For Immediate Release:
April 17, 2009 

                  DESTINATION DC GENERATED $3.7 MILLION IN TAX DOLLARS 
            FOR THE DISTRICT IN 2008 WITH POWERFUL MARKETING CAMPAIGN

(Washington, DC) – Washington, DC’s $1.3 million “POWER” marketing campaign generated an additional $53.4 million in visitor spending and $3.7 million in tax revenues for the District, according to an independent study. The study was commissioned by Destination DC, the official tourism marketing arm for the city, with participation and oversight from The Office of the Chief Financial Officer of the District of Columbia.

The campaign ran from April to September 2008 and included TV, print and online marketing inviting travelers to “Create Your Own Power Trip” in DC and supported by a dramatic website redesign and public relations outreach.  Targeted regionally in DC’s top markets for travel, the ads were designed to appeal to key audiences, including family travelers, urban explorers and knowledge seekers.

“Investing in destination marketing is an instant revenue generator for the District,” said Bill Hanbury, president and CEO, Destination DC.  “The campaign returned $3.7 million in new tax dollars to DC—nearly a 3 to 1 return on investment.  In this tough budget environment for the city, we can be a compelling resource to generate new revenue for local businesses and much-needed city services for District residents.”

“With the economic pressures cities across the country are facing, it’s critical that we recognize the importance of travel and tourism in keeping DC fiscally healthy,” said Dr. Natwar Gandhi, CFO, District of Columbia.  DC’s $5.5 billion hospitality industry supports more than 70,000 jobs and generates nearly $600 million in taxes each year for the city alone.

To evaluate the effectiveness of the campaign, Destination DC and the Office of the CFO worked with research firm Destination Analysts, taking a very conservative approach. Visitor spending figures were drawn exclusively from travelers who recalled seeing the ads and indicated that the marketing messages impacted their decision to travel to DC.  More than 60% of the 4,500 survey respondents rated the ads as effective or very effective, and 30% indicated that the ads made them more likely to visit DC in the next year. 

 
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About Destination DC:  Destination DC, the lead destination marketing organization for the nation’s capital, is a private, non-profit membership organization of more than 1,000 businesses committed to marketing the area as a premier global convention, tourism and special events destination with a special emphasis on the arts, cultural and historic communities. Destinationdc.com.