Munich Convention Bureau

What Munich Convention Bureau does

Munich Convention Bureau (München Tourismus) is the official tourism marketing and convention bureau of the City of Munich (Landeshauptstadt München), operating as a public corporation (Körperschaft des öffentlichen Rechts) under the municipal Department of Labour and Economic Development. It runs the official Munich tourism portal munich.travel (also branded simply Munich and einfach München), which is delivered in six languages (German, English, Italian, Spanish, French, Polish) and offers 24/7 online booking alongside physical tourist information offices at Marienplatz. The portfolio centers on two tourist passes — the Munich Card (from €5.90, discounts at 100+ offers with optional free public transport in zones M or M-6) and the premium Munich City Pass (from €39.90, free or priority access to 40+ attractions) — both technically operated through Turbopass GmbH. Additional offerings include certified-guide walking tours (Old Town tours from €22, private tours from €200), day excursions to Neuschwanstein, Salzburg, Zugspitze, and Berchtesgaden (€66–€135), panoramic Hop-On Hop-Off and pedicab city tours, brewery and FC Bayern stadium experiences, hotel brokerage via the tomas.travel platform, gift vouchers (three-year validity), and the printed Official Munich City Guide.

The business model is intermediation-based rather than asset-heavy: the City of Munich acts as broker for tour, excursion, and hotel bookings, with contracts concluded directly between customers and service providers (Autobus Oberbayern, Mentor-Reisen, Münchner Stadtrundfahrten, Yellow Cab, Lederhosen-Express, rikschaguide, Minga Tours, Stattreisen, and others), generating commission and transaction-fee revenue. MICE (meetings, incentives, conferences, exhibitions) is served through a dedicated Convention Bureau vertical that uses meetago GmbH to route venue enquiries to providers. Distribution spans the multilingual e-commerce portal, MVG ticket machines, the Turbopass distribution network, B2B travel trade communications, and content channels including social media (Facebook, Instagram, X, YouTube, Vimeo, Pinterest, TikTok), the einfach München podcast, a separate tourist news portal, and live webcams. The organization is represented by Dr. Christian Scharpf as Head of Department and is staffed by approximately 9 employees; the legal entity is the City of Munich itself, VAT DE 129 524 000, with the Government of Upper Bavaria as the competent supervisory authority.

Name

Munich Convention Bureau

Legal name

Landeshauptstadt München (City of Munich)

Website

https://simply-munich.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Munich Convention Bureau (München Tourismus) is the official municipal tourism authority of the City of Munich, operating the multilingual munich.travel portal to intermediate tourist passes, guided tours, excursions, hotel bookings, and MICE venue services for leisure visitors and event planners worldwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Convention and Visitor Bureau Services

NAICS

Convention and Visitors Bureaus (561591), Convention and Trade Show Organizers (561920), Tour Operators (561520)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Convention Campus & District Operators (Integrated Venue Districts) (THAHAAAL)

akta.pro secondary industry

Convention & Exhibition Centers (Public Convention Centers, Civic Centers) (THAHAAAA)

Keywords

• Destination marketing
• Convention bureau services
• Tourist passes
• Guided city tours
• MICE event planning

Headquarters

HQ city

Munich

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Tour and Excursion Booking Intermediation: City of Munich acts as intermediary for bookings; contracts are concluded directly between customers and service providers (bus companies, tour guides, excursion operators). Commission-based revenue from facilitating bookings.
2. Munich Card and City Pass Distribution: Distributed by Turbopass in cooperation with München Tourismus. The City of Munich acts as mediator. Revenue from card/pass sales with optional transport tickets.
3. Voucher Sales: Sale of vouchers for public guided tours and München-Erlebnisse (experiences). Vouchers valid for three years from purchase date.
4. Hotel Brokerage: Upon booking confirmation, customer becomes direct contractual partner of hotel. City of Munich acts as intermediary and assumes no liability for hotel service performance.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Munich Convention Bureau operates as part of München Tourismus, the official tourism marketing organization of the City of Munich, running the public tourism portal munich.travel. It sells tourist passes (Munich Card and Munich City Pass) providing discounts and free entry to 100+ attractions and free public transport, and intermediates guided tours, city panoramic tours, day excursions, hotel bookings, and gift vouchers. Through its Convention Bureau division, it provides MICE venue coordination, congress calendar, and event planning resources for meeting planners hosting events in Munich.

