Washington, D.C. Tourism Board Courts Chinese Travelers, Focusing on Student Market and Deeper Stays; China Is the District's Fifth-Largest Visitor Source
Washington, District of Columbia — Destination DC, the District's tourism board, has recently held media briefings in Beijing, Chengdu and Shanghai to promote the city's newest travel offerings, hoping Chinese visitors will extend their stays to four days or more, according to reports published on October 27.
Teresa Belpulsi, senior vice president for tourism, sports and visitor experience at Destination DC, said Washington, D.C. received 106,300 Chinese visitors in 2025, making China the District's fifth-largest visitor source market and fourth-largest by spending, with Chinese visitor numbers and spending continuing to grow in 2026. The board is upgrading its online specialist training courses for the Chinese travel trade and will work with Chinese travel agencies to promote the city's newest offerings, with a particular focus on the student travel market.
On air access, Paul Bobson, vice president for air service development at the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority, noted that flights between Washington and Chinese cities have recovered to less than half of previous levels, with only Air China having resumed twice-weekly nonstop service between Beijing and Washington; many Chinese visitors arrive via New York, Boston, Seoul or Tokyo. Ground transport continues to improve: Amtrak offers airport-to-downtown service and has launched the Acela high-speed trains; the D.C. Metro has introduced contactless payment, letting riders tap a credit card or phone to ride.
Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：游客在华盛顿特区林肯纪念堂台阶上（资料图）。作者 Jonathan Cutrer，CC BY 2.0，取自 Wikimedia Commons。 / Photo: Tourists on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C., file photo. By Jonathan Cutrer, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
