Washington Tourism CEO Explains the Impact of D.C. Cool Campaign

First-tier travel destinations like Washington, D.C. have the inherent benefit of attracting overnight visitors based on their iconic attractions embedded in the public consciousness over decades in the making, but there's always the danger of devolving into a collection of cliches. If a destination becomes a victim of its own success because it's too stuck to its legacy identity, the visitor economy flat lines and the average age of visitors grows older. The tourism tax base shrinks, hotel occupancy and rate stagnate, and it's harder to drive increased attendance at conventions. All kinds of bad things happen. A decade ago, Washington, D.C. was flirting a bit too closely with that scenario because the city had plateaued as a tourism destination known almost solely for its museums, monuments and memorials. But then a propitious marketing collaboration presented itself that would have a significant impact on the city's identity for both leisure and group travelers. The followin