Panama City Beach

What Panama City Beach does

The Panama City Beach Convention and Visitors Bureau (dba "Visit Panama City Beach") is the official quasi-governmental destination marketing organization (DMO) for Panama City Beach, Florida. Founded in 2019 per firmographic data and operating from 17001 Panama City Beach Parkway, the organization promotes a 27-mile Gulf Coast destination through its flagship website (visitpanamacitybeach.com), a physical visitor information center and merchandise store, and a network of partnerships with local hospitality businesses and state-level tourism bodies. Its target audiences span family vacationers, couples and romance seekers, foodies and culinary enthusiasts, eco-adventure travelers, winter residents and snowbirds, and sports tourism visitors, served through persona-segmented campaigns across seven experience categories (Family Beach, Adrenaline, Eco-Adventure, Romance, Foodie, Entertainment, Winter Resident).

The CVB's digital platform is built on the Simpleview CMS with live webcam infrastructure and SkyNav-powered virtual tour capabilities, supplemented by the PCB Perks loyalty program for repeat visitors, email newsletters, Google Ads remarketing, and a Shopify-based merchandise storefront (Real.Fun.Beach.Store) selling branded apparel and beach gear. Distribution spans the official website, third-party OTAs (TripAdvisor, Expedia, Booking.com), branded social media (#REALFUNBEACH, #MYPCB), and major seasonal events including Gulf Coast Jam, Pirates of the High Seas Renaissance Fest, Mardi Gras and Music Festival, and the Bay Point Billfish Open. Core partnerships include Simpleview (technology), TripAdvisor (review platform), Visit Florida (state tourism ecosystem), and Publix Sports Park (sports tourism).

The organization does not charge visitors directly; its operating budget is funded by tourist development taxes. Notable inflection points include Griff Griffitts' January 2026 appointment as executive director (succeeding Dan Rowe), the January 2026 arrest of VP of Administration Aaron Lee on felony theft charges for alleged misuse of approximately $1 million in business funds, and demonstrated sports tourism economic impact of $6.7 million from seven tournaments at Publix Sports Park in November 2025. No venture funding, M&A activity, AI capabilities, patents, or APIs are present in the available data.

Name

Panama City Beach

Legal name

Panama City Beach Convention and Visitors Bureau

Website

https://visitpanamacitybeach.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Panama City Beach Convention and Visitors Bureau (Visit Panama City Beach) is the official quasi-governmental destination marketing organization for Panama City Beach, Florida. Funded by tourist development taxes, it promotes the 27-mile Gulf Coast destination to visitors through digital platforms, events, and local hospitality partnerships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Destination Marketing Organization (Tourism Promotion Services)

NAICS

Convention and Visitors Bureaus (561591), Scenic and Sightseeing Transportation, Water (48721)

SIC

Hotels, Rooming Houses, Camps & Other Lodging Places (7000), Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Island, Beach & Resort Travel Agencies (THAKAFAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Beachfront & Island Luxury Resorts (THAGACAA), Beachfront & Coastal Full-Service Hotels (THAGAAAI), Sailing, Catamaran & Day-Cruise Excursions (nature-focused) (THAAAIAG), Reef, Island & Coastal Ecotours (mangroves, lagoons, sea caves) (THAAAIAE), Shore Excursion Operators (Tours & Activities) (THAEAFAC)

Keywords

• Destination marketing services
• Tourism promotion
• Visitor information services
• Vacation planning resources
• Travel marketing platform

Headquarters

HQ city

Panama City Beach

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 Funding: Panama City Beach Convention and Visitors Bureau operates as the official DMO funded by tourist development taxes to promote the destination, attract visitors, and support local hospitality businesses year-round.
2. Visitor Center Operations: Operates official visitors center and merchandise store (Real.Fun.Beach.Store) selling official Panama City Beach merchandise and apparel.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Visit Panama City Beach (the Panama City Beach Convention and Visitors Bureau) is the official destination marketing organization for Panama City Beach, Florida. It promotes the destination through a travel-planning website, a visitor information center, branded merchandise sales, a loyalty/perks program, and event marketing — connecting travelers with accommodations, attractions, dining, and experiences along 27 miles of Gulf Coast beaches. The organization is funded through tourist development taxes and operates as a quasi-governmental DMO rather than a commercial travel seller.

