What Visit Annapolis does

Visit Annapolis, formally the Annapolis and Anne Arundel County Conference & Visitors Bureau, is the official non-profit destination marketing organization (DMO) for Annapolis and Anne Arundel County, Maryland. Founded in 1989 and operating from a Visitors Center at 26 West Street in Annapolis, the organisation promotes the destination to leisure travelers, meetings and group travel planners, sports tourism participants, LGBTQIA+ travelers, and pet-owning visitors through a portfolio that includes the main website (visitannapolis.org), a downloadable Visitor Guide, an events calendar, the Annapolis Discovered blog, The Chesapeake Charm e-newsletter, and active social channels on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube. Its product surface is fundamentally editorial and informational rather than technological: there is no proprietary technology platform, no native mobile application, and no API or integrations documented in the source data.

The DMO operates a partnership-led go-to-market model spanning international PR representation (Click Travel Marketing & PR Ltd in UK & Ireland), the statewide Maryland International Marketing Partnership (with the Maryland Office of Tourism, Visit Baltimore, and Visit Frederick), cultural co-production (Arts Council of Anne Arundel County, Chesapeake Arts Center, AND Creative Studios, Arts Lab of South County), events partnerships (Rotary Club of Annapolis on the Crab Feast, Eastport Yacht Club on the Santa Maria Cup), and operational partners (Watermark Cruises, Anne Arundel County Recreation and Parks, BWI Airport). Marketing channels are predominantly top-of-funnel: content marketing, email, organic social, PR/earned media, and partner referrals, with the physical Visitors Center serving as the bottom-of-funnel touchpoint.

Revenue mechanics are typical of a US county-level CVB: funding flows from membership fees of local hotels, restaurants, and attractions, potential bed tax allocations, and state/county government appropriations. Visitor-facing services are free to end users; specific revenue figures, financial statements, leadership, headcount, ownership structure, and founding date are not publicly disclosed in the input. The organisation holds no patents, trademarks, certifications, or regulatory actions, and has no disclosed subsidiaries, M&A activity, or funding rounds, consistent with a stable, grant- and dues-funded non-profit operating entity.

Name

Visit Annapolis

Legal name

Annapolis and Anne Arundel County Conference & Visitors Bureau

Website

https://visitannapolis.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1989

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Visit Annapolis is the official non-profit destination marketing organization for Annapolis and Anne Arundel County, Maryland, promoting leisure, meetings, sports, and group travel through a website, visitor center, events calendar, and partner-led marketing programmes.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Destination Marketing & Tourism Promotion

NAICS

Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (7121), Casino Hotels (721120), Scenic and Sightseeing Transportation, Water (48721)

akta.pro primary industry

City/Urban Convention Hotels (THAGALAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Convention & Exhibition Centers (Public Convention Centers, Civic Centers) (THAHAAAA)

Keywords

• Destination marketing organization
• Tourism promotion services
• Visitor information resources
• Convention visitors bureau
• Travel planning guides

Headquarters

HQ city

Annapolis

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Tourism promotion and destination marketing: Visit Annapolis operates as a destination marketing organization (DMO) funded through local tourism-related revenue streams including membership fees from local hotels, restaurants, attractions, and potential bed tax allocations, promoting Annapolis and Anne Arundel County as a travel destination.

Go-to-market motion4 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Visit Annapolis, legally the Annapolis and Anne Arundel County Conference & Visitors Bureau, is a non-profit destination marketing organization that promotes Annapolis and Anne Arundel County, Maryland as a leisure, group, and sports tourism destination. It provides free trip-planning resources through its website, blog, e-newsletter, annual Visitor Guide, events calendar, and a physical Visitors Center.

