Boost tourism and transit with an all-in-one tourist pass

Many European cities offer all-in-one tourism passes, which let people ride transit and visit museums for free. These are good for tourists, good for transit agencies and good for museums. If those cities can coordinate an all-in-one pass, why can’t we?

As part of the current budget deliberations, WMATA is already looking at various options for weekly or monthly passes. So far, this long overdue discussion has focused narrowly on the needs of commuters, to the exclusion of another potential market: tourists.

The proposed 2013 WMATA budget would increase paper farecard prices on Metrorail to $6 for a peak trip, $4 for a non-peak trip. This is ostensibly to “simplify the fare system for the occasional user, such as out-of-town visitors, and encourage SmarTrip® usage.” For tourists, however, it’s just another disincentive to use public transit. Yes, the price system will be simpler, but the value for money (particularly for short in-town trips) would decline significantly.

Vienna and Paris, Luxembourg, and many other European cities have come up with an elegant solution for tourists: an all-in-one card. One purchase gets you a no-hassle pass that works on all forms of local transportation — no fumbling with fare cards, hoarding spare change, or figuring out complex local fare plans.

The same card works for admission to local museums and sights, encouraging visitors to get their money’s worth by visiting as many local attractions as they can. Often, the card also offers a discount at museum stores, restaurants, and other local businesses.

Passes are usually available at hotels, the airport, subway stops, tourist information bureaus, and even as a pre-trip online purchase. The duration often ranges from 24 hours to one week. They always come with a map or guide (like this one from Helsinki, for example) that touts the benefits of the card, lists all local attractions, and gives local businesses the chance to advertise directly to tourists.

Would it work in Washington? True, all the Smithsonian museums are free. Yet adult admission to places like the Newseum ($21.95), Corcoran ($10), Phillips ($12), Spy Museum ($19.95), Mount Vernon ($15), and the Building Museum ($8) can add up quickly. Transit brings that total even higher: $6 rail trips around town, the $18 round trip to Dulles on the Washington Flyer, and whatever the replacement for Tourmobile decides to charge can make a Washington vacation an expensive affair. If the card is marketed well enough and sold at the right price point, tourists are likely to jump at the chance to save money, see more, and make their visit more convenient.

While the existing infrastructure surrounding Smartrip cards provides a good jumping off point for an all-in-one tourist card, the cost of adapting Smartrip to a new use could be significant. Beyond the technological hurdles, there’s also the issue of coordinating and deconflicting the needs of stakeholders in the local tourism market — not an easy task to be sure.

Yet the long-term benefits for the region are clear. The card would broaden the distribution of tourist dollars by encouraging visitors to see the sights beyond the National Mall. Sales of the card could provide a more predictable source of income to local sights.

Metro would benefit by locking in a larger share of the local tourist market. And tourists would be freed to soak in the sights of Washington rather than worry about costs or logistical hassles.

If Luxembourg can make it happen, surely we can.