National Cherry Blossom Festival attendance up in 2024

WASHINGTON — Plenty of cherry blossom fans came to D.C. this year for the National Cherry Blossom Festival. That's according to new data just released by festival organizers and Mayor Muriel Bowser's office.

The data shows 1.6 million people came to the District and surrounding areas for the spring's biggest party. That number eclipses the pre-pandemic total from 2019, which was 1.5 million. 

The estimated visitor spending in the District alone totaled $202 million, with the average length of stay being 3.9 days. Notably, 58% of visitors stayed within DC and of those, 77% stayed in hotels.

More than half of those who attended were visitors to the area (56%), and the rest were D.C.-area residents. Most of those visitors came from the United States, but 17% came from international destinations.

“Washington, D.C. is proud to host the National Cherry Blossom Festival every spring, not only because it is an economic driver for our residents and businesses, but also because it is a point of pride that allows us to showcase our city to visitors from across the country and around the world,” Bowser said in a press statement. “Last year, we set a new tourism record, and it is because we have fantastic events and attractions like the National Cherry Blossom Festival.”

Organizers are already looking ahead to the 2025 festival, which will mark 25 years since it transitioned from a volunteer-run event to the thriving, professionally staffed organization that it is today. The Festival has transformed from a week-long celebration to a four-week experience that carries out its mission to share the joy of the cherry blossoms beyond the Tidal Basin, throughout D.C. and the Washington region, and across the country and around the world. 

“The Festival team is committed to planning and executing a world-class celebration that is not only a hallmark occasion on the D.C. tourism calendar, but also a core economic driver for the region,” said Diana Mayhew, National Cherry Blossom Festival president and CEO. “We are proud to be one of the world’s greatest celebrations of spring, driving D.C.’s brand as the nation’s springtime destination.” 

The 2025 National Cherry Blossom Festival will be held March 20 through April 13.

The festival commissions a study on visitor information every three to four years. Sources of data include an intercept survey by Alexander Babbage, an analytics and insights firm, and Placer, an industry-standard tool used to manage and estimate event attendance, provided by the Capitol Riverfront Business Improvement District (BID). Destination DC provided information on average visitor spending.