About Visit KC

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 30 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 $11* 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.

Visit KC Budget

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.

Kansas City Economic Impact + Visitor Profile

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

Kansas City Visitor Center

The home of Visit KC features a Downtown Visitor Center conveniently located right off the KC Streetcar line in the Kansas City Power & Light District.

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...