Visit Laredo

What Visit Laredo does

Visit Laredo is the official Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB) and destination marketing organization for the City of Laredo, Texas. Operating as a nonprofit entity (legal name: Laredo Convention and Visitors Bureau), the organization promotes Laredo as a tourism, conventions, and sports destination to three primary audiences: leisure travelers, meeting/corporate event planners, and sports tournament organizers, with secondary emphasis on cross-border binational visitors from Mexico and Latin America. Its core product is a bilingual (English/Spanish) consumer-facing platform comprising visitlaredo.com (with a Spanish-language mirror at es.visitlaredo.com), an iOS/Android mobile application, an email newsletter, active social media channels (Facebook, X, Instagram, YouTube), and the Visit Laredo Podcast distributed on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, iHeart, and Amazon Music. Dedicated microsites serve meeting planners (with RFP submission and a Laredo Sales Team) and sports planners (with venue guides and volunteer RFPs).

The organization's underlying technology stack is a WordPress/Elementor-based content management system with a location/weather widget, integrated third-party accessibility content from WheeltheWorld, and CBP border wait-time data feeds. Visit Laredo does not sell products or services commercially; all visitor resources are free, and the organization is funded primarily through hotel occupancy tax receipts and municipal allocations, supplemented by corporate sponsorships (H-E-B, Falcon Bank, Anheuser-Busch, McDonald's, La Costeña). Its go-to-market combines content marketing, organic and paid social, earned media, and a portfolio of signature annual events — the Washington's Birthday Celebration Association (WBCA, with 30+ events), the Laredo International Sister Cities Festival (205 booths in 2025, 21,000+ attendees in 2024), the Laredo Birding Festival, and the Laredo Coffee Festival — plus lucha libre programming with Masked Republic and binational baseball featuring Tecos de los Dos Laredos. Strategic partnerships with Sames Auto Arena, Estadio Uni-Trade, the City of Laredo bridge system, and sister cities across Mexico and Latin America underpin event execution.

Name

Visit Laredo

Legal name

Laredo Convention and Visitors Bureau

Website

https://visitlaredo.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1755

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Visit Laredo is the official nonprofit Convention and Visitors Bureau for Laredo, Texas, promoting the city to leisure travelers, meeting planners, and sports event organizers through a bilingual website, mobile app, podcast, and signature annual events funded by hotel occupancy taxes.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Destination Marketing Services

NAICS

Convention and Visitors Bureaus (561591)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

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

Keywords

• Destination marketing
• Convention visitors bureau
• Tourism promotion
• Meeting planning services
• Travel information

Headquarters

HQ city

Laredo

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 (CVB Services): Visit Laredo operates as a nonprofit Convention and Visitors Bureau funded primarily through hotel occupancy taxes and municipal/city government allocations. It does not sell products or services commercially; its function is to promote Laredo as a tourism and meetings destination. Revenue supports marketing, event promotion, visitor services, and sales efforts for meeting planners and sports event organizers.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Visit Laredo (the Laredo Convention and Visitors Bureau) is the official, nonprofit destination marketing organization for Laredo, Texas. It promotes Laredo as a tourism, convention, and sports destination through a bilingual website (visitlaredo.com), a mobile app on iOS and Android, the Visit Laredo Podcast, email newsletters, and dedicated planner portals. Its core "products" are free visitor information, event calendars, dining and accommodation listings, meeting and sports planner RFP services, and the organization of signature annual events such as the Washington's Birthday Celebration and the Laredo International Sister Cities Festival.

Product overview

Visit Laredo operates as a destination marketing organization offering a unified platform centered on its main tourism website (visitlaredo.com), complemented by a podcast series, mobile applications for iOS and Android, and dedicated services for meeting planners and sport planners. The core website aggregates visitor information, event calendars, attraction listings, and trip planning tools, while the Visit Laredo Podcast provides audio content exploring local culture and events. The organization provides professional planning services for both corporate/meeting events and sporting events as value-added offerings.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Visit Laredo Podcast: A branded podcast series showcasing Laredo's culture, history, restaurants, and events featuring local chefs, artists, historians, and event organizers.

