Washington, D.C. Had a Record 18.3 Million Domestic Visitors in 2014

The 18.3 million domestic tourists who visited Washington, D.C. in 2014 made it another record-breaking year for the city while spending some $6.8 billion.

The 2014 domestic visitation number is a 5.7% increase year-over-year based on statistics released this week by Destination D.C., the city’s tourism bureau.

Domestic visitor spending was up 1.9% compared to 2013 and last year was the fourth consecutive year spending topped $6 billion. Destination D.C. said food and beverage, entertainment and retail spending all increased by more than 2% year-over-year.

As the tourism bureau celebrates another tourism record it’s not without qualms regarding its competition and the increasingly favorable exchange rate between the U.S. Dollar and Euro.

“Yes, we’re wary of the one-two combo of a falling Euro and strong U.S. dollar abroad, but we’re addressing key audiences in novel ways,” said Elliott Ferguson, president and CEO of Destination D.C., in a statement.

Elliott said the the tourism bureau will focus this summer on promoting the more than $9 billion of new development in D.C. neighborhoods through Destination D.C.’s first TV commercial in addition to a print campaign in Boston and New York magazines.

The National Travel and Tourism Office will release the city’s 2014 international visitor numbers and spending later this summer.