Visit Wichita

What Visit Wichita does

Visit Wichita is the official Convention & Visitors Bureau for Wichita, Kansas, operating as a private destination marketing organization founded in 1980 with 11–50 employees. It serves four primary customer segments: meeting and convention planners organizing corporate events, sports event planners running amateur and professional tournaments, group tour operators arranging motorcoach and themed itineraries (such as Western Heritage and Air Capital tours), and individual leisure travelers researching trips to the Wichita area. It also serves as the coordinating body for a 500+ partner network of local hotels, restaurants, attractions, and venues, providing them with listing management and promotional tools.

The organization's core product surface centers on visitwichita.com, a destination marketing website built on the Simpleview platform that aggregates event calendars, attraction guides, restaurant directories, hotel listings, interactive maps, and itinerary builders. Beyond the website, Visit Wichita produces and stewards several major recurring events — Wichita Riverfest (in its 54th year), the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas Wichita Open (a Korn Ferry Tour golf tournament), the Tallgrass Film Festival, and the 2026 Wichita250 / America250 civic celebration — supplemented by professional services for meeting planners (RFP submission, venue sourcing, dedicated sales team) and group travel coordinators. It also operates a partner extranet portal through which local businesses manage listings, upload media, post special offers, and submit calendar events.

Visit Wichita is funded primarily through hotel and motel tax revenues allocated to destination marketing and through membership/partner fees from the 500+ participating local businesses. Visitor-facing pricing on the website itself is free; revenue-generating mechanisms sit upstream in the tax base and partner program, plus event sponsorship arrangements with corporate partners such as Fidelity Bank, Capitol Federal, Textron Aviation, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas, and the Wichita Eagle. Its go-to-market is hybrid: a self-serve content/digital channel for individual visitors and a field-led direct sales motion for meeting, sports, and group bookings, amplified by community engagement through the Wichita250 coalition and the #slightlyoffcenter brand campaign.

Name

Visit Wichita

Legal name

Visit Wichita

Website

https://visitwichita.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1980

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Visit Wichita is the official Convention & Visitors Bureau for Wichita, Kansas, operating a destination marketing website, signature festivals, and a 500+ partner network to promote leisure travel, meetings, sports events, and group tours to the region.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Destination Marketing and Convention Services

NAICS

Convention and Visitors Bureaus (561591), Convention and Trade Show Organizers (561920)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Venue Sourcing & Site Coordination (HSACAAAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Music Festival Organizers & Promoters (MPAGAAAB), Cultural & Community Festivals (Ticketed) (THAJAFAI)

Keywords

• Destination marketing
• Convention planning
• Tourism promotion
• Visitor information
• Event management

Headquarters

HQ city

Wichita

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, Others

Revenue model

1. Tourism Promotion Services: Visit Wichita operates as the convention and visitors bureau for Wichita, funded primarily through hotel/motel tax revenues and partner membership fees from local hotels, restaurants, attractions, and other tourism-related businesses.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Visit Wichita operates the official Convention & Visitors Bureau destination marketing platform for Wichita, Kansas, aggregating and promoting local attractions, restaurants, hotels, events, and trip-planning resources. The organization produces signature annual events (Wichita Riverfest, Wichita Open, Tallgrass Film Festival, Wichita250 celebration) and provides dedicated services for meeting/convention planners, sports event organizers, and group tour operators. Funding is derived primarily from hotel/motel tax revenues and partner membership fees from local tourism businesses.

Product overview

Visit Wichita is a Convention & Visitors Bureau serving as the official destination marketing organization for Wichita, Kansas. The organization operates a comprehensive tourism promotion platform that includes the Visit Wichita destination website, annual signature events (Riverfest, Wichita Open, Tallgrass Film Festival, Wichita250 celebration), and professional services for meeting planners, sports event organizers, and group travel coordinators. The product portfolio spans event management, venue booking, partner extranet services, visitor guides, and interactive travel tools including the Explore Card discount program and interactive mapping. The platform connects visitors with Wichita attractions, restaurants, hotels, and entertainment while providing business partners with extranet tools for listings management and promotions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Visit Wichita Destination Website The official Convention & Visitors Bureau website for Wichita, Kansas, providing tourism promotion, event listings, visitor guides, interactive maps, and booking assistance for travelers and meeting planners.
• Wichita Riverfest Kansas' largest and longest-running outdoor festival held annually, featuring concerts, fireworks, food courts, and family activities along the Arkansas River banks; 54th year as the largest, longest-running and most anticipated festival in the region.
• Wichita Open Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas Wichita Open, a 72-hole Korn Ferry Tour golf tournament benefitting KU Wichita Pediatrics, hosted at Crestview Country Club since 2001; brings more than 50,000 people to the venue each June.
• Tallgrass Film Festival Annual film festival featuring independent films across multiple venues in Wichita, including the Orpheum Theatre and Exploration Place Dome Theater.
• Wichita250 / America250 Celebration Year-long celebration of America's 250th anniversary featuring events, experiences, and community activities that highlight Wichita's history and culture, including the Wichita 250 Civic Action Passport program.
• Meeting and Convention Planning Services Comprehensive meeting and convention planning services including venue sourcing, event vendors, online RFP submission, and meeting planners guide for Wichita.
• Sports Event Planning Services Sports event planning services including facility booking, sports facilities guide, and dedicated sports team for organizing sporting events in Wichita.
• Group Travel Services Group tour planning services including themed itineraries such as Western Heritage Tour, Air Capital of the World, and Explore the Arts, along with motorcoach arrangements.
• Explore Card Discount card program offering savings at participating Wichita attractions, restaurants, and shops for visitors.
• Official Wichita Visitors Guide Comprehensive visitor guide (available for download or mail order) providing information on Wichita attractions, events, dining, accommodations, and travel planning resources.
• Partner Extranet Platform Partner portal (extranet) allowing local businesses to manage listings, update amenities, add photos and videos, create special offers, and submit events to the Visit Wichita calendar.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 50,000 attendees annually for major events like Wichita Open
• +1 more outcomes

