Visit Winston-Salem

What Visit Winston-Salem does

Visit Winston-Salem is the official destination marketing organization (DMO) for Winston-Salem and Forsyth County, North Carolina. It operates as a private, membership-based quasi-governmental entity funded through municipal hotel occupancy taxes, business membership fees, and potentially state tourism grants. The organization is headquartered at 200 Brookstown Avenue, where it also operates a public visitor center.

The organization's core products and services encompass a suite of destination marketing and trip-planning resources. The primary digital product is visitwinstonsalem.com, a comprehensive destination website featuring an event calendar with 300+ listings, blog content, and visitor guides. The annual 94-page Visitor Guide is produced in both digital and print formats. Specialized planning services include Meeting & Convention Services (leveraging the 150,000-square-foot Benton Convention Center), Group Tour Services with step-on guides and motorcoach coordination, Sports Event Planning services targeting tournament organizers, and Wedding Planning Resources. Distribution is multi-channel: website, social media (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube), monthly email newsletter, the physical visitor center, partner hotels and attractions, an RFP submission system for meeting planners, and a media/information program for journalists and content creators.

Visit Winston-Salem serves a diversified customer base spanning individual leisure tourists, corporate meeting and convention planners, motorcoach and group tour operators, sports event organizers, and wedding planners. The operating geography covers Winston-Salem and Forsyth County, with explicit marketing expansion to sub-markets including Kernersville, Lewisville & Clemmons, and the Yadkin Valley Wine Region. The organization's competitive positioning rests on the destination's "City of Arts and Innovation" identity, Moravian heritage, proximity to the Yadkin Valley Wine Region, and a Forbes Top 10 Downtown designation. No acquisition, funding, or corporate ownership activity is disclosed; the entity operates as a stable, tax-and-membership-funded DMO.

Name

Visit Winston-Salem

Legal name

Visit Winston-Salem

Website

https://visitwinstonsalem.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1945

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Visit Winston-Salem is the official destination marketing organization for Winston-Salem and Forsyth County, North Carolina, promoting tourism through an annual visitor guide, event calendar, and specialized planning services for leisure travelers, meeting planners, group tours, sports events, and weddings.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Winston Salem

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Others

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Visit Winston-Salem is the official destination marketing organization (DMO) for Winston-Salem and Forsyth County, North Carolina. It promotes tourism through a destination website, an annual Visitor Guide (print and digital), an event calendar, and an email newsletter, and provides dedicated planning services for meeting/convention planners, group tour operators, sports event organizers, and wedding planners via RFP submission and customized support.

Product overview

Visit Winston-Salem operates as a destination marketing organization offering a suite of visitor-facing digital and physical products. The core offering centers on the annual Visitor Guide (available in 2026 edition as both digital download and print mailer), complemented by an Event Calendar with over 300 event listings, E-Newsletter for monthly updates, and specialized planning tools for group tours, meetings/conventions, sports events, and weddings. These products work together as an integrated destination marketing platform to promote Winston-Salem as a tourism destination.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Annual Visitor Guide A 94-page comprehensive guide containing expert tips, local favorites, dining guides, and trip inspiration for visiting Winston-Salem. Available in both digital (downloadable via Issuu) and physical (mail-request) formats.
• Event Calendar An online searchable directory of events and festivals throughout Winston-Salem and surrounding areas, featuring over 300 event listings including concerts, sports, arts, and community events. Free to access and use.
• Trip Planning Tools Online resources providing customizable itineraries, group tour planning assistance, meeting and convention RFP submission, and sports event planning tools for visitors and event organizers.
• Sports Event Planning Dedicated sports event planning services and venue coordination for Forsyth County, including access to championship-ready venues, hotel room blocks, and comprehensive planning support for youth tournaments, collegiate athletics, and professional competitions.
• Monthly E-Newsletter Monthly email newsletter providing insider tips, trip ideas, new restaurant openings, arts and culture updates, festival announcements, and holiday happenings for subscribers. Free subscription.
• Meeting & Convention Services Comprehensive meeting planning support including venue selection, RFP submission, site visit coordination, and access to the 150,000-square-foot Benton Convention Center and nearly 100 downtown restaurants for corporate meetings, conventions, and conferences.
• Group Tour Services Customized group tour experiences including flexible itineraries, step-on guides, motorcoach tour coordination, and special experiences at attractions like Old Salem Museums & Gardens and Yadkin Valley Wine Region for motorcoach and group tour operators.
• Wedding Planning Resources Directory of wedding venues, vendors, and group dining options for couples planning weddings in Winston-Salem, including vineyard locations, historic homes, and contemporary spaces.

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Sports ETAminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSports ETA is an association affiliation displayed on the sports events page. Sports ETA provides resources and networking for sports event planners considering Winston-Salem as a venue destination.
• NCSA (Compete North Carolina)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerNCSA (Compete North Carolina) affiliation is displayed on the sports events page. NCSA promotes North Carolina as a sports destination and provides resources for event planners.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Market position

Competitive moat4 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCMuNa9-TEDMc5Yk_V_LXVNg
• Facebookfacebook.com/VisitWS
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/visit-winston-salem
• Instagraminstagram.com/visitwinstonsalem
• Xx.com/VisitWS

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 Winston-Salem