Products and services

• Visit Laredo Bilingual Website The official, bilingual (English/Spanish) destination marketing website (visitlaredo.com / es.visitlaredo.com) of the Laredo Convention and Visitors Bureau. It provides visitor guides, event calendars, attraction and dining listings, blog content, transportation information, accommodations, accessible travel resources, and meeting and sports planner tools to leisure travelers, meeting planners, and sports event organizers.
• Visit Laredo Mobile App The Visit Laredo mobile application for iOS and Android, allowing travelers to plan trips to Laredo on the go with event information, visitor guides, and local recommendations.
• Visit Laredo Podcast A branded podcast series produced by Visit Laredo that explores Laredo's people, places, flavors, history, and events through conversations with local chefs, artists, historians, and event organizers. Available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, iHeart, and Amazon Music, with Spanish-language episodes reflecting the city's bilingual character.
• Meeting Planner Services Professional destination services for meeting planners, convention organizers, and corporate event organizers, including meeting facility guides, RFP submission tools, and a dedicated Laredo Sales Team serving as a single point of contact for conventions and corporate events held in Laredo.
• Sport Planner Services Destination services for sports event planners, tournament directors, and volunteer coordinators, including a sports venue guide, sporting events listings, and a volunteering RFP tool to support hosting tournaments and sporting events in Laredo.

Quantifiable outcome

• The 2024 Laredo International Sister Cities Festival attracted over 21,000 attendees.
• +2 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• WheeltheWorldminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVisit Laredo partners with accessible travel platform WheeltheWorld to provide accessible travel information and accessible hotel listings for travelers with disabilities visiting Laredo. The partnership enables Visit Laredo to offer curated accessibility guidance on its 'Accessible Travel in Laredo' page, expanding its reach to an underserved but growing travel segment.
• Sames Auto ArenacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSames Auto Arena (6700 Arena Blvd, Laredo, TX 78041) is the primary venue for Visit Laredo's flagship events including the Laredo International Sister Cities Festival (July 11-13, 2025) and MaskedMania Lucha Libre events. The venue partnership is central to the CVB's event programming strategy, hosting thousands of attendees annually for cultural festivals and sporting events.
• Falcon BankcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerFalcon Bank is the presenting sponsor of the Commander's Reception, the opening event of the Washington's Birthday Celebration Association (WBCA) festivities on January 16, 2025 at Sames Auto Arena. The sponsorship kick-starts months of WBCA celebrations, positioning Falcon Bank prominently within one of Laredo's largest annual event programs.
• H-E-BcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerH-E-B is a key sponsor of the Washington's Birthday Celebration (WBCA) 2025, presenting the H-E-B Weekend Extravaganza (January 31 – February 2) featuring WBCA Red, White, and BBQ and the H-E-B Fireworks Extravaganza. As Laredo's dominant grocery retailer, H-E-B's partnership amplifies WBCA's family-friendly positioning and community reach.
• McDonald's of LaredominorGTM or Marketing PartnerMcDonald's of Laredo sponsors the WBCA Carnival (February 13–23, 2025), a major family attraction within the Washington's Birthday Celebration. The partnership targets families and young visitors, combining McDonald's brand visibility with the carnival's high foot traffic.
• Anheuser-BuschminorGTM or Marketing PartnerAnheuser-Busch sponsors the Anheuser-Busch Washington's Birthday Parade, one of the WBCA's signature events held on San Bernardo Avenue on February 22. The parade, a tradition since 1898, is one of Laredo's most beloved annual events.
• La CosteñaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLa Costeña presents the WBCA Jalapeño Festival (February 21–22, 2025), a signature spicy-food celebration featuring performances by Intocable, Randy Rogers Band, and other artists. La Costeña's brand alignment with the jalapeño theme and Mexican culinary heritage fits Laredo's binational identity.
• Ulises 'Ozo' Campos / @rica.studiominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUlises 'Ozo' Campos, a marketing consultant, media personality, anchor, radio host, and CEO of @rica.studio, appeared as a guest on the Visit Laredo Podcast's first-ever Spanish-language episode, contributing content that reflects the bilingual spirit of Laredo. This collaboration strengthens Visit Laredo's community-driven content approach and Spanish-language outreach.
• Gloria's Coffee ShopminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGloria's Coffee Shop was featured as the subject of an episode of the Visit Laredo Podcast (April 29, 2025), spotlighting local businesses through the podcast as part of Visit Laredo's content marketing and local business promotion strategy.
• Masked RepubliccoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMasked Republic, a San Diego-based company focused on Mexican lucha libre (wrestling) entertainment outside Mexico, partners with Visit Laredo to host MaskedMania® Authentic Lucha Libre Mexicana events at Sames Auto Arena (August 28, 2026). Masked Republic produces and manages the live events, bringing professional lucha libre talent to Laredo. Visit Laredo promotes the events through its tourism channels.
• UTA (United Talent Agency)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUTA (United Talent Agency) represents MaskedMania for bookings in connection with the lucha libre events hosted at Sames Auto Arena in Laredo. Joe Wohlfeld of UTA handles talent representation for MaskedMania contracting. Visit Laredo serves as the local host destination for these events.
• Tecos de los Dos Laredos (Border Baseball Team)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTecos de los Dos Laredos is a historic Mexican League baseball team that has played in both Mexico and the United States since 1985. Visit Laredo features Tecos home games at Estadio Uni-Trade and Parque La Junta as part of its sports tourism calendar. The team is one of Laredo's most prominent sporting attractions, drawing binational fans and supporting local hotels and restaurants.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Direct peers

