D.C. Mun. Regs. tit. 10-A, § 709
709
709.1 The District is a premier tourism, convention, and special events destination. Its array of attractions and cultural venues, particularly national museums and federal monuments, rivals that of other great cities around the globe. With 22 million annual visitors in 2017, the District is a leading destination for domestic travelers and foreign visitors. Away from the National Mall, an increasingly rich and diverse set of visitor amenities has been developed, including theaters, galleries, restaurants, nightclubs, historic trails, and historic home museums, which are enjoyed by visitors and residents alike. Added to this are the District's expanded convention facilities and the associated increase in convention travel.
709.2 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. As of 2017, hotels, bars, and restaurants directly provide more than 67,000 jobs in the District. New hotels, such as the 1,150-room Convention Center Marriott Marquis, have added to the lodging choices in the District.
709.3 Future growth is expected in both the tourism and convention sectors. Attractions such as the National Museum of African American History and Culture and the U.S. Capitol Visitors Center will draw new visitors and repeat visitors to the capital. The MCI Center, now called Capital One Arena, anchored revitalization of Chinatown when it opened in 1997. Then Nationals Park opened in 2008, where it helped catalyze reuse of the Anacostia waterfront. Building on the momentum of Nationals Park, the new Audi Field and Entertainment Sports Arena at St. Elizabeths East are expected to draw more visitors and spending to historically underserved communities near and along the Anacostia River. In addition, features such as the African-American Heritage Trail; the Civil War Defenses of Washington, otherwise known as the Fort Circle Parks; the National Arboretum; Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens; and the Frederick Douglass Home offer an opportunity to explore Washington, DC beyond the monuments while also supporting neighborhood businesses and providing a better understanding of Washington, DC's history and culture among visitors.
709.4 Meeting the increased demand for visitor services will require sustained efforts to expand the hospitality workforce, upgrade transportation capacity, increase awareness of the District's public safety, and maintain public access to key attractions and amenities. It will also require proactive measures to address neighborhood concerns about motor coaches, parking, and other tourism impacts.
709.5 Policy 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 services. Strive to increase the total number of visitors to the District, the number of visitors staying in the District, and longer visitor stays in the District. Promote the District not only as the preferred base for exploring Washington, DC’s attractions, but also the preferred overnight base for visiting regional attractions.
709.6
Encourage 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 Washington, DC. New attractions should create a clear identity for the District as the region’s major entertainment center.
709.7
Promote the development of cultural amenities beyond the Mall in an effort to more fully capitalize on and distribute the economic benefits of tourism.
See also the Arts and Culture Element for policies on culture in every neighborhood, and the Historic Preservation Element for policies on heritage tourism.
709.8
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 District, particularly in areas that are underserved by hotels.
709.9
Continue to work with federal entities in the planning of visitor attractions, including new federal museums 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 that may affect the accessibility and appearance of visitor attractions.
709.10
Support the continued clustering of entertainment uses in the Gallery Place/Convention Center area to create a stronger and more visible destination for visitors, workers, and residents. Manage noise, lighting, signage, and event activity to appropriately address impacts on surrounding neighborhoods. Improve streetscape and transportation connections between this area and the National Mall to foster its continued growth.
709.11
Provide effective visitor information services, including information on visitor attractions and services, transportation, lodging, dining, cultural, and entertainment options.
See the Transportation Element for additional information on improved signage to attractions and destinations within the District.
709.12
Promote the development of hospitality-supply industries and technological innovations 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 District.
709.13
Recognize the potential for the hospitality sector to generate entry-level jobs and opportunities for upward mobility for District residents by promoting career and 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, unions, and others.
709.14
Promote the Anacostia and Potomac waterfronts as destinations for District residents and visitors in an effort to capitalize on the amenities and economic benefits of tourism in neighborhoods adjacent to the rivers.
