The spread of the National Guard in Washington negatively affects the city’s revenues

This summer was very difficult for the CEO of Operations at the Tours Bay Foot Tourism Company, Cannes Arsiniga, as it witnessed relapse of the company in multiple cities, including Washington, DC, and the weather swinging between severe free and high humidity, at a time when international tourism decreased to a decrease in the normal number of visitors, as the “lukewarm economy” limited spending.

But Arsiniga was optimistic about a good start in the last weeks of the school holiday, then the US President, Donald Trump, the National Guard in the capital on August 11, the flow of hundreds of soldiers and spread in tourist areas, such as National Mall and Union Station.

“We have witnessed a remarkable decline since the arrival of the National Guard, so that, in terms of timing, this may be one of the main factors to decline,” said Arsiniga, who canceled two out of eight to 10 rounds.

Tourist obstacles

After the “Corona” pandemic declined, tourism in Washington seemed brighter. In 2024, the city received 27.2 million people, an increase of 2.1 million people in 2019, according to the Diestnish DC, a marketing company in the city.

During the current year, companies that depend on visitors ‘spending faced an obstacle after another: workers’ hairstyles on a large scale of the federal government, the presence of less than expected in the events, and finally, Trump described the region as a city that is filled with crime and gangs.

In the week that federal forces spread throughout the capital, the pedestrian movement in Washington decreased by 7% on average, according to Bass Bay, which is being estimated by collecting data from sources such as mobile devices, sensors, cameras, and purchases, and restaurant reservations witnessed a greater decrease.

In turn, the company “Torizim Economics”, a data partner for “Destation DC”, expected a decrease of approximately 5% in the number of international visitors to the American capital this year, and this expectation was presented on June 22, that is, weeks before the deployment of federal forces.

False impression

Speaking at the annual meeting of the expectations of the company “Destation DC”, last week, CEO, Elliot Ferguson, expressed his frustration with the pictures that “broadcast the White House of the world.”

He said that the news affected the public’s public perceptions by the events of the September 11 attacks, the fear of the anthrax, the shooting by snipers in 2002, the multiple government closures, and the 6th of January 2021 rebellion, which coincided with the Korona virus, but Trump’s speech adds a different element.

Ferguson added to a group of local businessmen and tourists.

The data collected by the capital police showed that the total violent crimes in the city reached its lowest level in 30 years last year, and the Washington Post reported that Congress is conducting if these figures had been manipulated.

“People need to feel safe, and know that they can go through a good experience, and will not hinder them with uncomfortable feelings,” Ferguson said in an interview after the event. “This is a large part of what we will focus on.”

To confront these negative messages, the company “Distichity DC” produced a video entitled “We are the people”, starring a variety of city residents, and this video was produced before the arrival of the National Guard, which is more important today than it was a few weeks ago.

In spite of the shocking statistics presented by the “Destyncen DC”, the company sought to create an atmosphere of optimism, and many attendees seemed to wear suitable clothes for a party in the park instead of a morning meeting with graphics and tables, while the Dubont Bras, a local group playing the trumpets, transformed the southeast hall into a dance hall. On the “Washington Post”

54.4 million dollars losses

The CEO of Destination DC, Elliot Ferguson, appeared in a video of a program depicted in the Washington area, and the attendees informed that 41 groups decided not to hold their conferences next year, while these meetings could have generated $ 54.4 million to the city, according to Destination DC, and Ferguson admitted that 2026 would be a year full of challenge Great in the marketing budget, and a headquarters for the difficulty of formulating a future plan.

Tourism economy is declining

Based on several main indicators – such as marketing forecasts, pedestrian movement in the streets, and hotel work – the tourism economy in Washington is witnessing a decline, while analysts refer to the image of the deteriorating city and the increasing security concerns as major factors, and the scene of the National Guard forces, now authorized to carry weapons, may slow down the demand at a time when the city cannot bear this.