Bloomington, MN Convention & Visitors Bureau

What Bloomington, MN Convention & Visitors Bureau does

Bloomington, MN Convention & Visitors Bureau (DBA Bloomington Minnesota Travel & Tourism) is the official destination marketing organization for the city of Bloomington, Minnesota, founded in 1962 and staffed by 11-50 employees. The organization promotes Bloomington as a travel destination to leisure tourists, meeting and event planners, sports tournament organizers, and tour operators, primarily through a content-and-commerce web portal at bloomingtonmn.org that aggregates hotel inventory (45+ properties), Mall of America anchor content (40M+ annual visitors, 520+ stores, $2B+ in annual economic activity), attractions, dining, an events calendar, curated itineraries, and bundled value packages (Play, Stay and Save Pass; Stay, Park & Fly Packages; team sports ticket packages).

The platform is a WordPress-based digital tourism property with sections segmented by audience (Things to Do, Hotels, Packages and Deals, Meetings, Sports Planners, Tour Operators, Plan Your Trip), nine-language localization, social channels (Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn, YouTube), an email newsletter, a blog, a print and digital visitors guide, a third-party photo upload widget (Snapsea), and a hotel reservation engine (reservations.bloomingtonmn.org). The site serves primarily as marketing content and lead-generation for member hotels and attractions; it does not directly sell travel inventory.

The business is structured as a private nonprofit funded through hotel/motel lodging taxes assessed on the 45+ hotels within city limits and membership contributions from local tourism-related businesses. The Bureau does not disclose financial figures and generates no direct product revenue from end users (visitor guides and digital content are free). Distribution rests on a tightly integrated infrastructure footprint — MSP International Airport proximity (10 minutes), 45+ hotels (more than Minneapolis and Saint Paul combined), free hotel shuttles to Mall of America and the airport, the Metro Transit Blue Line (MSP Airport to Mall of America, 19 stations) and Green Line (to Saint Paul), and a Lyft ridesharing partnership with five designated Mall of America pick-up/drop-off zones. Strategic partners include Mall of America as the anchor attraction, Metro Transit and Lyft for transport, Explore Minnesota for state-level promotion, and the Minnesota professional sports franchises (Twins, Vikings, Wild/Frost, Timberwolves/Lynx) for sports tourism ticket bundles.

Name

Bloomington, MN Convention & Visitors Bureau

Legal name

Bloomington Minnesota Travel & Tourism

Website

https://bloomingtonmn.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1962

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Official destination marketing organization for Bloomington, MN, operating as a nonprofit funded by hotel/motel lodging taxes and member dues. Runs the bloomingtonmn.org portal promoting 45+ hotels, Mall of America (40M+ visitors), attractions, dining, events, and bundled packages for leisure tourists, meeting planners, sports planners, and tour operators.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Destination Marketing Services

NAICS

Convention and Visitors Bureaus (561591)

SIC

Services-Facilities Support Management Services (8744)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industries

Incentive Travel Design & Rewards Programs (THAHADAB), Venue & Special Event Site Sourcing (Unique Venues, Permitting) (THAHADAE)

Keywords

• Destination marketing services
• Convention visitors bureau
• Travel planning resources
• Hotel booking portal
• Tourism promotion services

Headquarters

HQ city

Bloomington

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

Revenue model

1. Tourism Promotion Services: As a Convention and Visitors Bureau, the organization promotes Bloomington as a travel destination and is funded through hotel/motel taxes and membership contributions from local tourism-related businesses.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Bloomington, MN Convention & Visitors Bureau operates the official destination marketing organization (DMO) for Bloomington, Minnesota, promoting the city as a travel destination through a digital tourism platform, hotel booking services, event promotion, attraction and dining directories, and bundled hotel-attraction-ticket packages. The organization is funded through hotel/motel lodging taxes and membership contributions from local tourism-related businesses. Its primary anchor is Mall of America, supplemented by 45+ member hotels, an attractions network, and dedicated B2B services for meeting planners, sports planners, and tour operators.

Product overview

The Bloomington, MN Convention & Visitors Bureau operates a unified digital tourism platform that promotes Bloomington as a premier travel destination. The core offering is a comprehensive website integrating hotel booking capabilities, an events calendar, attractions directory, dining guide, and travel planning resources. The platform is anchored by its association with Mall of America and features a network of over 45 hotels, hundreds of attractions, thousands of annual events, and over 50 restaurants. Additional offerings include curated travel itineraries, an official visitors guide (available in digital and print formats), and value-added hotel packages combining accommodations with attraction tickets and dining credits.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Travel Planning Website (bloomingtonmn.org)
• Hotel Booking Service
• Events Calendar
• Attractions Directory
• Dining Guide
• Travel Itineraries
• Visitors Guide
• Packages and Deals

Quantifiable outcome

• Mall of America generates over $2 billion in economic activity annually for Minnesota
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• LyftcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerLyft serves as the official ridesharing partner of Mall of America. Visitors can request rides from five designated pick-up/drop-off zones around the Mall, providing convenient transportation for tourists arriving at MSP Airport or staying in local hotels.
• Metro TransitcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerMetro Transit operates the METRO Blue Line light rail connecting MSP Airport to Mall of America and 19 stations throughout Bloomington and Minneapolis. The METRO Green Line connects Bloomington with Saint Paul, enabling multi-city tourism itineraries.
• Explore MinnesotaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerState tourism organization partnered with Bloomington Minnesota Travel & Tourism. The Explore Minnesota logo appears on the website, indicating coordinated state-level tourism promotion efforts.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Experience Columbus: Mid-sized Midwestern city CVB with a similar mix of leisure, convention, and sports-tourism segmentation. Closest structural peer in scale and destination profile to Bloomington.
• Meet Minneapolis: Convention & Visitors Bureau for Minneapolis, the Twin Cities' larger downtown neighbor. Highly comparable as a regional DMO competing for the same meeting, sports, and leisure demand in the same metro area.
• Explore Minnesota: State-level tourism marketing partner already engaged with Bloomington. Functions as the statewide DMO, making it the most directly comparable peer in mission and promotional approach.
• Visit Saint Paul: Official CVB for Saint Paul, MN, the other half of the Twin Cities. Comparable DMO structure, mission, and funding model, competing for convention and leisure visitors in the same regional market.

Broad incumbents

• Visit Dallas: Large US city CVB with a heavy convention, sports, and event-driven demand mix. Comparable in MICE and sports-tourism emphasis, though operating in a much larger destination.
• Visit Denver: Denver's CVB serving a comparable mid-to-large US city. Overlaps in leisure, MICE, and sports tourism segmentation but at larger scale and with broader international appeal.
• Choose Chicago: Official CVB for Chicago with convention, leisure, and MICE responsibilities. Similar DMO structure and MICE segmentation but operates in a major gateway city at significantly larger scale.
• Visit Orlando: Large US destination marketing organization operating at far greater scale. Comparable mission and structure, but serves a much larger, leisure-dominated destination with broader international reach.
• Destination DC: Washington, DC's destination marketing organization. Comparable nonprofit CVB structure with MICE and leisure focus, but in a far larger and internationally recognized destination.

Others

• Brand USA: National destination marketing organization for the United States. Adjacent rather than competitive — Bloomington partners with Brand USA initiatives, and it represents the broader ecosystem in which US CVBs operate.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@bloomingtonmn
• Facebookfacebook.com/bloomingtonminnesota
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/bloomingtonmn
• Instagraminstagram.com/bloomingtonmn
• TikToktiktok.com/@bloomingtonmn

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 Bloomington, MN Convention & Visitors Bureau