Product overview

Visit Panama City Beach is the official destination marketing platform operated by the Panama City Beach Convention and Visitors Bureau. The primary offering is the visitpanamacitybeach.com website, which serves as a comprehensive tourism information hub featuring 27 miles of beaches, attractions, restaurants, accommodations, events, and trip planning tools. The platform includes several integrated modules: the PCB Perks loyalty program for exclusive deals, Live Webcams for real-time beach viewing, a Virtual Tour for remote exploration, and the Real.Fun.Beach. Store for official merchandise. The site promotes various experience categories including Family Beach, Adrenaline, Eco-Adventure, Romance, Foodie, Entertainment, and Winter Resident destinations. Major attractions and areas featured include Pier Park, St. Andrews State Park, Shell Island, Shipwreck Island Waterpark, and numerous restaurants and accommodations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Visit Panama City Beach Website The official destination marketing website (visitpanamacitybeach.com) for Panama City Beach, operated by the Panama City Beach Convention and Visitors Bureau. Provides comprehensive tourism information covering 27 miles of beaches, attractions, restaurants, accommodations, events, and trip-planning resources for leisure travelers.
• PCB Perks Loyalty Program A visitor loyalty and discount program offering exclusive vacation deals and savings through partnerships with local Panama City Beach businesses. Designed to drive repeat visitation and off-season travel for returning travelers.
• Real.Fun.Beach. Store An official branded merchandise store (operated on Shopify) selling Panama City Beach apparel, accessories, and souvenirs including t-shirts, hats, and beach gear. Available online globally and at the physical Visitor Information Center at 17001 Panama City Beach Pkwy.

Quantifiable outcome

• $6.7 million in direct visitor spending from sports tourism at Publix Sports Park in a single month
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• SimpleviewcoreTechnology or IntegrationWebsite development and hosting partner providing the destination marketing platform for visitpanamacitybeach.com, including CMS, booking integrations, and digital marketing tools.
• TripAdvisorcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerPrimary travel review platform partner where the destination maintains presence and rankings, driving significant organic traffic and bookings through TripAdvisor's travelers' choice rankings.
• Visit FloridamajorGTM or Marketing PartnerOfficial Florida tourism partner providing state-level marketing support and destination promotion as part of Florida's tourism ecosystem.
• Publix Sports ParkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSports tourism venue driving significant visitor spending through tournament hosting - generated $6.7 million in direct visitor spending from seven tournaments in November 2025.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Visit Myrtle Beach: DMO for Myrtle Beach, SC, one of the closest direct comparables: a Southeast coastal beach destination with similar family vacation positioning, broad digital marketing program and similar revenue model funded through destination marketing taxes.
• Visit Galveston: DMO for Galveston Island, TX, a Gulf Coast beach destination with comparable drive-market family tourism, beach-focused marketing and events-driven GTM motion (Mardi Gras, seasonal festivals).
• Visit Pensacola: DMO for Pensacola, FL, a Florida Panhandle beach destination that competes directly with Panama City Beach for the same regional drive-market visitor and similar white-sand Gulf positioning.
• Visit Destin-Fort Walton Beach: DMO for the Destin-Fort Walton Beach area on Florida's Emerald Coast, a direct competitor within roughly 50 miles of PCB targeting the same family beach segment and tourism-tax-funded marketing model.

Broad incumbents

• Visit Florida: Florida's statewide tourism marketing organization. Functions as a broader incumbent that sets statewide brand strategy and co-funds marketing with regional DMOs like PCB, overlapping in destination promotion though covering the full state rather than a single city.
• Visit Orlando: Large Florida DMO operating a much bigger budget and team. Overlaps with PCB in destination marketing mechanics, digital content and event-driven demand, but focuses on theme-park tourism rather than beach tourism.
• Visit Tampa Bay: Regional DMO for the Tampa Bay area on Florida's Gulf Coast. Operates with similar tourist-development-tax funding and a comparable multi-segment marketing approach but a broader metropolitan scope than PCB's single-destination focus.
• Visit California (Visit CA): State-level destination marketing organization with a much larger operating budget, comparable mission of driving visitation through digital content, partnerships and brand campaigns, but serving a multi-region destination.

Others

• Simpleview: Technology vendor that provides the CMS, booking integrations and digital marketing platform powering visitpanamacitybeach.com. Relevant peer as a partner/competitor for CVB technology and a key enabler of PCB's digital marketing operations.
• Tripadvisor: Travel review and discovery platform where PCB earns its Top 3 Best of the Best rankings and through which a significant share of inbound demand is generated. Acts as a critical distribution and reputation channel rather than a direct competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCKp_L0Dw9Tl4qep2FmjOI1g
• Xx.com/visit_pcb
• Facebookfacebook.com/visitpanamacitybeach

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 Panama City Beach