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.

Our 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.

Our 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 $17* million. We receive public funding from the hotel lodging tax in Kansas City, Missouri, and private funding from nearly 900 member businesses in the region.

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

MEETINGS HELD IN KC (2024)
450,013 Attendees
454,453 Room Nights
$351 Million in Economic Impact

Welcome & Connect Travelers

• Assist with the successful execution of almost 500 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

“World famous for barbecue and jazz, Kansas City is now staking a claim as a global leader in sports and entertainment.”

– Travel + Leisure

Promote Local Business

Drive business to local hotels, attractions, restaurants of nearly 900 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.

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 $6.7 billion in economic impact for the region annually, including indirect and induced impact. Taxes paid by visitors save the average Kansas City household $636 in taxes annually.

Local Jobs

More than 47,000 jobs in the region are sustained by tourism either directly or indirectly, supporting $2.3 billion in wages.

Visitors

Kansas City hosts 28.4 million visitors each year. Of these, 46% of visitors stay overnight.

Sources: Tourism Economics, Longwoods International, U.S. Travel Association, 2023