Product overview

Visit Annapolis is the official destination marketing organization (DMO) for Annapolis and Anne Arundel County, Maryland. The organization operates a comprehensive tourism platform consisting of the main Visit Annapolis website, the Annapolis Discovered blog, an e-newsletter called The Chesapeake Charm, a downloadable Visitor Guide, and an Events Calendar. The website serves as the primary digital hub for trip planning, offering categorized listings for accommodations, restaurants, attractions, and things to do, along with event information and local travel inspiration. The organization also maintains a physical Visitors Center at 26 West Street in Annapolis.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Visit Annapolis Website (visitannapolis.org) Official destination marketing website for Annapolis and Anne Arundel County, Maryland, offering an events calendar, accommodation/restaurant/attraction listings, trip-planning tools, blog content, and a downloadable visitor guide for travelers and event planners.
• Annual Visitor Guide (2026 edition) Annual downloadable and printed guide providing comprehensive listings of accommodations, restaurants, shopping destinations, and attractions across Annapolis and Anne Arundel County for prospective visitors.
• The Chesapeake Charm E-Newsletter Monthly e-newsletter that delivers curated trip-planning inspiration, seasonal event highlights, and Annapolis & Anne Arundel County adventure ideas to subscribed travelers.
• Events Calendar Comprehensive year-round calendar of annual events and festivals in Annapolis, including the Crab Feast, 4th of July celebrations, Arts Month, Let's Go! Music Festival, Pride events, Renaissance Festival, and seasonal festivals.
• Meetings & Group Travel Services Sales and planning support for corporate meetings, incentive travel, conventions, weddings, and group events in Annapolis and Anne Arundel County, including a dedicated sports tourism sub-program.
• Visitors Center (26 West Street, Annapolis) Walk-in physical visitor information center in downtown Annapolis providing in-person trip-planning assistance, brochures, and guides to arriving visitors.
• Access Annapolis (Parking & Transportation Resource) Visitor-facing resource providing parking and transportation information for navigating Annapolis.

