What Discover Newport does

Discover Newport is a non-profit destination marketing organization (DMO) that serves as the official marketing entity for Newport, Rhode Island and eight surrounding coastal communities — collectively branded 'The Classic Coast.' The organization markets nine towns (Barrington, Bristol, Jamestown, Little Compton, Middletown, Newport, Portsmouth, Tiverton, Warren) to leisure travelers, meeting planners, group tour operators, wedding planners and couples, media, and tourism industry businesses, providing consolidated travel information, event calendars, business listings, and itinerary resources.

Its core product is the discovernewport.org digital platform, built on the SimpleView CMS/CRM platform, which provides content management, business listing submission, Explore Package and Getaway Package promotions, event submissions, and visitor engagement. Supporting products include the Newport Destination Guide (print and Flipsnack-hosted digital), an eNewsletter for consumers and a separate industry eNewsletter, and The Classic Coast editorial blog. Physical distribution is anchored by the Visitor Information Center at 44 Long Wharf Mall in Newport, and the organization partners with RIPTA to operate free Route #67 trolley service from May 22 through October 31 annually.

The business model is non-profit and advertising-oriented: basic business listings are complimentary for hospitality businesses across the nine communities, with monetization through optional enhanced listings, advertising placements, and membership programs for tourism partners. Go-to-market is event-driven, leveraging signature programming such as the Newport Classical Music Festival (30+ summer concerts at historic mansions), the Newport International Polo Series (150th Anniversary in 2026), Christmas in Newport (55+ years), America's 250th celebrations, and partnerships with Rhode Island Tourism, Newport Classical, ArtScape, and RIPTA. Forbes recognized Newport as one of 'The 35 Most Welcoming Places on Earth' in 2025.

Name

Discover Newport

Legal name

Discover Newport

Website

https://discovernewport.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Discover Newport is a non-profit destination marketing organization promoting Newport, Rhode Island and eight surrounding coastal communities to leisure travelers, meeting planners, group tour operators, wedding planners, media, and tourism businesses through its digital platform, destination guide, and signature event programming.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Destination Marketing Services

NAICS

Tour Operators (561520)

SIC

Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)

akta.pro primary industry

Local & City Guide Content Aggregators (MPACAKAJ)

akta.pro secondary industry

Island, Beach & Resort Travel Agencies (THAKAFAL)

Keywords

• Destination marketing organization
• Tourism promotion services
• Travel guide publishing
• Hospitality business listings
• Event calendar marketing

Headquarters

HQ city

Newport

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, Others

Revenue model

1. Tourism Promotion Services: As a non-profit destination marketing organization, Discover Newport generates value through promoting local businesses, events, and attractions. The organization operates complimentary listing services for hospitality businesses in the nine coastal communities and monetizes through optional enhanced listings, advertising placements, and membership programs for tourism industry partners.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Discover Newport operates the official destination marketing platform for Newport, Rhode Island and eight surrounding coastal communities. Its core offering is the DiscoverNewport.org website, which centralizes travel information including accommodations, dining, events, and activities, alongside business listing services, editorial blog content, and the Newport Destination Guide. The organization also runs physical visitor services, signature event promotion, and industry partnership programs supporting local hospitality businesses.

Product overview

Discover Newport is a destination marketing organization operating a unified tourism website for Newport, Rhode Island and eight surrounding coastal communities. The core offering consists of the DiscoverNewport.org digital platform which provides the Newport Destination Guide, eNewsletter subscription service, and a Business Listing Submission system for hospitality businesses. Additional products include Explore Package and Getaway Package submission services for tourism partners, an Event Submission platform for community events, and The Classic Coast Blog delivering editorial travel content. The platform is built on SimpleView technology and uses Flipsnack for digital guide distribution.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Newport Destination Guide A comprehensive travel guide providing information about Newport, Rhode Island destinations, attractions, accommodations, dining, and activities across nine coastal communities, available in print by request and digitally via Flipsnack.
• eNewsletter
• Business Listing Submission Complimentary business listing service for hospitality-related businesses in the nine coastal communities (Barrington, Bristol, Jamestown, Little Compton, Middletown, Newport, Portsmouth, Tiverton, and Warren), displayed alphabetically on discovernewport.org.
• Explore Package Submission Complimentary listing service for local businesses to submit Explore Packages featuring local restaurants or special events, displayed in the Explore + Save section of the website.
• Getaway Package Submission Complimentary lodging getaway package listing service allowing businesses to showcase packages bundled with retailers, attractions, restaurants, or special events, displayed in the Stay + Save section.
• Event Submission Platform for organizers to submit special events that take place within the nine coastal communities, subject to approval and submission guidelines.
• The Classic Coast Blog Editorial blog providing guides on seasonal activities, events, dining, attractions, and local stories about Newport and surrounding coastal communities.

