Washington

Washington, United States, scores 71 on the CIRA Index of tourism resilience, #40 of 309 destinations. 26 of 29 measures come from public sources, with 82% confidence. Every grade below states its value, period and source.

Scores by each organisation's criteria

• CIRA Index: 71
• OECD: 72
• UN Tourism: 70
• UNDRR: 69

Strongest

• Domestic share of nights: 92.3 % of nights by residents of the same country (Destination DC, 2025 Visitation and Impact Statistics, 2025). At or above 45: grade 4/4.
• Largest foreign market: 11.7 % of international arrivals or nights (Destination DC, 2024 Annual Visitor Statistics (citing Tourism Economics), 2024). At or below 15: grade 4/4.
• Rent growth: -0.9 % change in rents over the last 12 months (Apartment List, Washington, DC Rent Report, October 2025–October 2026). At or below 3: grade 4/4.

Weakest

• Municipal waste per resident: 967.6 kg per resident per year (DC Department of Public Works, 2019-2022 Solid Waste Diversion Annual Report, 2022). Above 700: grade 0/4.
• Wildfire and storm hazard: high (region figure) (World Bank GFDRR ThinkHazard, current (retrieved 2026)). Grade 1/4.
• Tourism crisis and recovery plan: Crisis communication only, ad hoc (Destination DC, 2024–2025). Grade 1/4.

United States in the World Economic Forum Travel & Tourism Development Index

United States is #2 of 110 countries (5.23 of 7) in the WEF Travel & Tourism Development Index 2026, which scores countries, not cities. Cities in countries with that WEF score average 70 on the CIRA Index; Washington is 1 above that.

Every measure, by theme

Demand and seasonality: 90

• Nights in the three busiest months: 28.4 % of annual nights (country figure) (World Economic Forum, TTDI 2026 (data: UN Tourism by United Nations World Tourism Organization), 2024, 2025 moving average). At or below 30: grade 4/4. Source
• Domestic share of nights: 92.3 % of nights by residents of the same country (Destination DC, 2025 Visitation and Impact Statistics, 2025). At or above 45: grade 4/4. Source
• Largest foreign market: 11.7 % of international arrivals or nights (Destination DC, 2024 Annual Visitor Statistics (citing Tourism Economics), 2024). At or below 15: grade 4/4. Source
• Recovery against 2019: 108.4 % of 2019 visitor nights reached in the latest full year (Destination DC, 2024). Between 100 and 110: grade 3/4. Source
• Average length of stay: not measured yet
• Hotel bed or room occupancy: 72 % average annual occupancy (Destination DC, 2024 Annual Visitor Statistics (STR), 2024). Between 65 and 75: grade 3/4. Source

Economy and jobs: 92

• Jobs in tourism industries: 6.3 % of employment in accommodation and food services (country figure) (World Economic Forum, TTDI 2026 (data: Travel & Tourism Economic Impact Research by World Travel & Tourism Council; Travel & Tourism by World Travel & Tourism Council), 2026). At or below 8: grade 4/4. Source
• Unemployment rate: 6.7 % of the labour force (District of Columbia Department of Employment Services / U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, January 2026). Between 5 and 8: grade 3/4. Source
• Income per head: 90,027 GDP per capita, USD PPP (country figure) (World Bank WDI, 2025). At or above 60,000: grade 4/4. Source
• Economic diversity: not measured yet

Climate and hazards: 60

• Extreme heat days: 6.8 days a year at or above 35°C (last 5 full years) (ERA5 reanalysis via Open-Meteo, 2021–2025). Between 5 and 15: grade 3/4. Source
• Tropical nights: 54.4 nights a year with a minimum at or above 20°C (last 5 full years) (ERA5 reanalysis via Open-Meteo, 2021–2025). Between 30 and 60: grade 2/4. Source
• Flood hazard: low (region figure) (World Bank GFDRR ThinkHazard, current (retrieved 2026)). Grade 3/4. Source
• Wildfire and storm hazard: high (region figure) (World Bank GFDRR ThinkHazard, current (retrieved 2026)). Grade 1/4. Source
• Country disaster risk: 3.3 INFORM Risk index, 0–10 (country figure) (INFORM Risk (European Commission JRC), INFORM Risk Mid 2026, 2026). Between 2 and 3.5: grade 3/4. Source

Water and environment: 56

• Water scarcity: low (region figure) (World Bank GFDRR ThinkHazard, current (retrieved 2026)). Grade 3/4. Source
• Wastewater safely treated: 89.9 % of domestic wastewater safely treated (country figure) (OECD, Environment at a Glance: United States, 2018). Between 85 and 95: grade 3/4. Source
• Municipal waste per resident: 967.6 kg per resident per year (DC Department of Public Works, 2019-2022 Solid Waste Diversion Annual Report, 2022). Above 700: grade 0/4. Source
• Green space: 37 % of the urban area that is green or tree-covered (District Department of Transportation (DDOT) Urban Forestry Division / DOEE, Washington DC's Urban Tree Canopy Assessment, 2020). Between 30 and 40: grade 3/4. Source

Community and housing: 75

• Tourism intensity: not measured yet
• Cruise pressure: not measured yet
• Rent growth: -0.9 % change in rents over the last 12 months (Apartment List, Washington, DC Rent Report, October 2025–October 2026). At or below 3: grade 4/4. Source
• Short-let density: 2 short-term rental listings per 100 dwellings (Inside Airbnb & U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts, 2024). Between 1 and 2: grade 2/4. Source
• Resident support for tourism: 64 % of residents who say tourism benefits them or the city (country figure) (Destinations International and Longwoods International, United States Industry Brief: 2024 National Resident Sentiment, 2024). Between 60 and 70: grade 3/4. Source

Access and continuity: 71

• Access redundancy: 3 independent ways in: international airport, intercity rail, port, motorway (District Department of Transportation (DDOT) / Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA) / Amtrak, 2026). Between 3 and 4: grade 3/4. Source
• Air traffic recovery: not measured yet
• Rail share of intercity access: not measured yet
• Rail traffic recovery: not measured yet
• Largest airline group share: not measured yet
• Air route concentration: not measured yet
• Early warning and emergency plan: An updated city plan with public early warning for heat, flood or fire (DC Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency (HSEMA), 2024–2026). Grade 3/4. Source
• Tourism crisis and recovery plan: Crisis communication only, ad hoc (Destination DC, 2024–2025). Grade 1/4. Source
• Government effectiveness: 84 World Bank WGI percentile rank, 0–100 (country figure) (World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators, 2025). At or above 80: grade 4/4. Source
• Travel advisory: 1 stricter of the US and Canadian government advisory for the country, 1 (normal precautions) to 4 (do not travel) (country figure) (US State Department and Government of Canada travel advisories, 2026-09-29). At or below 1: grade 4/4. Source
• Dedicated tourism funding: A dedicated source such as a tourist tax or levy (Council of the District of Columbia / Destination DC, 2024–2026). Grade 2/4. Source

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