Waco Convention & Visitor's Bureau

What Waco Convention & Visitor's Bureau does

The Waco Convention & Visitors Bureau (CVB) is a municipal department of the City of Waco, Texas, established to promote tourism, conventions, and events in Waco, Hewitt, and McLennan County. The organization operates as a destination marketing organization (DMO) funded by hotel occupancy taxes collected from lodging properties in its jurisdiction, providing a stable, public funding stream independent of private market conditions. The CVB serves multiple customer segments: leisure visitors and tourists (driven significantly by HGTV's Fixer Upper and Magnolia Market exposure), meeting and event planners, group tour operators, sports event organizers, and film industry professionals — with dedicated service tracks for each segment including permit assistance, venue coordination, and vendor referrals.

The CVB's platform infrastructure consists of a public-facing website (destinationwaco.org), native mobile applications for Apple iOS and Android, digital visitor kiosks at the Waco Convention Center, Waco Welcome Center, and Waco Regional Airport, a physical Welcome Center at 323 S 6th St in downtown Waco, and an email newsletter distribution system. The organization also produces the 'We Are Waco' video content series with sub-branded categories (Taste of Waco, Shop Waco, Waco Creates, Play Waco, Love Waco, Waco Made) and operates a free business listing submission platform that feeds content into the website, app, and kiosk network. Marketing channels include organic social media (#wacotx), earned media coverage from national outlets (USA Today, Condé Nast Traveler, TripAdvisor, Texas Highways, Southern Living), printed visitor guides and maps, and recurring National Travel & Tourism Week activations.

The CVB holds the Texas Film Commission Film Friendly certification and the State of Texas Music Friendly Community designation (granted July 30, 2020 as the twelfth such city), positioning it within state-level tourism development frameworks. The organization has earned external recognition including Booking.com Top 20 Most Welcoming Destinations (2023), TripAdvisor #2 Top Destinations on the Rise (2018), Texas Highways #3 Texas destination (2014), and USAA/Military.com #1 for military retirees (2010). As a non-profit municipal entity, the CVB does not generate commercial revenue; all visitor services are free, and local business listings are free to submit with approval requiring inclusion.

Name

Waco Convention & Visitor's Bureau

Legal name

Waco Convention & Visitors Bureau

Website

https://destinationwaco.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1983

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Waco Convention & Visitors Bureau is a municipal department of the City of Waco, Texas that promotes tourism, manages visitor information, and supports meetings, events, group tours, sports events, and film productions across Waco, Hewitt, and McLennan County. It is funded by hotel occupancy taxes and operates a website, mobile app, visitor kiosks, and welcome center.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Destination Marketing and Tourism Promotion

NAICS

Tour Operators (561520), Tour Operators (56152)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industries

Event Production & Theming (Décor, Creative, Entertainment Booking) (THAHADAH), Events-Integrated Corporate Travel (TMCs with Meetings/Groups) (THACAAAH)

Keywords

• Destination marketing organization
• Visitor information services
• Convention and meeting planning
• Tourism promotion platform
• Travel resource website

Headquarters

HQ city

Waco

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Hotel Occupancy Tax Collection: As a department of the City of Waco, the Waco Convention & Visitors Bureau is funded through hotel occupancy taxes collected from lodging properties in the cities of Waco and Hewitt and McLennan County. These funds are used to promote tourism, conventions, and events in the region.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

The Waco Convention & Visitors Bureau operates as the official destination marketing organization for Waco, Texas, providing free visitor information, trip planning resources, event promotion, and meeting/group tour support. It is a department of the City of Waco funded through hotel occupancy taxes collected from lodging properties in Waco, Hewitt, and McLennan County. Its core deliverable is destination promotion through a website, mobile app, visitor kiosks, welcome center, and printed materials, all directing leisure visitors and event planners to local lodging, dining, attractions, and events.

