Section 10-A709. ED-2.3 THE TOURISM AND HOSPITALITY ECONOMY

 

709.1The District is a premier tourism, convention and special events destination. Its array of attractions and cultural venues, particularly the national museums and federal monuments, rivals that of other great cities around the globe. With 19 million annual visitors, the District ranks fourth among the top United States destinations for domestic travelers and eighth among foreign visitors. Away from the National Mall, an increasingly rich and diverse set of visitor amenities has been developed, including theaters, galleries, restaurants, night clubs, historic trails, and historic home museums, which are enjoyed by visitors and residents alike. Added to this are the District’s newly expanded convention facilities and the associated increase in convention travel. 709.1

 

709.2The economic impact of tourism includes both direct employment in the hospitality industry and spending by tourists and business travelers during their stays in the District. Hotels, bars, and restaurants directly provide more than 45,000 jobs in the city. The Washington Convention Center alone is estimated to have generated more than $700 million in direct spending by attendees in 2005. New hotels such as the 400-room Mandarin Oriental in Southwest have added to the lodging choices in the District. Additional hotels, including a new Convention Center headquarters hotel, are planned to attract larger conventions. 709.2

 

709.3Future growth is expected in both the tourism and convention sectors, with strong job gains projected during the next five years. The opening of new attractions such as the renovated National Portrait Gallery and the US Capitol Visitors Center will attract new visitors and also bring repeat visitors back to the capital. The new ballpark, scheduled to open in 2008, will have a particularly strong impact on visitor spending. In addition, features such as the African-American Heritage Trail, the Fort Circle Parks, the National Arboretum, Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens, and the Frederick Douglass Home offer an opportunity to explore the city “beyond the monuments” while also supporting neighborhood businesses and providing a better understanding of the city’s history and culture among visitors. 709.3

 

709.4Meeting the increased demand for visitor services will require sustained efforts to improve the hospitality workforce, upgrade transportation capacity, address public concerns about security, and maintain public access to key attractions and amenities. It will also require proactive measures to address neighborhood concerns about tour buses, parking, and other tourism impacts. 709.4

 

709.5Policy ED-2.3.1: Growing the Hospitality Industry

 

Develop an increasingly robust tourism and convention industry, which is underpinned by a broad base of arts, entertainment, restaurant, lodging, cultural and government amenities. Strive to increase: (a) the total number of visitors to Washington; (b) the number of visitors staying in the District (rather than in suburban hotels); and (c) longer visitor stays in Washington. Promote the District not only as the preferred base for exploring the city’s attractions but also the preferred overnight base for visiting regional attractions. 709.5

The economic impact of tourism includes both direct employment in the hospitality industry and spending by tourists and business travelers during their stays in the District. The Washington Convention Center alone is estimated to have generated more than $700 million in direct spending by attendees in 2005.

 

709.6Policy ED-2.3.2: Visitor Attractions

 

Provide new and enhanced visitor attractions and entertainment venues in the District, particularly attractions that complement the traditional museums and monuments and draw more international visitors and young adults to the city. New attractions should create a clear identity for the District as the region’s major entertainment center. 709.6

 

709.7Policy ED-2.3.3: Amenities Beyond the Mall

 

Promote the development of cultural amenities beyond the Mall in an effort to more fully capitalize on the economic benefits of tourism. 709.7

 

See also the Arts and Culture Element for policies on promotion of the visual and performing arts, and the Historic Preservation Element for policies on heritage tourism.

 

709.8Policy ED-2.3.4: Lodging and Accommodation

 

Support the development of a diverse range of hotel types, serving travelers with varying needs, tastes, and budgets. New hotels should be encouraged both within Central Washington and in outlying commercial areas of the city, particularly in areas which presently lack quality accommodation. 709.8

 

709.9Policy ED-2.3.5: Federal Coordination

 

Continue to work with federal entities in the planning of visitor attractions, including new federal monuments and memorials, so that the District can plan for complementary amenities and incorporate these features into its marketing programs. The District should also coordinate with the federal government to address security measures which may affect the accessibility and appearance of visitor attractions. 709.9

 

709.10Policy ED-2.3.6: Entertainment Districts

 

Support the continued concentration of entertainment uses in the Gallery Place/Convention Center area to create a stronger and more visible destination for visitors, workers, and residents, and to avoid the over-concentration of these uses in neighborhoods where they might have adverse impacts. Improve streetscape and transportation connections between this area and the National Mall to foster its continued success. 709.10

 

709.11Policy ED-2.3.7: Visitor Information Services

 

Provide more effective visitor information services, including information on tourist attractions and services, and transportation, lodging, dining, cultural and entertainment options. 709.11

 

See the Transportation Element for additional guidance on improved signage to attractions and destinations within the District.

 

709.12Policy ED-2.3.8: Spin-Off Industries

 

Promote the development of hospitality-supply industries within the District to capture a greater share of the employment and income benefits associated with this labor-intensive sector. Presently, many of the industries that provide supplies to local hotels and restaurants are located outside of the city. 709.12

 

709.13Policy ED-2.3.9: Hospitality Workforce Development

 

Recognize the potential for the hospitality sector to generate entry level jobs and opportunities for upward mobility for District residents by promoting vocational, job training, and job placement initiatives in this sector, and by working with local hotels, the District of Columbia Hotel Association, the Washington Convention and Tourism Corporation, and others. 709.13

 

709.14Action ED-2.3.A: Assessment of Supply Industries

 

Conduct an assessment of the industries that provide goods and services to the District hotels and restaurants, such as caterers, laundries, and janitorial services. Based on the findings of the assessment, consider incentives and regulatory tools which might help the District capture a larger share of these businesses, along with possible locations for such uses within the city. 709.14

 

709.15Action ED-2.3.B: Promote Unique Assets

 

Investigate opportunities for further promotion of Washington’s more esoteric attractions so that visitors may be drawn to new destinations in the city, thereby extending their stays and creating more economic benefits for the city. For example, consider tour packages that include “Undercover Washington” (featuring the FBI Building, Watergate, the Spy Museum, etc.); “Naturalist’s Washington” (featuring the C & O Canal, Dumbarton Gardens, the Anacostia River, Rock Creek Park, and the National Arboretum) and “Washington at War” (featuring the Fort Circle Parks, Marine Corps Historical Museum, and the war memorials). Consider also a permanent fair or series of destinations showcasing the 50 states that draws on the District’s status as the nation’s capital. 709.15

 

709.16Action ED-2.3.C: Ballpark Economic Strategy

 

Develop a strategic plan to capitalize on the economic opportunities of the new Major League Baseball park, including the development of additional restaurants, entertainment, and hospitality services in the ballpark vicinity. 709.16

 

See the Arts and Culture Element for additional actions relating to tourism.

 

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The provisions of Title 10, Part A of the DCMR accessible through this web interface are codification of the District Elements of the Comprehensive Plan for the National Capital. As such, they do not represent the organic provisions adopted by the Council of the District of Columbia. The official version of the District Elements only appears as a hard copy volume of Title 10, Part A published pursuant to section 9a of the District of Columbia Comprehensive Plan Act of 1994, effective April 10, 1984 (D.C. Law 5-76; D.C. Official Code § 1 -301.66)) . In the event of any inconsistency between the provisions accessible through this site and the provisions contained in the published version of Title 10, Part A, the provisions contained in the published version govern. A copy of the published District Elements is available www.planning.dc.gov.