North Dakota Tourism Division

What North Dakota Tourism Division does

North Dakota Tourism Division is a state government agency operating under the North Dakota Department of Commerce, headquartered in Bismarck, North Dakota, and established to promote the state as a domestic and international travel destination. The Division operates the official state tourism platform at ndtourism.com and brands itself as 'TravelND' and 'North Dakota Legendary,' serving outdoor enthusiasts, families, road trippers, golfers, anglers, history and culture travelers, and group visitors across primary segments.

The Division's product portfolio centers on a digital platform with an interactive filtering map, the ND Parks & Recreation mobile application covering 2,200+ miles of mapped trails, the ND250 Digital Passport Experience for America's 250th anniversary, the Teddy Roosevelt Trail digital experience, thematic itinerary trails (Culinary Trail, Lewis and Clark Golf Trail, Triple Golf Challenge, Sunflower Fields Experience), a comprehensive events calendar, and downloadable print and digital travel guides. Core marketing channels span the official website, owned social properties across Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Flickr, Twitter/X, and YouTube, email newsletters, TripAdvisor integration, and earned media coverage, with distribution through visitor centers, highway rest areas, and travel guide fulfillment.

The Division is funded through state tax allocations administered by the North Dakota Department of Commerce; it does not sell products directly, and all travel resources, guides, applications, and digital passport experiences are provided at no cost to end users. Revenue is generated indirectly through visitor spending at hotels, restaurants, attractions, and retail establishments across the state's 14 state parks, Theodore Roosevelt National Park, 400+ lakes and rivers, 800+ lodging properties, and 410+ annual events. Key strategic partnerships include Brand USA for international marketing, the National Park Service, ND Parks & Recreation, the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library, and a network of local CVBs and Chambers of Commerce. The Division has secured significant third-party validation, including National Geographic's Best of the World 2026, Lonely Planet's Top 25 Best Destinations 2026, USA Today 10 Best's #1 Best Public Golf Course in USA for Bully Pulpit, and AAA's recurring recognition of North Dakota as one of the most budget-friendly U.S. vacation destinations.

Name

North Dakota Tourism Division

Legal name

North Dakota Tourism Division

Website

https://ndtourism.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

State government agency under the North Dakota Department of Commerce that promotes North Dakota as a travel destination through its ndtourism.com digital platform, mobile app, and event marketing. Serves domestic and international visitors via partnerships with Brand USA, the National Park Service, and the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

State Destination Marketing and Tourism Promotion

NAICS

Nature Parks and Other Similar Institutions (71219), Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (712), Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation (71)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900), Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)

akta.pro primary industry

Permitting, Reservations & Visitor Information Services (Passes, Booking, Visitor Centers) (THAAAGAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Recreation & Activity Services (Hiking, Boating, Climbing, Fishing—Guided/Authorized) (THAAAGAF), Guided Tours & Interpretive Services (Ranger-Led, Naturalist, Cultural Interpretation) (THAAAGAB), Education & Community Programs (Junior Ranger, Citizen Science, School Programs) (THAAAGAK), National Park & Protected Area Tours (THAJAIAA)

Keywords

• Destination marketing organization
• Tourism promotion services
• Visitor information services
• Outdoor recreation tourism
• Travel guide publishing

Headquarters

HQ city

Bismarck

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. State Government Tourism Funding: North Dakota Tourism Division is a state government agency funded through state tax allocations and the North Dakota Department of Commerce. Revenue is generated indirectly through visitor spending at hotels, restaurants, attractions, and retail establishments across the state.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

North Dakota Tourism Division is the state-level destination marketing organization that promotes North Dakota as a travel destination through a digital platform (ndtourism.com), mobile app, interactive map, events calendar, themed experience trails (ND250, Teddy Trail, Culinary Trail, Lewis and Clark Golf Trail, Triple Golf Challenge), and printed/digital travel guides. The division markets outdoor recreation, historical and cultural heritage, and agritourism assets — including Theodore Roosevelt National Park, 14 state parks, 400+ lakes and rivers, and the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library — to domestic and international travelers free of charge.

