Tourism, Security and Safety From Theory to Practice

Reopening Reagan National Airport and Other Major Attractions
Three major airports serve the Washington, DC metro area: Ronald Reagan
National Airport (DCA), Dulles International Airport (IAD), and Baltimore-
Washington International Airport (BWI). DCA is conveniently located in
Arlington, Virginia, just across the Potomac River from Washington, DC and serv-
ing over 16 million passengers annually. IAD and BWI are both located in subur-
ban areas several miles from the District. About 23% of visitors to the Washington,
DC area arrive through DCA.
DCA was immediately closed for several weeks after September 11, because of its
proximity to the White House, the US Capitol Building, and other possible terrorist
targets. At the time, it was unclear whether DCA would ever reopen. The closure of
DCA had an immediate negative impact on all segments of the hospitality industry.
Leaders of the hospitality industry realized that, if DCA remained closed, business
travelers, meeting attendees, conventioneers, leisure tourists, and even members of
Congress would spend much more time and endure more cost and inconvenience
traveling in and out of DC. Indeed, some visitors would choose other destinations or
not travel at all. Further, many travelers perceive DCA as the air gateway to the
Nation’s Capital. City and hospitality leaders feared that the public perception would
be that DC was unsafe and under siege and effectively closed unless DCA was
reopened. Reopening DCA was an economic and symbolic necessity. Frankly, most
industry executives in DC and beyond deemed the reopening of DCA as another
critical step in the broader issue of restoring the public’s faith in flying.
Washington, DC Hotels’ Response to Terrorism
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A campaign to lobby Congress, key Cabinet members, and presidential advisors to
reopen DCA was discreetly, but aggressively, waged by the local hospitality industry.
The President of WCTC, District and local political leaders, and area Congress mem-
bers led this charge. Despite the resistance of many key presidential military and secu-
rity advisors, this political campaign and lobbying effort eventually fueled such a
groundswell of political pressure on Congress and the President that DCA was
reopened on October 4, 2001. The initial capacity was limited at less than 50% of the
passenger capacity prior to September 11. Gradually, flights were increased so that
the passenger capacity of DCA has returned to nearly the pre-September 11 level.
On a similar note, tourism to Washington, DC would remain crippled if major
attractions such as the US Capitol building and the White House remained off limits
to the public. The hospitality industry and local political leaders launched similar
campaigns to reopen these notable tourist attractions, albeit with many safety pre-
cautions and modifications. Likewise, these efforts were successful after much polit-
ical lobbying. Tours would only be available to guided groups in secured areas of
these facilities. But at least they were open and free again for tourist viewing. The
reopening of the White House, which took several weeks, was coordinated as a major
press event welcoming an out of town school class and having a local school class be
present as hospitality ambassadors. This step was crucial in the efforts of the DC hos-
pitality industry’s efforts to reconnect with the critical school trip and family markets.