Product overview

Munich Convention Bureau (München Tourismus) operates the official tourist portal for the City of Munich, offering a portfolio of interconnected travel services. The core offering consists of the Munich Card and Munich City Pass—two tourist passes that provide access to discounts and free entries across museums, attractions, and public transport. These passes are distributed in partnership with Turbopass GmbH. The product suite extends to guided tours (offered through certified city guides and tour operators), city panoramic tours (via Gray Line Hop-On Hop-Off and pedicab services), day-trip excursions to regional attractions (Neuschwanstein Castle, Salzburg, Zugspitze), and specialized experiences (brewery tours, football stadium visits). Additional offerings include hotel booking facilitation, voucher products for tours and experiences, and the official Munich City Guide publication.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Munich Card

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

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Turbopass GmbHcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAuthorized distributor for Munich Card and Munich City Pass. Provides technical infrastructure for card issuance and validation. Partnership enables online and offline distribution of visitor cards across Munich's tourism ecosystem.
• Datenwerk GmbHcoreTechnology or IntegrationTechnical operator of the munich.travel website and data processor for München Tourismus. Handles server operations, website hosting, and technical infrastructure supporting online booking and customer data management.
• Autobus Oberbayern GmbHcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBus service provider for Munich excursions and day trips. City of Munich acts as intermediary for bookings; contract concluded directly between customer and Autobus Oberbayern.
• Mentor-Reisen GmbHcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorTour operator providing excursion services. Bookings mediated through City of Munich platform; direct contract between customer and service provider.
• Münchner Stadtrundfahrten oHGminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorProvider of hop-on hop-off city tours in Munich. City acts as intermediary for bookings; standard terms and conditions of Münchner Stadtrundfahrten apply.
• Yellow Cab Verkehrsbetriebs-GmbHminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorProvider of city sightseeing services. Included in hop-on hop-off tour offerings mediated through Munich Tourismus.
• Lederhosen-ExpressminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRickshaw tour operator providing pedicab tours through Munich. Part of München-Erlebnisse experience offerings.
• rikschaguideminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPedicab tour operator for Munich city tours and experiences. Provides rickshaw-guided tours of old town and Englischer Garten.
• Minga ToursminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMunich-based tour operator providing themed city tours and cultural experiences.
• StattreisenminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAlternative tour operator offering Munich city tours and experiences through the platform.
• munichwalktours – Münchner StadtführungenminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorWalking tour operator providing guided tours of Munich's city center and themed districts.
• MucToursminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMunich tour provider offering city tours and themed experiences.
• Servus Bavaria ToursminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorTour operator specializing in Bavaria and Munich regional experiences.
• SchwarzgoldminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorTour operator providing Munich-based guided experiences and city tours.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Visit Berlin: Berlin's official tourism board and convention bureau. Directly comparable as a German municipal DMO/CVB providing visitor services, accommodation brokerage, MICE acquisition, and a Berlin Welcome Card tourist pass product distributed via regional transport integration.
• WienTourismus (Vienna Tourist Board): Vienna's official tourism board operating the Vienna City Card and MICE bureau services. Directly comparable in structure (city-owned, multilingual portal, tourist pass with transport integration, MICE congress acquisition) and competitive positioning within DACH.
• Barcelona Turisme (Visit Barcelona): Barcelona's municipal convention bureau and tourism board offering the Barcelona Card, MICE acquisition, and multilingual destination marketing. Comparable as a major European city CVB operating in the same international congress and leisure competitive set.
• NYC & Company: New York City's official destination marketing organization. Comparable as a non-profit municipal DMO running multilingual marketing, MICE acquisition, and visitor services, though operating at significantly greater scale and budget.
• London & Partners (Visit London): London's official destination marketing organization and convention bureau. Comparable as a major European capital CVB focused on MICE bidding, tourist passes (London Pass integration), and multilingual B2B services, though at much larger scale.
• Tourismus+Congress GmbH Frankfurt am Main: Frankfurt's official tourism and congress bureau. Operates the Frankfurt Card, MICE venue coordination, hotel brokerage, and multilingual destination marketing — virtually identical operating model to Munich Convention Bureau and a direct competitor for Germany-bound MICE bids.
• Hamburg Tourismus GmbH: Hamburg's city-owned tourism and congress bureau providing the Hamburg CARD tourist pass, MICE services, multilingual visitor portal, and tour/excursion brokerage. Comparable as another major German municipal DMO/CVB competing for international leisure and congress demand.

Broad incumbents

• GetYourGuide: Global online marketplace for tours, attractions, and excursions. Comparable as a tour/attraction booking platform competing for the same Munich-based experiences (Neuschwanstein, Salzburg, FC Bayern tours) that MCB intermediates via its partner network.

Emerging players

• Turbopass GmbH: Technology partner and authorized distributor for Munich Card and Munich City Pass. Comparable as a tourist pass technology and distribution platform serving multiple European destinations, partially overlapping with MCB's pass business but as a tech vendor rather than CVB.

Regional players

• VisitBruges / Meet in Bruges: Flemish regional CVB operating MICE acquisition, Bruges City Card, and multilingual visitor marketing. Comparable in operating model though serving a smaller destination and a different regional geography.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/simplymunich
• Facebookfacebook.com/simplymunich
• Instagraminstagram.com/simplymunich
• TikToktiktok.com/@simplymunich
• Pinterestpinterest.de/simplymunich
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/munich-convention-bureau

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 Munich Convention Bureau