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Yes, Washington is still open. Visitors can still enjoy its privately funded museums, along with its open-air national monuments and memorials, and even its high-end restaurants. Some of those once-exclusive reservations may now be within reach. Many of the top sightseeing attractions — including the Library of Congress, the National Archives Museum and the 21 museums operated by the Smithsonian Institution — are federally funded and have been closed for more than a month because of the government shutdown, which is acting as an accelerant to the capital’s continuing tourism woes. In October, hotel rooms in Washington were emptier than usual. The revenue per available room, a common hotel industry metric, dropped by nearly 9 percent, more than triple the 1.6 percent average decline across the country’s top 25 markets, according to data from CoStar, a real estate analytics company. “We barely have any business,” said George Ghiorghis, 65, a guide for Sam & Sal Tours, which gives van tours. This week he’s only worked two tours, which he said was a reduction of about 75 percent compared to a usual week. And the downturn in international tourists is stark, he added. “They’re not here because they think D.C. is shut down,” Mr. Ghiorghis said. Fewer people are dining out at area restaurants. Dan Simons, a co-owner of Farmers Restaurant Group, which operates three Founding Farmers eateries in D.C., estimates that the shutdown is shaving up to 15 percent off typical revenue at the group’s restaurants in the Washington area this time of year. This isn’t just because of missing tourists, he emphasized, but also from locals who are being more cautious about spending. “We started to see a softening a couple weeks leading up to the shutdown,” Mr. Simons said. “We felt it at the shutdown and again another drop a few weeks later when the paychecks ran out.” Restaurant sales in D.C. were down 7 percent last month compared to a year earlier, said Consumer Edge, a data and insights company that tracks consumer spending. Nationwide, restaurant spending was flat. Travelers, anxious and frustrated, are flocking to social media to vent, seek advice on trip decisions and crowdsource alternative itineraries. Some are wondering whether they should go to Washington at all, citing shuttered attractions and concern about a more vulnerable air traffic control system. Washington was one of the stops on a monthlong road trip around the country that Erica Hart took with her 8-year-old son Jameson. They’d been looking forward to visiting the Smithsonian’s zoo and museums, which are free, and had to pivot during their two-day visit to find other kid-friendly activities. The only ones they saw this week were the outdoor monuments and memorials. “We tried to make the best of it,” said Ms. Hart, 39, who lives in Rockledge, Fl. “You don’t get to see as much when everything’s closed down.” Destination DC, the city’s tourism marketing organization, has revived its “DC is Open” campaign, which first debuted during the 2013 government shutdown. Elliott L. Ferguson II, the organization’s president and chief executive, said fall is typically a busy season for D.C. with convention and leisure travel. Tourism is a key driver of D.C.’s economy. Last year, more than 27 million people visited and spent $11.4 billion there, a record, according to Destination DC. Though domestic tourists made up the vast majority of this number, there were more than 2 million international tourists, who generally stay longer and outspend domestic visitors. Last year, Canada was D.C.’s top international market. Tourism has been less rosy this year. Tourism Economics, a research firm partnering with Destination DC, estimated in mid-October that international visitors to the city would slip 4 percent this year. This is slightly more promising than the overall picture of international visitation to the country, which is estimated to fall by more than 6 percent, according to Tourism Economics. For the first time since 2020, international travel to the United States is projected to decrease, U.S. Travel Association, a trade group that promotes travel to and within the country, said. Canden Arciniega, the chief operating officer of a tour company called DC by Foot, said that fall is usually a great time with tourists flocking to ghost tours and school groups descending on the city. She’s worried about the fall and holiday season ahead. “I’m nervous about December because we usually get our last push before slow winter season with holiday travelers and I’m not sure they are going to come now,” she said. Follow New York Times Travel on Instagram and sign up for our Travel Dispatch newsletter to get expert tips on traveling smarter and inspiration for your next vacation. Dreaming up a future getaway or just armchair traveling? Check out our 52 Places to Go in 2025.
