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Elliott L. Ferguson, President & CEO, Destination DC, interviewed by media

Marketing Highlights and Media Coverage

The latest news from Destination DC's marketing & communications team.


Find out where DC has been in the news this month and what's new with the marketing team.

Destination DC's (DDC) marketing and communications strategy supports the District’s economic recovery by reaching potential visitors and inspiring them to travel to the nation’s capital. The current cross-channel promotional efforts are focused on fall travel across editorial and content development.

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Media Coverage

 

Domestic

 

The TODAY Show, Forbes and TripAdvisor all highlighted DC as a family-friendly spring break destination. Travel + Leisure and The Points Guy published guides to visiting the cherry blossoms, recommending 19 member hotels. TripAdvisor named the NMAAHC one of eight must-visit Black culture and history museums, NBC News spotlighted Black historical interpreters in DC, and Pride Journeys updated its event guide to include Capital Pride and World Pride. Elliott was interviewed on historic WGN radio in Chicago. 

 

International

 

Escandala (Mexico) highlights DC as the host city for World Pride 2025, while Brazil’s Catraca Livre details when and where to enjoy the Cherry Blossom Festival celebrations in DC. UK’s Daily Mail featured 21 members as it highlighted the city’s offerings for families with teens, while ​pdf icon National Geographic (UK) highlights the National Cherry Blossom Festival alongside 23 other members in a destination overview. India’s Newsmania showcases 30 culinary members in its story on Winter Restaurant Week, and The Times (UK) named DC a premier travel destination. 

 

Trade

 

Coverage focused on Sustainability and DEI this month in outlets including Smart Meetings. Skift highlights DDC's new Sustainability District and the Walter E. Washington Convention Center. DDC's inaugural Ambassador Circle Awards were picked up in Headquarters and Conference & Meetings World.  ConventionSouth mentions 100+ members in its updated guide to DC as a prime destination for hosting events. 

 

Marketing Highlights


Summer Advertising
DDC's summer advertising launches April 1 with digital display, broadcast video, paid social, paid search and audio. Media will target DDC's core audiences as well as multi-cultural consumers in both drive and fly markets. Custom content launches with premium publishers such as AFAR and The New York Times, including articles and videos created by each vendor. The summer campaign will also feature a variety of out-of-home placements in Los Angeles, Philadelphia and New York City.
 

Hotel content on washington.org

The content team continues to inspire potential visitors to book stays through a variety of hotel-related content, from recently updated spring hotel deals and packages to refreshes of hotels for every type of visitor, including families, history-buffs and more. In the week prior to the announcement of peak bloom, the team also made more site updates, like adding a new pop-up driving to the website's direct hotel booking engine and incorporating calls to action to book a stay on popular pages like things to do this week and weekend. Since implementing the changes, the booking engine’s daily sessions have increased significantly.

 

Social Highlights

 

Leisure Social

In February, love was in the air on DDC’s leisure channels as the organization celebrated all things romantic in DC! The team welcomed several influencers for date night inspiration, including a romantic dinner at the Saga and cocktails at barmini with Kevin’s Food Tour. Your DC Bestie highlighted women-owned businesses for a Galentine’s Day celebration. For those dreaming of a staycation, we showcased The Wharf as the ultimate destination, with insider tips from the Brunch Belle. Our most popular posts included a 202 Day celebration, sightings of rainbow murals and a glimpse inside the Future of Orchids at the Kogod Courtyard. The team also captured stunning views of the Lincoln Memorial for Presidents’ Day. Make sure to also check out 8 FREE date ideas and ways to experience Black history and culture in DC.

 

Industry Social

Industry channels welcomed the Capitol Hill Volleyball Classic, the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology and America's Credit Unions' Governmental Affairs Conference to Washington, DC. Staff highlights included DDC’s Employee of the Year and recaps of Global Marketplace, Open House and the Member Volleyball Tournament. Industry channels also promoted DDC’s Sustainability Summit and the cherry blossom peak bloom announcement. Member Spotlights included Cake-wich Craft, Neighbors DC, Limani, Artjar, Off the Mall Tours, Old Town Trolley, Dream Aero and S&S Charters.

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