Big Bear Lake

What Big Bear Lake does

Visit Big Bear is the official Destination Marketing Organization (DMO) for Big Bear Lake, California, operating under the legal name "Visit Big Bear" as a private, for-profit entity. The organization promotes tourism to Big Bear Lake — a four-season mountain lake destination in the San Bernardino National Forest located 6,500 feet above sea level and approximately two hours from Los Angeles — through a multi-channel digital and physical platform anchored by bigbear.com and book.bigbear.com. Its core product portfolio includes the official tourism website, an integrated accommodation booking engine aggregating inventory from property managers such as AvantStay, Vacasa, and Big Bear Vacations, seasonal activity guides covering summer/fall/winter/spring, an event calendar featuring signature events (4th of July, Monster Energy Pro Downhill, Tour de Big Bear, SkyFest, MX Grand Prix), a twice-monthly email newsletter, a physical Visitor Center at 40824 Big Bear Blvd, and a 400-seat Performing Arts Center. The organization also facilitates group/corporate retreat bookings and coordinates film production permits through Inland Empire Film Services.

The business model is primarily affiliate-referral based: Visit Big Bear does not own lodging inventory but earns commissions or referral fees by directing visitors to partner properties and activity providers. Secondary revenue streams include convention center and event venue rentals (Big Bear Lake Convention Center, Destination Big Bear Event Center, Sunnybrook Estate, Chateau Big Bear), film office services for Hollywood productions, and B2B partner listing management. The DMO serves a hybrid customer base spanning consumer leisure travelers (family vacationers, adventure enthusiasts, couples, group gatherings) and enterprise/event clients (corporate retreats, weddings, film productions). Go-to-market combines event-driven seasonal campaigns, community-led sustainable tourism messaging under the "Care For Big Bear" initiative, and direct-to-consumer digital marketing across Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and email, supplemented by partnerships with Visit California and the Ikon Pass ski network. Notably, Big Bear Lake is not a technology company — the platform is a standard content/booking website without proprietary technology, AI capabilities, APIs, or mobile applications.

Name

Big Bear Lake

Legal name

Visit Big Bear

Website

https://bigbear.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Visit Big Bear is the official Destination Marketing Organization for Big Bear Lake, California, promoting Southern California's four-season mountain lake destination through its tourism website, lodging booking platform, and visitor center to family vacationers, adventure enthusiasts, corporate groups, and film productions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Tourism Destination Marketing

NAICS

Tour Operators (56152), Tour Operators (561520)

SIC

Hotels, Rooming Houses, Camps & Other Lodging Places (7000)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYTHAHADAA

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

Travel & Hospitality/MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences & Exhibitions)/Destination Management Companies (DMCs) & Incentive Travel Specialists

Keywords

• Destination marketing
• Tourism promotion
• Visitor services
• Lodging booking platform
• Event management

Headquarters

HQ city

Big Bear Lake

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, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Tourism Marketing Services: As a Destination Marketing Organization (DMO), Visit Big Bear generates value through promoting the Big Bear Lake region to visitors, supporting local businesses, and driving economic activity in the hospitality and tourism sector. The organization facilitates bookings through its platform and supports local lodging, dining, and activity providers.
2. Convention Center and Group Facilities: The Big Bear Lake Convention Center (Southern California's largest mountain meeting/event facility) and various group retreat facilities generate revenue through hosting corporate events, weddings, meetings, and group gatherings. Venues include the Convention Center, Sunnybrook Estate, Destination Big Bear Event Center, and Chateau Big Bear.
3. Lodging Referrals and Bookings: The official booking platform (book.bigbear.com) directs visitors to lodging partners including cabins, resorts, hotels, and vacation rentals. The platform aggregates inventory from multiple property management companies and individual owners.
4. Film Production Services: Film services and location scouting for Hollywood productions. Big Bear has served as backdrop for films including Gone with the Wind, Frankenstein, Magnolia, Beethoven's 3rd, and War Games. The Film Office facilitated by Inland Empire Film Services handles permits and location coordination.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Visit Big Bear is the official Destination Marketing Organization (DMO) for Big Bear Lake, CA, promoting the four-season mountain lake destination to visitors. Its core offering is destination marketing services supported by an official tourism website, integrated lodging booking engine, seasonal activity guides, event calendar, physical visitor center, email newsletter, and corporate retreat planning services for groups and events.

