What Visit Bentonville does

Visit Bentonville is the official destination marketing organization (DMO) for Bentonville, Arkansas, operating under the legal entity name Bentonville Advertising and Promotion Commission. Founded in 1996 and headquartered at 125 W Central Ave, Suite 200, the organization is a quasi-governmental, publicly funded body with 11-50 employees that operates as the statutory tourism promoter for the city. Its core product is the visitbentonville.com destination marketing platform — a content site built on the Simpleview content-management framework — which aggregates things-to-do, food-and-drink, events, places-to-stay, and trip-planning content. Notable product features include the interactive Wander Map, a monthly e-newsletter, a free downloadable travel guide, the 'A New American Town' podcast, and the Bike Bentonville sub-brand. Physical service delivery runs through two visitor centers: the Big Blue truck on Bentonville Square and the 5th Street Visitor Center.

The revenue model is advertising-and-promotion-commission funding rather than transactional pricing. Visit Bentonville is funded by the Bentonville Advertising and Promotion Commission via hotel taxes and tourism-related revenues, and provides free services to visitors. Customer segments are segmented across leisure travelers (outdoor enthusiasts and cultural tourists as primary personas) plus business segments such as meeting planners, sports event organizers, and film production crews. Distribution relies on owned digital channels, physical visitor centers, partner-network materials, and proactive media relations that have produced a dense cluster of 2026 national travel-media placements.

Visit Bentonville's competitive position is anchored by its quasi-governmental monopoly within Bentonville, deep ecosystem partnerships with Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, The Momentary, Walmart Museum, Oz Trails, Peel Compton Foundation, Bike Bentonville, Scott Family Amazeum, and 40+ bike-friendly hotels, and infrastructure enabled by the Walton Family Foundation's cumulative $74 million trail investment. The organization is led by President and CEO Kalene Griffith with a commission chaired by Chris Sooter.

Name

Visit Bentonville

Legal name

Bentonville Advertising and Promotion Commission

Website

https://visitbentonville.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Visit Bentonville is the official destination marketing organization for Bentonville, Arkansas, providing free visitor services — interactive maps, travel guides, e-newsletter, podcast, and physical visitor centers — to leisure travelers, meeting planners, sports organizers, and film production crews.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Destination Marketing & Tourism Promotion

NAICS

Tour Operators (56152)

akta.pro primary industry

Permitting, Reservations & Visitor Information Services (Passes, Booking, Visitor Centers) (THAAAGAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Eco-Tours & Sustainable Nature Travel (THAJAIAD), Museum & Landmark Guided Tours (Skip-the-line/Docent-led) (THAJAAAC)

Keywords

• Destination marketing
• Tourism promotion
• Visitor information services
• Travel planning resources
• Cycling tourism

Headquarters

HQ city

Bentonville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Tourism Promotion and Advertising: Funded by the Bentonville Advertising and Promotion Commission, the organization promotes tourism and generates economic impact for local businesses through destination marketing, events, and visitor services.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Visit Bentonville is the official destination marketing organization for Bentonville, Arkansas, promoting the city as a leisure, cultural, meeting, sports, and film destination. It delivers free trip-planning resources — including the VisitBentonville.com website with an interactive Wander Map, downloadable travel guides, an e-newsletter, and the A New American Town podcast — alongside staffed visitor centers and the Bike Bentonville cycling sub-brand.

Product overview

Visit Bentonville operates a unified destination marketing website that serves as the primary digital platform for tourism promotion in Bentonville, Arkansas. The core product is the visitbentonville.com website, which integrates multiple content sections including an interactive Wander Map for trip planning, a travel guide publication, an email newsletter, and the 'A New American Town' podcast series. A specialized sub-brand, Bike Bentonville, focuses on promoting the city's world-class mountain biking trails and cycling culture. The site also provides visitor center services and connects tourists with accommodations, dining, attractions, and events throughout the region.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Bike Bentonville: Brand focused on cycling tourism and mountain biking experiences in Bentonville

Products and services

• VisitBentonville.com Destination Website

Quantifiable outcome

• Delivering 'Unreasonable Hospitality' recognized with Tourism Organization of the Year award 2026
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core and secondary.

• Crystal Bridges Museum of American ArtcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFlagship cultural partner; Crystal Bridges is a world-class art museum founded by Alice Walton featuring American art across 134 acres. Visit Bentonville promotes museum as anchor attraction for cultural tourism.
• The MomentarycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerContemporary art satellite space of Crystal Bridges in a converted 63,000-square-foot former Kraft cheese plant. Partners on exhibitions, events, and cultural programming.
• Walmart MuseumcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHistoric attraction preserving Sam Walton's original five-and-dime store from 1950. Major heritage tourism asset located on Bentonville Square.
• Oz TrailscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional trail network organization managing 300+ miles of singletrack in Northwest Arkansas. Co-marketing partner for mountain biking promotion and trail development awareness.
• Peel Compton FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNonprofit supporting Coler Mountain Bike Preserve and trail development. Operates the 300-acre preserve with trails two miles from downtown Bentonville.
• Bike BentonvillecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCycling promotion organization building cycling-oriented culture and tourism. Manages trail resources, bike events, and cycling community engagement.
• Scott Family AmazeumsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerChildren's museum with hands-on exhibits for family visitors. Family-oriented attraction promoted for multi-generational travel.
• 21c Museum HotelcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBike-friendly boutique hotel offering secure bike storage, bike wash stations, and cycling literature. Located near accessible trails with art museum integrated into guest experience.
• Motto by Hilton Bentonville DowntownsecondaryChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBike-friendly hotel with on-site bike valet, secure bike storage room, and connection to nearby trails. Part of growing bike-friendly hotel network.
• Phat Tire Bike ShopcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFull-service bike shop in downtown Bentonville offering rentals ($38-$120/24 hours), repairs, and expert local trail guidance for visitors.
• Razorback GreenwaysecondaryStrategic or Co-development Partner40+ mile paved trail connecting Bella Vista to Fayetteville through seven Northwest Arkansas cities including Bentonville.
• Museum of Native American HistorysecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional museum showcasing Native American artifacts and history. Partner for cultural tourism diversification.
• Arkansas TourismcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerState tourism organization that presents the Henry Awards and coordinates statewide tourism promotion. Primary recognition body for Arkansas tourism industry.
• Bentonville Area Chamber of CommercesecondaryGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal business organization supporting economic development and tourism growth. Co-marketing partner for destination promotion.
• Life Time (Big Sugar Classic)secondaryGTM or Marketing PartnerMajor cycling event brand bringing annual Big Sugar gravel race to Bentonville each October. Event sells out in minutes demonstrating strong demand.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Market position

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/BentonvilleCVB
• Facebookfacebook.com/VisitBentonville
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/visit-bentonville
• Instagraminstagram.com/visitbentonville

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Visit Bentonville