709.15
Investigate opportunities for further promotion of Washington, DC’s more esoteric attractions so that visitors may be drawn to new destinations in the District, thereby extending their stays and creating more economic benefits for Washington, DC. For example, consider tour packages that include “Undercover Washington” (featuring the FBI Building, the Watergate Hotel, the International Spy Museum, etc.), “Naturalist’s Washington” (featuring the C&O Canal, Dumbarton Gardens, the Anacostia River, Rock Creek Park, and the National Arboretum), “Washington, DC the Port City” (featuring the District’s reimagined ports at Georgetown, the Wharf, and Navy Yard), and “Washington, DC at War” (featuring the Fort Circle Parks and the war memorials).
709.16
Review the potential of expanding commercial revitalization programs, such as tax increment financing, to include adjoining underused and historically disadvantaged commercial districts with an emphasis on areas in Wards 7 and 8.
709.17
Test the feasibility of challenge-based procurement, which is a technique for procuring a solution rather than a specified product. Challenge-based procurement starts with defining a challenge in a request for proposals to prospective contractors who then propose solutions. This is a significant departure from traditional procurement where the solution is determined prior to procurement for predefined goods and services. This model has helped identify innovative solutions to public-sector problems that use technology-driven and evidence-based approaches.
See the Arts and Culture Element for additional actions relating to tourism.
SOURCE: District of Columbia Comprehensive Plan Act of 1984, effective April 10, 1984 (D.C. Law 5-76; 31 DCR 1049 (March 9, 1984)); as amended by District of Columbia Comprehensive Plan Act of 1984 Land Use Element Amendment Act of 1984, effective March 16, 1985 (D.C. Law 5-187; 32 DCR 873 (February 15, 1985)); as amended by District of Columbia Comprehensive Plan Amendments Act of 1989, effective May 23, 1990 (D.C. Law 8-129; 37 DCR 55 (January 5, 1990)); as amended by District of Columbia Comprehensive Plan Amendments Act of 1989 NCPC-Recommended Amendments, and Closing of Public Alleys in Square 669, S.O. 88-452, Act of 1990, effective May 23, 1990 (D.C. Law 8-132; 37 DCR 2213 (April 6, 1990)); as amended by District Government Land Use Temporary Amendment Act of 1994, effective October 1, 1994 (D.C. Law 10-190; 41 DCR 5360 (August 12, 1994)); as amended by Comprehensive Plan Amendments Act of 1994, effective October 6, 1994 (D.C. Law 10-193; 41 DCR 5536 (August 19, 1994)); as amended by District of Columbia Comprehensive Plan Act of 1984 Land Use Amendment Act of 1994, effective March 21, 1995 (D.C. Law 10-235; 42 DCR 30 (January 6, 1995)); as amended by Technical Amendments Act of 1996 effective April 18, 1996 (D.C. Law 11-110; 43 DCR 530 (February 9, 1996)); as amended by Second Technical Amendments Act of 1996 effective April 9, 1997 (D.C. Law 11-255; 44 DCR 1271 (March 7, 1997)); as amended by Comprehensive Plan Amendment Act of 1998, effective April 27, 1999 (D.C. Law 12-275; 46 DCR 1441 (February 19, 1999)); as amended by Technical Amendments Act of 1999, effective April 12, 2000 (D.C. Law 13-91; 47 DCR 520 (January 28, 2000)); as amended by Comprehensive Plan Amendment Act of 2006, effective March 8, 2007 (D.C. Law 16-300; 54 DCR 924 (February 2, 2007)); as amended by Technical Amendments Act of 2008, effective March 25, 2009 (D.C. Law 17-353; 56 DCR 1117 (February 6, 2009)); as amended by Comprehensive Plan Amendment Act of 2010, effective April 8, 2011 (D.C. Law 18-361; 58 DCR 908 (February 4, 2011)); as amended by Comprehensive Plan Amendment Act of 2021, effective August 21, 2021 (D.C. Law 24-20; 68 DCR 006918 (July 16, 2021)).