Product overview

Visit Big Bear is the official destination marketing organization (DMO) for Big Bear Lake, CA, operating a comprehensive tourism platform centered on the Visit Big Bear website. The core product is the tourism website providing year-round visitor information, integrated accommodation booking, and event listings. Supporting products and services include seasonal activity guides (Summer, Fall, Winter, Spring), the event calendar platform, a physical Visitor Center with magazine publication, twice-monthly email newsletters, groups and corporate retreat planning services, filming permit coordination, and the Big Bear Lake Convention Center venue. The platform promotes the area as Southern California's four-season mountain lake escape featuring fishing, snow sports, hiking, mountain biking, water activities, and cultural events.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Visit Big Bear Tourism Website Official travel and tourism website for Big Bear Lake destination marketing, providing visitor information, accommodations, events, activities, dining, and travel planning tools for leisure travelers.
• Accommodation Booking Engine Online booking platform enabling visitors to search and reserve lodging including cabins, hotels, resorts, and vacation rentals at no booking fees, aggregating inventory from multiple property management companies.
• Groups & Corporate Retreats Services Venue sourcing and planning services for group retreats, corporate events, reunions, weddings, and gatherings, providing access to convention center and meeting facilities for organizations.
• Filming Services Film office services facilitating permits, location scouting, and production coordination for films, television, commercials, and photography projects in the Big Bear Lake area.
• Big Bear Lake Convention Center Venue facility described as Southern California's largest mountain meeting and event facility, available for conferences, weddings, and corporate events with full catering capabilities, accommodating 200-350 attendees across 4,000 square feet.
• Visitor Center & Big Bear Magazine Physical visitor center located at 40824 Big Bear Blvd offering in-person visitor assistance, maps, brochures, and the Big Bear magazine publication for visitor guidance.

Named customers7 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Ikon PasscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerIkon Pass partnership integrates Big Bear Lake ski resorts (Snow Summit and Bear Mountain) into the Ikon Pass network, providing destination promotion to ski pass holders and adventure travelers seeking ski resort destinations.
• Visit CaliforniacoreGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership with Visit California for statewide tourism marketing and promotion of Big Bear Lake as a premier California destination. Benefits include statewide marketing reach and tourism industry resources.
• Travis Scott, CEOcoreOthersTravis Scott serves as CEO of Visit Big Bear (the DMO). Contact for information about upcoming meetings and organizational leadership.
• Inland Empire Film ServicescoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerHandles Film Services for the City of Big Bear Lake including permits, location coordination, and production facilitation. Contact Dan Taylor at (951) 377-7849 or [email protected]. Represents Big Bear as a filming location to the motion picture industry.
• Big Bear LocationsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFull service location company servicing the motion picture industry. Represents locations for filming, assists with permits, and provides local crew connections. Contact: (818) 321-0091, [email protected].
• Erik Sund, City ManagercoreOthersErik Sund serves as City Manager for the City of Big Bear Lake. The City employs a Council-Manager form of government with the City Manager as administrative head, employed by and responsible to the City Council.
• City of Big Bear LakecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe official municipal government of Big Bear Lake. Provides city services, business licensing, building permits, tourism management, and administrative offices. City Hall is located at 39707 Big Bear Blvd with P.O. Box 10000, phone (909) 866-5831.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Others

• Alterra Mountain Company: Owner of the Ikon Pass and operator of multiple mountain resorts. Comparable via Big Bear's existing Ikon Pass partnership and shared ski destination ecosystem; relevant as a partner/competitor for ski-driven visitors.

Direct peers

• Lake Tahoe Visitors Authority: DMO for the Lake Tahoe region, a four-season mountain-lake destination similar to Big Bear. Comparable scope of activities (skiing, water sports, hiking, events) and tourism marketing structure.
• Steamboat Springs Tourism: DMO and resort destination in Colorado with strong ski heritage and four-season positioning. Comparable mountain resort destination marketing, event-driven GTM, and outdoor recreation focus.
• Visit Park City: DMO for Park City, Utah, a four-season mountain destination. Comparable in marketing year-round activities, signature events (Sundance, etc.), and serving drive-to and fly-to visitors across ski and summer seasons.
• Visit Salt Lake: DMO promoting Salt Lake City as a four-season destination with mountain access. Comparable in promoting skiing, outdoor recreation, and convention/group business alongside leisure tourism.
• Travel Portland: Destination marketing organization serving a regional visitor economy with signature events, lodging referrals, and multi-channel digital marketing. Comparable DMO structure and event-driven GTM motion.
• Visit Denver: DMO promoting a major metropolitan gateway with mountain recreation access. Comparable DMO structure with convention/group business, lodging referrals, and multi-channel visitor marketing.
• Whistler Tourism: DMO for Whistler, North America's largest four-season mountain resort. Comparable in scope of mountain-lake destination marketing, signature event portfolio, and ski/summer dual-season positioning.
• Mammoth Lakes Tourism: DMO for Mammoth Lakes, another four-season California mountain destination with ski resort, lake, and event-driven tourism. Highly comparable in business model (DMO promoting destination with lodging referrals and event marketing) and customer overlap (SoCal drive-to mountain visitors).

Broad incumbents

• Visit California: Statewide tourism marketing organization and Big Bear's existing GTM partner. Operates at a broader scale across all California destinations, providing comparable DMO function but with wider geographic and category scope.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/mybigbeartrip
• Facebookfacebook.com/VisitBigBear
• Instagraminstagram.com/visitbigbear
• Xx.com/bigbearlake
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/bloom-properties-llc

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 Big Bear Lake