Quantifiable outcome

• 2,500 attendees annually at the Rotary Crab Feast, with proceeds up to $4,000 donated to local nonprofits per event.
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• Click Travel Marketing & PR LtdcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 6 May 2026UK-based boutique travel and leisure agency appointed as the official UK & Ireland media representative for the Maryland International Marketing Partnership, effective immediately. The agency brings over 40 years of combined experience promoting North American destinations in the UK market and will deliver strategic PR programmes targeting consumer and trade media to drive visitation to Maryland.
• Maryland Office of TourismflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 6 May 2026The Maryland Office of Tourism is a key member of the Maryland International Marketing Partnership, a unified initiative that also includes Visit Baltimore, Visit Annapolis & Anne Arundel County, and Visit Frederick. The partnership is designed to drive visitation and elevate Maryland's global profile through shared strategic marketing programmes.
• Visit BaltimoreflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 6 May 2026Visit Baltimore is a member of the Maryland International Marketing Partnership alongside Visit Annapolis, the Maryland Office of Tourism, and Visit Frederick. The unified initiative coordinates PR, media activity, and destination promotion across Maryland's key tourism markets.
• Visit FrederickflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 6 May 2026Visit Frederick is a member of the Maryland International Marketing Partnership alongside Visit Annapolis, the Maryland Office of Tourism, and Visit Baltimore. The partnership represents a coordinated approach to promoting Maryland as a unified destination across international markets.
• Arts Council of Anne Arundel CountycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Arts Council of Anne Arundel County is a key partner in the annual Anne Arundel County Arts Month (June 2026), collaborating with AND Creative Studios, Chesapeake Arts Center, and Arts Lab of South County to deliver a month-long celebration of the county's arts community.
• Chesapeake Arts CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerChesapeake Arts Center co-hosts Anne Arundel County Arts Month in June 2026, providing venues and programming including workshops, exhibitions, and community events as part of the month-long arts celebration.
• AND Creative StudiosminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAND Creative Studios is a partner in the annual Anne Arundel County Arts Month, collaborating with the Arts Council of Anne Arundel County, Chesapeake Arts Center, and Arts Lab of South County to showcase the county's arts scene.
• Arts Lab of South CountyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerArts Lab of South County is a partner in Anne Arundel County Arts Month, contributing venues and programming for the arts celebration in June 2026.
• Rotary Club of AnnapoliscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Rotary Club of Annapolis organizes the Annual Rotary Crab Feast, known as the 'world's largest crab feast,' held at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium since 1946. The event attracts ~2,500 attendees and the Rotary Club directs 100% of proceeds to local community and cultural nonprofit organizations.
• Annapolis GreenminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAnnapolis Green, a local environmental group, partners with the Rotary Club of Annapolis to make the Crab Feast 'zero-waste,' collecting roughly 20,000 pounds of crab shells, corn cobs, watermelon rinds, plates, cups, cutlery, and napkins to produce 'Christmas Crab Compost' sold to the public each December.
• Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBWI Airport is the primary international airport access point for Annapolis visitors, referenced as a key travel infrastructure element on Visit Annapolis's website, making it a critical partner in destination accessibility.
• Watermark CruisescoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorWatermark Cruises offers harbor cruises, walking tours, and water taxi services in Annapolis. Visit Annapolis prominently features Watermark as a partner for dog-friendly boat cruises, historic tours, and waterfront experiences, including the Harbor Queen and Annapolis Water Taxi.
• Anne Arundel County Recreation and ParkscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAnne Arundel County Recreation and Parks manages 140+ parks and sanctuaries, swim centers, and golf courses promoted through Visit Annapolis, including dog-friendly parks like Quiet Waters Park, Downs Memorial Dog Park, and Broadneck Park.
• Eastport Yacht ClubminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEastport Yacht Club hosts the Santa Maria Cup, a premier women's match racing regatta, bringing elite female sailors from around the world to compete in J/22 yachts on the Severn River in Annapolis.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• NYC & Company: New York City's official DMO. It is a broad incumbent in destination marketing with overlapping international PR (including UK/Ireland markets) and shared overlap on the East Coast historic/culinary traveler segments Visit Annapolis targets.
• Visit Philadelphia: Philadelphia's official CVB. It is a broad incumbent that competes for heritage, group, and convention demand along the Northeast corridor where Annapolis also draws overnight visitors.
• Visit Orlando: Orlando's official DMO and one of the largest US CVBs by visitation. It is a broad incumbent because it demonstrates scaled DMO operating models, group/sports sales, and digital content practices relevant to Visit Annapolis's growth trajectory.
• Destination DC: Washington DC's official DMO and CVB. It is a broad incumbent because it operates a significantly larger marketing budget and brand footprint in the same Mid-Atlantic market, competing with Annapolis for the same domestic and international visitor dollars.
• Visit California: California's state-level DMO. It is a broad incumbent in destination marketing that illustrates scaled state-DMO operating models, content production, and international PR partnerships relevant to DMOs like Visit Annapolis.

Direct peers

• Visit Frederick: Frederick County, Maryland's official destination marketing organization. It is a direct peer because it is the third member of the Maryland International Marketing Partnership alongside Visit Annapolis, sharing membership models, government funding structures, and co-marketing duties.
• Visit Baltimore: Baltimore's official destination marketing organization, operating as a nonprofit CVB marketing lodging, attractions, and events. It is a direct peer because Visit Annapolis and Visit Baltimore co-market through the Maryland International Marketing Partnership and serve overlapping Mid-Atlantic traveler audiences.
• Visit Seattle: Seattle's official DMO, a nonprofit CVB promoting a maritime/waterfront destination with cruise and active-outdoor positioning analogous to Annapolis's 'Sailing Capital' identity.
• Choose Chicago: Chicago's official DMO, structurally a nonprofit CVB marketing a Midwestern urban destination with waterfront assets, conventions, and cultural events. Highly comparable to Visit Annapolis's structure and meeting/sports sales focus.

Regional players

• Tourism Toronto: Toronto's official destination marketing organization. It is a regional peer because it operates a similar nonprofit CVB model with international PR reach comparable to Visit Annapolis's new UK/Ireland push, though it serves a Canadian metropolitan market.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/VisitAnnapolis

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 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 Annapolis