Washington DC has always been a victim of strange myths. A typical one is that except the barred White House and a few super green park areas, there is nothing to see in this city. However, this cannot be farther from the truth, as proven by the recent figures released by the WCTC (Washington DC Convention and Tourism Corporation). Actually, this year has been a record year for the American capital in terms of the number of tourists, especially business tourists, it welcomed. Those who came to enjoy Washingtonian hospitality and to savor the monumental art culture obviously looked beyond the stereotypes surrounding Washington. The figures suggest that people are beginning to become more educated in terms of what there is to offer.
The WCTC, a non-profit organisation comprising of around 1.000 businesses, recently announced that 2007 has so far brought $5.24 billion to Washington thanks to the increased popularity of tourism in the area. The organisation creates and facilitates new meeting facilities for leisure and business every day and has played a huge and pivotal role in bringing 6 million visitors to the capital. As the majority of these visitors came on business, the revenue has been exceptional. It is the general rule of thumb that business travellers spend around 3 times as much as leisure travellers on accommodation, food and trips.
A main lure for visitors to Washington is found in the convention centres. The first ever one, constructed in 1874, was a central point of tourism, just as is the most recent, built in 2004. The latter convention centre, in fact, hosts around 1 million visitors on an annual basis. As the convention centres continue to rise and WCTC continues to do its job quite well, it is easy to understand why the popularity of Washington is expected still to soar to greater heights in years to come.