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• RIPTA (Rhode Island Public Transit Authority)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership to provide free 'Hop-on Hop-off' trolley service (Route #67) to popular tourist destinations in Newport. The trolley runs from May 22 through October 31 annually, connecting visitors to attractions including Redwood Library, International Tennis Hall of Fame, Newport Mansions, Cliff Walk, and beaches. RIPTA provides the trolley service while Discover Newport supports promotional efforts.
• ArtScapeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNon-profit organization dedicated to transforming public spaces into inspiring works of art. ArtScape produces Umbrella Sky Newport, a seasonal art installation featuring 200 colorful umbrellas suspended above Brick Market Place. The 2026 theme is 'Flowers in Bloom' featuring live music on weekends and pop-up events.
• SimpleViewcoreTechnology or IntegrationTechnology platform provider powering discovernewport.org with content management, CRM, and event ticketing capabilities. SimpleView provides the infrastructure for business listings, event submissions, and visitor engagement features on the destination website.
• Rhode Island TourismcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerState-level tourism partnership with Rhode Island Tourism organization for coordinated marketing efforts promoting Newport and the surrounding coastal communities as a premier travel destination within Rhode Island.
• Newport ClassicalcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership with Newport Classical, the non-profit organization producing the Newport Classical Music Festival. Discover Newport promotes the annual festival featuring 30+ summer concerts at historic venues including The Breakers, The Elms, and Rosecliff mansions.
• Newport International Polo SeriescoreGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership promoting the 150th Anniversary of Newport International Polo Series, with matches held every Saturday from June 6 through September 26, 2026. The series features USA/Newport team competing against international challengers.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Brand USA: National public-private partnership DMO promoting inbound travel to the entire United States. Comparable in DMO function, but at a vastly broader geographic and budget scope than Discover Newport's regional coastal mandate.
• Tripadvisor: Global destination content and review platform that overlaps with Discover Newport's content aggregation role for Newport attractions, restaurants, and hotels. A much broader incumbent with a vastly larger content footprint; relevant because it competes for the same trip-planning user attention upstream.
• Visit California: Largest U.S. state-level DMO operating a destination content platform and partner listings at massive scale. Analogous to Discover Newport in DMO function and mission, but operates as a much larger incumbent covering an entire state rather than two counties.

Others

• SimpleView: CMS, CRM, and digital platform provider powering Discover Newport's website, listings, and event ticketing. Adjacent enabler rather than a competitor; relevant peer because the same platform serves hundreds of competing DMOs and shapes the technology baseline of the DMO category.

Direct peers

• Meet Boston (Greater Boston Convention & Visitors Bureau): Regional CVB/DMO for the Boston metro area covering a multi-city geography with meetings, group tours, and leisure content. Directly comparable to Discover Newport in non-profit DMO structure, multi-community mandate, and emphasis on conventions/group business.
• Choose Chicago: Non-profit DMO marketing Chicago as a visitor destination across accommodations, dining, events, and attractions. Highly comparable to Discover Newport in structure (501(c)(6)-style DMO), function (consolidated tourism portal + content + partner listings), and customer base (leisure visitors, meeting planners, group tours).
• Providence/Warwick Convention & Visitors Bureau: State-level Rhode Island DMO operating a similar destination portal, partner listing model, and event calendar. Directly comparable as a Rhode Island non-profit DMO with overlapping visitor base and tourism marketing mandate.
• Travel Portland: Non-profit DMO promoting Portland, Oregon to leisure and business visitors through a content portal, partner directory, and signature events. Closely mirrors Discover Newport's mid-sized DMO model, freemium partner listings, and meeting/group tour verticals.
• NYC & Company: Official DMO for New York City operating nycgo.com with destination content, business listings, and visitor services. Structurally and functionally analogous to Discover Newport (non-profit, multi-borough/coverage area, signature-event promotion, partner listings), though at significantly larger scale.

Regional players

• Cape Cod Chamber of Commerce / Visit Cape Cod: Competing New England coastal DMO that aggregates local tourism content, partner listings, and event promotion for Cape Cod, Massachusetts. Highly comparable in coastal/leisure positioning and DMO operating model, but serves a different geography (MA vs RI) and is therefore not a direct competitor for Discover Newport's visitors.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/DscvrNewport
• Facebookfacebook.com/NewportRhodeIsland

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 Discover Newport