As the nation's capital, the District of Columbia is one of the world's leading tourist centers. Tourism in Washington, D.C. generates over $10 billion in direct spending each year and sustains about 260,000 jobs. In 2002, there were over 17.6 million visitors.
The most popular sites are The National Air and Space Museum, the National Museum of Natural History, National Gallery of Art, Museum of American History, the National Zoo, the US Holocaust Memorial Museum, Smithsonian Castle, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Lincoln Memorial, Library of Congress, White House, and US Capitol tours.
Across the Potomac, in Virginia, are Arlington National Cemetery, site of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and the grave of John F. Kennedy, and George Washington's home at Mt. Vernon.