Hello World: Welcome to Washington

Now that Barack Obama is the United States President-elect, can we expect an influx of tourists to Washington, D.C.?  According to the Globe and Mail, travel experts in the nation's capital expect Obama's popularity around the world to translate to an increase in the number of international visitors.

"This will be a sea change," says William Hanbury, president and chief executive of the tourism bureau Destination D.C. "There is a terrific amount of interest internationally in Obama and his campaign, and that will equate to additional interest in Washington, D.C."

...Hanbury says there is a broad sense, in Washington as much as anywhere else, that this is a special moment. "There hasn't been anything like it in American history," he says. "People are going to want to come here and feel and see the power and inspiration that comes from such a historic election.

Among the city sites expected to see more visitors are the White House, "all things Lincoln," African American heritage museums, and Madame Tussaud's, where a life-sized wax figure of the soon-to-be 44th President stands, ready for photo ops.

--Susanne Hackett

Photo: Madame Tussaud's wax sculpture of Barack Obama is on the must-see list for tourists. Via the Times Online.