There's no presidential inaugural this winter to drum up business. And the cherry blossoms don't bloom until April. So D.C. tourism agencies will spend $750,000 to try to lure visitors to the city during its coldest, bleakest and most dreary of tourism seasons.
The 'Winterfest' ad campaign - now in its second year - aims to bring in tourism dollars during Washington's deadest months by offering special air fares, hotel rates and coupons for visitors starting this weekend and running through Feb. 15.
It's being funded by the DC Committee to Promote Washington, the Washington, D.C. Convention and Visitors Association, the Washington Airports Authority, the Hotel Association of Washington, D.C., and United Airlines.
Last year's campaign cost $275,000 and generated about 10,000 hotel bookings in three months and more than $1.43 million in revenue for D.C. hotels, officials estimate. The additional money for this year's effort will target affluent European travelers for the first time, officials said.
'We want to make sure that travel agents and consumers know that that D.C. is a viable alternative for an East Coast shopping destination as well as a great weekend getaway,' said Melanie Suggs, director of marketing for the DC Committee to Promote Washington, which is funding $350,000 of the total.
Winterfest meant an extra 1,000 hotel room bookings and about $150,000 in revenue to the Renaissance Mayflower hotel last year, said General Manager James M. Biggar Jr.
Mr. Biggar's downtown hotelgenerally charges about $240 for corporate clients over the winter. But travel agents and tourists who ask about the special rate will get the cheaper $129 Winterfest rate at his 660-room hotel this winter. More than 50 other Washington hotels will also offer discounted rates for Winterfest visitors.
Winterfest tourists will also get a special coupon booklet that includes discounts on shopping at the Georgetown Park mall, fares on Amtrak, sporting events at the MCI Center and tickets to the Washington Ballet.
The program targets New York, Los Angeles, Philadelphia and Europe with newspaper and magazine ads. Officials want to paint the District as a shopping and cultural destination, advertising nearby outlet malls and local retailers. A laundry list of free and inexpensive wintertime attractions and events sketches Washington as a cultural alternative to pricey New York City.
'Hotels in New York are full. All our hotels are available. The museums are free,' said Marie Tibor, spokeswoman for the Washington D.C. Convention and Visitors Association. 'It lends some real good opportunities to encourage European travelers to shop here.'
More than half of this year's Winterfest marketing budget - $400,000 - will target international travelers.
'Other than the holiday period, the winter is not heavily traveled by international visitors,' said Tara Hamilton, spokeswoman for the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority, which chipped in $50,000. 'This is a way to encourage them to use the airport in the winter months. We benefit by drawing extra air traffic.'
Some hoteliers are already seeing results.
Lowes L'Enfant Plaza Hotel already has nearly 50 room nights booked by Winterfest travelers for this season, said Skip Hartman, managing director of the hotel and chairman of the Washington's hotel association.
'It's certainly sound business. It was new business we wouldn't have had if we didn't participate,' Mr. Hartman said. 'I'm so excited about what we've done already this year that my imagination is going wild.'