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

17 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Wichita Public LibrarycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Collaborative partnership for the Wichita 250 Civic Action Passport program, encouraging community engagement through library-hosted activities and events celebrating America's 250th anniversary.
• City of Wichita - Parks & RecreationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026City department partnership for Wichita 250 celebrations, contributing to public events and parks-based programming during the America 250 commemoration.
• Kansas Leadership CentercoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Strategic partner in the Wichita 250 Civic Action Passport initiative, providing civic engagement programming and leadership development resources.
• Wichita FestivalscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Sister organization managing major festivals including Wichita Riverfest; collaboration on event programming and festival promotion for Wichita 250 celebrations.
• Downtown WichitamajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Partnership with Downtown Wichita for Wichita 250 celebrations, coordinating events and programming in the downtown district area.
• Exploration PlacemajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Science museum partner for Wichita 250, contributing exhibits and programming related to Kansas and American innovation history.
• Kansas Aviation MuseummajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Aviation museum partner highlighting Wichita's 'Air Capital of the World' heritage as part of Wichita 250 celebrations and general tourism promotion.
• Greater Wichita PartnershipmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Economic development organization partnership for Wichita 250, supporting civic celebration initiatives and community engagement programs.
• Wichita Regional Chamber of CommercemajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Chamber partnership for Wichita 250 celebrations, coordinating business community involvement in anniversary commemorations.
• Wichita EagleminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Local newspaper sponsor of Riverfest Medallion Hunt, providing daily clues on Kansas.com during the festival.
• Destinations InternationalcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerVisit Wichita is a member of Destinations International, the global trade association for destination marketing organizations. This partnership provides industry resources, best practices, and professional development for the organization.
• Visit The USA (Discover America)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerVisit Wichita participates in the Discover America/Visit The USA program, promoting Wichita as a destination within the national tourism marketing initiative.
• Simpleview InccoreTechnology or IntegrationSimpleview provides the destination marketing platform technology powering visitwichita.com, including the event calendar system, partner extranet, and listing management tools.
• Textron AviationminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor of Opening Night Fireworks at Riverfest 2026.
• Fidelity BankminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor of Fidelity Bank River Run (50th annual) and Midweek Fireworks at Riverfest 2026.
• Capitol FederalminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor of Capitol Federal Fireworks Finale at Riverfest 2026.
• Blue Cross and Blue Shield of KansasminorGTM or Marketing PartnerTitle sponsor of Wichita Open golf tournament, benefitting KU Wichita Pediatrics.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Visit Denver: Visit Denver is the DMO for Denver, Colorado; comparable to Visit Wichita in destination-marketing mandate, meeting-planner sales teams, and tourism-tax funding model, while operating at a larger metro scale.
• Visit Dallas: Visit Dallas performs the same convention & visitors bureau function as Visit Wichita, with dedicated meeting, sport, and group tour sales teams promoting a single mid-to-large US metro.
• Choose Chicago: Choose Chicago is Chicago's DMO; it serves as a useful scale benchmark for Visit Wichita's destination marketing, meeting planner RFP, and festival event promotion playbook.
• Visit Tampa Bay: Visit Tampa Bay is the DMO for the Tampa Bay region, analogous to Visit Wichita in destination marketing, partner-extranet listings, and hotel-tax-funded marketing operations.
• Visit KC: Visit KC is Kansas City's convention & visitors bureau and the closest geographic and scale peer to Visit Wichita, performing the same DMO/venue-sourcing/meeting-planner function for a neighboring Midwestern metro with a comparable partner-membership revenue model.

Broad incumbents

• NYC Tourism + Conventions: NYC Tourism + Conventions (formerly NYC & Company) is the largest US metropolitan DMO, providing a benchmark for Visit Wichita's combination of meeting planner services, content publishing, and event programming.
• Visit California: Visit California is a statewide destination marketing organization operating under the same DMO mandate and tourism-promotion funding logic as Visit Wichita, but at a much larger geographic and budget scale.

Regional players

• TravelKS: TravelKS is the Kansas state-level tourism office that complements Visit Wichita, serving the same Wichita-area visitor from a state-wide perspective and collaborating on cooperative marketing.

Others

• Brand USA: Brand USA is the national destination marketing organization that Visit Wichita participates in through the Discover America program; it is thematically comparable as a tourism promotion body rather than a direct competitor.
• Simpleview: Simpleview is the technology vendor powering visitwichita.com, the partner extranet, and event calendar; included as an enabling peer whose platform is shared with hundreds of competing DMOs.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/visitwichita
• Facebookfacebook.com/visitwichita
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/visitwichita

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Wichita