Product overview

North Dakota Tourism Division operates a comprehensive digital tourism platform (ndtourism.com) that serves as the official travel guide for the state. The offering consists of a core website providing interactive trip planning tools, an interactive map with filtering capabilities, and curated thematic experiences including the ND250 America's 250th celebration, the Teddy Trail (Theodore Roosevelt heritage trail), the Culinary Trail, and golfing trails (Lewis and Clark Golf Trail and Triple Golf Challenge). Supporting offerings include a comprehensive events calendar, downloadable/printable travel guides and maps, and the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library opening July 4, 2026. The platform connects visitors with attractions, accommodations, outdoor activities, historic sites, and cultural experiences across North Dakota's 14 state parks, national parks, cities, and regions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• National Geographic named North Dakota Badlands a 'Must-Visit Destination' and one of 'Best of the World 2026'
• +4 more outcomes

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Brand USAcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerBrand USA partnership through the 'Visit The USA' platform provides international marketing and promotion of North Dakota as a travel destination to global audiences, extending reach beyond domestic markets.
• National Park ServicecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration for Theodore Roosevelt National Park promotion, including joint marketing efforts, visitor information sharing, and coordinated conservation messaging tied to Roosevelt's legacy.
• ND Parks & RecreationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerState agency partnership for mobile application development and trail mapping, providing over 2,200 miles of mapped trails and comprehensive park information for visitors.
• Theodore Roosevelt Presidential LibrarycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint promotion of the July 4, 2026 opening of the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library in Medora, coordinating tourism packages, itineraries, and marketing campaigns celebrating Roosevelt's legacy.
• ND Department of TransportationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for road reports, travel alerts, ND Road Conditions, and transportation information supporting visitor travel planning and safety.
• ND Game & Fish DepartmentminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration for hunting and fishing guides, Fish Challenge programs, and outdoor recreation promotion including licensing information and seasonal fishing updates.
• Local CVBs and Chambers of CommercecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNetwork of Convention & Visitors Bureaus and Chambers throughout the state providing local visitor services, event information, and regional tourism promotion.
• TripAdvisorminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorTravel platform partnership providing visitor reviews, attraction listings, and travel planning integration for North Dakota destinations.
• MedoracoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerClose partnership with Medora for promotion of Theodore Roosevelt National Park, Medora Musical, Bully Pulpit Golf Course, and the Roosevelt Presidential Library opening, creating a unified destination experience.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Montana Office of Tourism and Business Development: Montana's state tourism office is a direct peer in the Northern Plains/Rockies corridor — comparable size, identical DMO mandate, overlapping national-park-driven portfolio (Glacier), shared outdoor-recreation and western-heritage positioning, and similar Brand USA international marketing approach.
• Travel South Dakota: South Dakota's official state tourism division, the most direct peer: same scale (state agency, comparable headcount), same Upper Midwest/Prairie geography, similar portfolio (national parks — Badlands, Wind Cave; Mt. Rushmore; indigenous cultural tourism), and overlapping visitor segments including road trippers and outdoor enthusiasts.
• Nebraska Tourism Commission: Nebraska's state tourism commission is the closest geographic peer — same Plains region, comparable small-team structure, shared audience of road-trippers passing through on I-80/I-90, and a similar challenge of repositioning a flyover state into a destination.
• Travel Wisconsin: Travel Wisconsin is a direct peer state DMO with overlapping audiences (families, road trippers, outdoor enthusiasts) and similar content-led digital marketing — a useful comparator for North Dakota given the proximity and shared lake/outdoor recreation categories.
• Travel Oregon: Travel Oregon is a state tourism DMO operating with similar mandate but more mature brand execution — its '7 Wonders' and 'Only Slightly Exaggerated' campaigns represent the gold standard that smaller Plains DMOs benchmark against for content-driven destination marketing.
• Pure Michigan (Travel Michigan / Michigan Economic Development Corporation): Pure Michigan is a state-level DMO with a globally recognized brand and a similar mandate to drive visitation through destination storytelling — a relevant benchmark for brand-building and digital content scale, even though Michigan's portfolio is significantly larger.
• Visit Minnesota (Explore Minnesota Tourism): Explore Minnesota is a direct regional peer with a comparable DMO mandate, overlapping outdoor-recreation and lake-based portfolio, similar seasonality patterns, and shared cross-border visitor flow from the Upper Midwest population centers.
• Wyoming Office of Tourism: Wyoming's state tourism authority — a direct peer in scale and mission, anchored by Yellowstone/Grand Teton, with a nearly identical 'wide-open spaces, uncrowded national parks, western heritage' value proposition that competes directly with North Dakota's positioning.
• Idaho Tourism Division: Idaho's state tourism division is a direct peer: comparable small-team state agency model, outdoor-recreation-led positioning, mountain-biking and river-based attraction portfolio, and a similar underdog narrative against more famous neighboring states.

Broad incumbents

• Visit Florida: Visit Florida is a much larger state DMO that, while operating in a different climate/seasonality profile, exemplifies scaled-up destination marketing with global brand investment and a similarly diversified portfolio (parks, cultural attractions, events, lodging) — useful as a benchmark for what a state tourism division can become at scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/NorthDakota
• YouTubeyoutube.com/legendarynd
• Facebookfacebook.com/TravelND
• Instagraminstagram.com/northdakotalegendary
• Pinterestpinterest.com/NDtourism

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 North Dakota Tourism Division