Money magnet

President Bush’s inauguration next week is expected to pump tens of millions of dollars into the District’s economy and translate into future business for the city.

The economic effect could reach well over $100 million as visitors descend on Washington for the four-day celebration, shelling out money to hundreds of local businesses for everything from hotel rooms and limousines to souvenirs, tuxedos and ball gowns.

“This is our big shot every four years,” said Colleen Evans, a spokeswoman for the Ritz-Carlton.

The Presidential Inaugural Committee hopes to raise as much as $50 million, which will be dumped into the District to pay for the inaugural festivities.

The Washington DC Convention & Tourism Corp. (WCTC) estimates overnight visitors during the inauguration will generate about $44.6 million for the local economy. That doesn’t include the money spent by people visiting for just the day on Thursday who will ride the Metro, use the parking lots, take cabs and buy breakfast, lunch and souvenirs.

Thousands of people are expected to attend the festivities, including the swearing-in ceremony and the parade. Day visitors usually spend about $60 each during their visit, according to the WCTC.

In addition to the direct economic effect, the inauguration has a long-term effect as the world watches the District during the events, which could result in future leisure and business travel to the city.

“We are so lucky that we do a significant number of important national events whether it’s a summit, a presidential funeral, an inauguration or a state visit,” said William A. Hanbury, WCTC’s president and chief executive officer. “The inauguration is another example of the bounty that the host receives because we are the nation’s capital.”

City officials are expecting a big turnout this year despite the historical trend that a re-elected president’s second inauguration tends to be less lavish than the first.

“All in all this inaugural committee seems to be pulling out the stops more,” Ms. Evans said. “This one seems to be sexier. There’s a lot more enthusiasm about it.”

City officials expect occupancy to reach 85 percent from next Tuesday to Friday. It is welcome business during a typically slow month for the hotel industry.

Occupancy usually hovers around 52 percent in January. But that increases between 5 percent and 10 percent during inauguration years.

For the elder George Bush’s 1989 inauguration, occupancy jumped 10 percent in January. It increased by 5 percent for Bill Clinton’s 1993 inauguration. For Mr. Clinton’s second inaugural celebration, occupancy rose about 4 percent.

During President Bush’s first inauguration in 2001, occupancy rose 5 percent that month.

“There is just as much interest and demand as there was for the last inauguration,” said Tricia Messerschmitt, a spokeswoman for the Four Seasons Washington D.C. Hotel, which is sold out.

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