• Visit Dallas: Official CVB for Dallas, Texas using the same nonprofit DMO structure with hotel tax funding. Operates a comparable suite of meeting planner RFP tools, sports planner services, and event promotion channels targeted at the same Texas leisure and group travel market.
• Visit Austin: Austin Convention & Visitors Bureau — comparable Texas DMO with the same nonprofit funding model, meeting planner services, event promotion, and digital content strategy. Direct competitor for Texas tourism share, particularly for meeting planner RFPs.
• Visit El Paso: Convention and Visitors Bureau for El Paso, Texas — a comparable border-region DMO with similar binational orientation, meeting/sports planner services, and event-driven tourism strategy. Directly comparable in scale, funding model (hotel occupancy tax), and cross-border tourism focus.
• Visit Phoenix: Phoenix Convention & Visitors Bureau — a comparable Sunbelt city CVB using the same hotel tax funding model, meeting planner RFP services, sports marketing, and event-driven tourism strategy. Direct competitor for southwest US group and leisure travel demand.
• Visit Albuquerque: Albuquerque Convention & Visitors Bureau — comparable mid-sized southwest city DMO with the same nonprofit structure, hotel tax funding, event programming, and meeting/sports planner services.
• Visit San Antonio: Major Texas city CVB operating the same nonprofit DMO model funded by hotel occupancy taxes. Comparable in offering structure (website, meeting planner services, events calendar, sports marketing) though with materially larger budget and broader attractions portfolio.
• Visit Tucson: Metropolitan Tucson CVB operating with the same nonprofit DMO model, hotel tax funding, and meeting/sports/leisure tourism service offering. Comparable as a mid-sized Sunbelt destination marketing organization with similar digital and event programming approach.
• Visit Houston: Official CVB for Houston, Texas operating with the same hotel occupancy tax funding model and DMO service offering. Comparable across convention sales, sports marketing, leisure tourism content, and event promotion channels.

Broad incumbents

• Brand USA: National destination marketing organization for the United States. Functions as a broader-incumbent ecosystem partner that Visit Laredo participates in through cooperative international promotion, overlapping in the macro goal of driving inbound tourism but at a national rather than city scale.
• Travel Texas: State-level tourism DMO for Texas operating under the Texas Department of Parks and Wildlife. Functions as a broader-incumbent umbrella over city-level CVBs like Visit Laredo, providing statewide destination promotion and cooperative marketing programs that overlap with city CVB activities.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/VisitLaredoTx
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC3eQgM9ru8klrO6mp9XBzUg
• Facebookfacebook.com/VisitLaredoTexas
• Instagraminstagram.com/visitlaredotx
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/visit-laredo-texas

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 Visit Laredo