About Visit KC
Visit KC is an economic development organization dedicated to being the heart of the tourism industry in Kansas City. Our mission is to create global passion for Kansas City. We do this through sales and marketing efforts to attract visitors and conventions to Kansas City.
WHO WE ARE
STRUCTURE
Visit KC is a nonprofit, 501(c)6 organization contracted by the City of Kansas City, Missouri. Formerly the Kansas City Convention & Visitors Association, we began doing business as Visit KC in 2014.
PEOPLE
Visit KC is supported by a full-time staff of 35+ and directed by a board of 11 civic and business leaders. The organization is comprised of four teams in the areas of convention sales and services, marketing/communications, finance/administration and partnership/events.
“The Visit KC team was nothing short of fantastic. Other cities could learn from them in ensuring open, honest and proactive communication and coordination.”
– U.S. Department of Energy, Senior Event Manager
BUDGET & FUNDING
Visit KC has an annual operating budget of $14* million. We receive public funding from the hotel lodging tax in Kansas City, Missouri, and private funding from more than 800 member businesses in the region.
WHAT WE DO
SELL KANSAS CITY
Destination branding to position Kansas City as a vibrant, creative community
Convention sales efforts to attract conventions, meetings and sporting events to Kansas City
Integrated marketing campaigns to drive visitors to Kansas City through advertising, PR and social media
Home to the KC Film Office, representing the region’s film community
MEETINGS HELD IN KC (2022)
391,362 Attendees
369,074 Room Nights
$305 million in Economic Impact
WELCOME & CONNECT TRAVELERS
Assist with the successful execution of almost 325 meetings and conventions each year
Creation of maps, guides, content and other visitor resources to help guests discover all there is to do in Kansas City
“Kansas City is the most lovable of cities.”
- The Huffington Post
PROMOTE LOCAL BUSINESSES
Drive business to local hotels, attractions, restaurants of more than 800 businesses involved in the local hospitality community
SUPPORT LOCAL EVENTS
Organize and support major events like KC Restaurant Week, Tap Tour and the Big 12 Men’s Basketball Championship, to name a few.
WHY IT'S IMPORTANT
According to a recent study, cities with a strong visitor economy tend to grow faster than their peers. In fact, a 10% increase in a destination’s visitor-related employment relative to the U.S. average tends to be followed by a 1.5% rise in broader employment in the community.
TOURISM ECONOMIC IMPACT
Tourism generates $5.3 billion in economic impact for the region annually, including indirect and induced impact. Taxes paid by visitors save the average Kansas City household $513 in taxes annually.
LOCAL JOBS
More than 40,000 jobs in the region are sustained by tourism either directly or indirectly, supporting $1.8 billion in wages.
VISITORS
Kansas City hosts 24.5 million visitors each year. Of these, 44% of visitors stay overnight.
Sources: Tourism Economics, Longwoods International, U.S. Travel Association, 2021
Related Links
Careers and Employment
Employment and Internship Opportunities at Visit KC
Kansas City Visitor Center
The home of Visit KC features a Downtown Visitor Center conveniently located right off the KC Streetcar line.
Board of Directors
The Visit KC Board of Directors is comprised of up to 30 civic and business leaders from the greater Kansas City area. The Mayor of Kansas City, Missouri, with the advice and consent of the City Council, appoints one-half of the members and one-half shall be approved by the existing Board of Directo...
Visit KC Partner Organizations and Related Links
See the list of partner organizations to Visit KC.