What Visit Baltimore does

Visit Baltimore is the official destination marketing organization (DMO) for the City of Baltimore, Maryland, operating as a private nonprofit entity (Visit Baltimore, Inc.) founded in 1982. The organization promotes Baltimore as a destination for leisure travelers, conventions, meetings, and sporting events, coordinating across the local tourism ecosystem that includes hotels, restaurants, attractions, venues, transportation providers, and event service firms. Its primary customer segments are corporate and association meeting planners, sports event organizers, leisure visitors, and Baltimore tourism businesses that participate in membership and partnership programs.

The organization's core product is its digital destination marketing platform at baltimore.org, a WordPress-based website offering SEO-optimized editorial content, event listings, neighborhood guides, restaurant and attraction recommendations, trip planning tools, and partner directories. Complementary products include the Waterfront Wanderer Pass and BoP Pass (curated discount programs), the B-Side community storytelling initiative, a monthly email newsletter ("The Buzz"), and a dedicated meetings and conventions sales operation that supports RFP submission, venue coordination, and customer experience for events at the Baltimore Convention Center and surrounding venues. The Visit Baltimore Education & Training Foundation, an affiliated nonprofit, operates the Tourism Academy, a free online workforce training platform for the hospitality industry.

Visit Baltimore generates revenue primarily through membership dues from local tourism businesses, advertising and sponsorship from partners, and — though not directly disclosed as a line item — likely municipal appropriations from the City of Baltimore and the Maryland Department of Commerce. Core consumer services are free to the public; membership and advertising pricing is quote-based. The organization is part of the Maryland International Marketing Partnership alongside the Maryland Office of Tourism, Visit Annapolis & Anne Arundel County, and Visit Frederick, and in 2026 extended its international marketing representation into the UK and Ireland. The organization's website cites 28.5 million visitors and $4.3 billion in visitor spending in 2024, with 27 million visitors and $6 billion in economic impact in a typical year.

Name

Visit Baltimore

Legal name

Visit Baltimore, Inc.

Website

https://baltimore.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1982

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Visit Baltimore is a nonprofit destination marketing organization that promotes Baltimore to leisure travelers, convention and meeting planners, and sports event organizers through its website, sales operations, and member programs, coordinating the local tourism ecosystem across hotels, venues, attractions, and restaurants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Destination Marketing Services

NAICS

Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events (7113), Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events with Facilities (71131)

SIC

Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)

akta.pro primary industry

Full-Service Destination Management (Ground Handling & Onsite Operations) (THAHADAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Venue & Special Event Site Sourcing (Unique Venues, Permitting) (THAHADAE), MICE & Event DMCs (Meetings/Incentives/Conferences) (THAKAEAB)

Keywords

• Destination marketing
• Convention sales
• Visitor information
• Tourism promotion
• Meeting planning services

Headquarters

HQ city

Baltimore

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues and Partnership Programs: Visit Baltimore generates revenue through membership programs where local hotels, restaurants, attractions, and tourism-related businesses pay dues to become partners, gaining access to sales leads, promotional opportunities, and visibility through the organization's marketing channels.
2. Advertising and Sponsorship: Partners and local businesses purchase advertising opportunities on Visit Baltimore's website, publications, and promotional materials. Select partners and annual meeting partners receive branding visibility in exchange for sponsorship contributions.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Visit Baltimore operates as the official nonprofit destination marketing organization (DMO) for Baltimore, Maryland. The organization markets Baltimore as a leisure, convention, and sports destination through its baltimore.org digital platform, visitor guides, digital passes, and a dedicated meetings/conventions sales team. It also runs paid membership and advertising programs for local tourism businesses and provides press/media relations services for travel writers and trade media.

Product overview

Visit Baltimore operates a unified destination marketing platform centered on its official website (baltimore.org), complemented by specialized visitor passes (Waterfront Wanderer Pass, BoP Pass), the B-Side community storytelling program, and dedicated services for meetings/conventions planning. The organization also runs the Tourism Academy for hospitality workforce development and provides press/media resources. The portfolio functions as an integrated destination management ecosystem rather than a modular software product.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Baltimore Tourism Academy: A platform containing free trainings for the hospitality and tourism industry in a flexible format, operated by the Visit Baltimore Education & Training Foundation.
• Waterfront Wanderer Pass
• B-Side (Share Your B-Side)
• BoP Pass

Products and services

• Meetings & Conventions Services Sales, customer experience, and marketing teams assist with planning corporate events, conferences, conventions, and sporting tournaments, including RFP submission and venue coordination. Targeted at corporate meeting planners, association executives, sports tournament organizers, and convention organizers seeking event venues in Baltimore.
• Waterfront Wanderer Pass A one pass program offering special offers and discounts from local businesses across eight waterfront neighborhoods, with entries into prize drawings for Baltimore-themed packages. Targeted at leisure visitors and tourists exploring Baltimore's waterfront neighborhoods.
• BoP Pass (Black-owned Pass) A pass offering discounted admission to museums and attractions celebrating Black history and culture, plus special offers from local Black-owned businesses. Targeted at leisure visitors and tourists interested in Baltimore's Black history and cultural attractions.