Product overview

Waco Convention & Visitor's Bureau operates a destination marketing platform consisting of a comprehensive tourism website (destinationwaco.org), a mobile app for iOS and Android devices, visitor kiosks at key locations (Waco Convention Center, Waco Welcome Center, and Waco Regional Airport), and a video content series showcasing local businesses and attractions. The organization provides visitor information services, promotes local businesses through listing submissions, distributes maps and brochures (both digital PDFs and printed materials), and supports meeting planners, group tours, sports events, film productions, and music industry activities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Official Waco, TX Mobile App A mobile application for visitors to Waco, Texas, providing information about attractions, dining, lodging, events, and tourism resources. Available for both Apple and Android devices.
• DestinationWaco.org Official Visitor Website Comprehensive visitor website with sections for Things to Do, Dining, Lodging, Events, Shopping, Music, Sports, Film, and the Magnolia Trail, including the We Are Waco video series featuring local businesses and community stories. Primary digital distribution channel for all visitor content, business listings, event calendars, maps, and visitor guide PDFs.
• Visitor Guides and Brochures Printed visitor guides, Waco Visitor Map (Downtown and Greater Waco), Downtown Parking Map, Cycling Map, and Relocation Guide available as downloadable PDFs and via request for printed copies.
• Meeting Planner Support Services Destination marketing and coordination services for professional event and meeting planners seeking Waco as a convention or corporate event destination. Services include venue coordination, permit assistance, and local vendor introductions.
• Group Tour Services Coordination services for bus tour operators and group travel organizers managing groups of 20 or more people visiting Waco attractions, including assistance with itineraries, dining, and transportation.
• Sports Event Coordination Services Coordination services for sports event organizers and tournament planners considering Waco as a destination for athletic competitions, including venue coordination and lodging assistance.
• Film Industry Support Services Support services for film and television production companies seeking Waco as a filming location, supported by the Texas Film Commission Film Friendly community certification. Services include assistance with permits for street closures, contacts for local services and vendors, hotel room coordination for crews, and location scouting assistance.
• Music Friendly Community Program State of Texas Music Friendly Community program promoting local music businesses through a dedicated music database listing and establishing Waco's reputation as a community with a growing music scene.
• We Are Waco Video Series Video content series showcasing local businesses and community stories, with sub-categories including Taste of Waco (restaurants), Shop Waco, Waco Creates (local artists), Play Waco (sports and activities), Love Waco (nonprofits), Waco Made (manufacturing), and community features.

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

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Texas Film CommissioncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 30 July 2020The City of Waco is certified by the Texas Film Commission as a Film Friendly community. Services provided to film productions include assistance with permits for street closures, contacts for local services and vendors, hotel room coordination for crews, and location scouting assistance. This certification positions Waco as an officially recognized film-friendly destination in Texas.
• State of Texas Music Friendly Community ProgramcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 30 July 2020On July 30, 2020, Waco was certified by the State of Texas as the twelfth Texas city designated as a 'Music Friendly Community.' Participation establishes a public reputation for Waco as a community with a growing and thriving music scene, and promotes local music businesses through a dedicated music database listing.
• Chip and Joanna Gaines / MagnoliacoreOthersWhile not a formal partnership, the Waco CVB extensively features Magnolia Market, Magnolia Table, the Magnolia Trail, and related Fixer Upper locations across its website and marketing materials. The CVB operates a dedicated 'Magnolia Trail' page and Magnolia-related site categories. This organic promotional relationship is a primary driver of Waco tourism, with the CVB providing visitor resources, listing submissions, and content featuring Magnolia-affiliated businesses, restaurants, and vacation rentals.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Visit San Antonio: Visit San Antonio is the DMO for San Antonio, Texas, performing destination marketing, meetings sales, and group tour services. Directly comparable in mandate, funding model (hotel occupancy tax), and target audience segments.
• Travel Marquette: Travel Marquette is a small-to-mid-size DMO for Marquette, Michigan, providing comparable visitor information, convention support, and destination marketing services. Comparable in scale and small-team CVB operations.
• Visit Fort Worth: Visit Fort Worth is the DMO for Fort Worth, Texas, delivering destination marketing, visitor services, and convention sales. Comparable in mission, scale, and Texas DMO structure, and a direct competitor for nearby meeting and leisure demand.
• Explore Asheville (Asheville Tourism Board): Explore Asheville is a destination marketing organization for a mid-sized U.S. city with strong national brand recognition (similar dynamic to Waco). Comparable in mid-tier DMO scale, leisure-tourism-anchored mission, and earned-media-driven growth strategy.
• Helena Tourism & Business Improvement District: Helena Tourism operates destination marketing and visitor services for Helena, Montana, a mid-market U.S. destination. Comparable in DMO structure, scale, and visitor-services orientation for a mid-sized city.
• Visit Houston: Visit Houston (operated by Houston First Corporation) is the DMO for Houston, Texas, with comparable mandate and funding structure. Larger scale, but provides a benchmark for city department CVB operations in Texas.
• Visit Dallas: Visit Dallas is the official CVB for the City of Dallas, providing meeting sales, convention services, and leisure tourism marketing. Similar municipal DMO structure and hotel-occupancy-tax funding model, operating in the same Texas competitive set.
• Visit Denver: Visit Denver is the official DMO for Denver, Colorado, with comparable visitor services, meeting planner support, and tourism marketing mandate. Uses a similar multi-channel digital and physical distribution approach.
• Visit Nashville (Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp): Visit Nashville is the official DMO for Nashville, Tennessee, with comparable music tourism, leisure traveler, and convention mandate. Provides a reference point for music tourism programming similar to Waco's Music Friendly Community strategy.
• Visit Austin: Visit Austin is the official DMO/CVB for Austin, Texas, promoting tourism, conventions, and group travel. It is the most direct comparator within the central Texas region, competing for meeting, leisure, and event share against Waco.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/VisitWacoTexas
• Instagraminstagram.com/visitwaco

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 Waco Convention & Visitor's Bureau