as Henry Robertson, a sophomore at American University, does.
“I think [tourism is] good as long as it doesn’t hurt the city,” AU senior Shani Lee said.
Many think that the reason why the number of tourists is high is because of the renowned attractions such as the the National Mall, with about 55 percent of the visitors coming for leisure, according to Jeanette Tejeda de Gomez, public affairs specialist of AAA Atlantic. The most popular attractions in the city are the White House, Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monument. Special events are also a big draw. This year alone, there will be 17 large events attracting visitors from all over. Tourism in D.C. creates $6.7 billion and supports 75,300 jobs annually.
“Tourism is critical to D.C.” Tejeda de Gomez said.