Quantifiable outcome

• Baltimore welcomed 28.5 million visitors and $4.3 billion in spending in 2024.
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Click Travel Marketing & PR LtdcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 6 May 2026The Maryland International Marketing Partnership — which includes Visit Baltimore alongside the Maryland Office of Tourism, Visit Annapolis & Anne Arundel County, and Visit Frederick — appointed UK-based Click Travel Marketing & PR Ltd to lead public relations and media activity across the UK and Ireland. The boutique travel and leisure agency will deliver strategic PR programs targeting consumer and trade media, leveraging over 40 years of combined experience promoting North American destinations in the UK market.
• Maryland Department of CommercecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Maryland Department of Commerce is listed as a strategic partner of Visit Baltimore, representing the state-level government body that supports economic development including tourism promotion for Baltimore.
• City of BaltimorecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe City of Baltimore is listed as a strategic partner of Visit Baltimore, representing the municipal government that supports and funds destination marketing activities for the city.
• Baltimore Main Streets Minority Women Owned BusinessminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as a strategic partner supporting Visit Baltimore's mission to promote an inclusive and diverse tourism economy in Baltimore.
• Waterfront Partnership of BaltimoreminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as an Annual Meeting Partner of Visit Baltimore, supporting waterfront-related tourism promotion and visitor experience initiatives.
• Downtown Partnership of Baltimore Inc.minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as an Annual Meeting Partner of Visit Baltimore, supporting downtown Baltimore tourism and economic development initiatives.
• City Cruises BaltimoreminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorListed as an Annual Meeting Partner of Visit Baltimore, providing harbor cruise and waterfront tourism experiences for visitors.
• Shepard Exposition Services Inc.minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerListed as an Annual Meeting Partner providing exposition and event setup services for conventions and meetings in Baltimore.
• VPC Inc.minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerListed as an Annual Meeting Partner providing event production and technical services for Baltimore conventions and meetings.
• Maryland International Marketing PartnershipcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVisit Baltimore is united with the Maryland Office of Tourism, Visit Annapolis & Anne Arundel County, and Visit Frederick under the Maryland International Marketing Partnership, a shared initiative to drive visitation and elevate Maryland's global profile through coordinated tourism promotion.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Visit Philadelphia: Philadelphia's official DMO and CVB. Directly comparable as a mid-Atlantic I-95 city destination marketing organization competing for the same convention, sports, and leisure visitors with a similar walkable downtown and historic waterfront.
• Destination DC: Washington D.C.'s official destination marketing organization. Closest geographic peer operating the same CVB model targeting convention planners, association executives, and leisure visitors along the same I-95 corridor.
• Meet Boston: Greater Boston Convention & Visitors Bureau. Directly comparable mid-tier East Coast CVB model focused on convention sales, sports bidding, and leisure marketing with similar hybrid public-private governance.
• Experience Columbus: Columbus, Ohio's destination marketing organization. Comparable mid-tier city DMO competing for association conventions and leisure visitors with similar reliance on a single convention center and downtown hotel cluster.

Broad incumbents

• NYC Tourism + Conventions: New York City's official DMO. Comparable model but materially larger scale, budget, and international brand, competing for the same East Coast convention and international leisure demand from a much broader portfolio.
• Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau: Miami's official CVB. Larger-scale East Coast DMO with a similar convention sales + leisure marketing model, operating from a waterfront city with strong international visitor mix.
• Los Angeles Tourism & Convention Board: Los Angeles's official DMO and CVB. Comparable CVB structure at materially larger scale, competing for the same U.S. convention and international leisure demand from a different coast.
• Brand USA: National destination marketing organization for the United States. Operates at the federal tier rather than city tier, but directly comparable in mission — driving international visitation to U.S. destinations including Baltimore — and works in coordination with city-level DMOs like Visit Baltimore.

Regional players

• Visit Annapolis & Anne Arundel County: Maryland-based DMO operating within the same Maryland International Marketing Partnership as Visit Baltimore. Directly comparable DMO model serving a different but nearby geography with shared state-level coordination.
• Visit Frederick: Maryland DMO also operating under the Maryland International Marketing Partnership with Visit Baltimore. Same CVB/DMO structure serving a smaller Maryland market with shared international PR distribution.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/BaltimoreMD
• Facebookfacebook.com/BmoreMD

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries1 record

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 Baltimore