Vicksburg Convention and Visitors Bureau

What Vicksburg Convention and Visitors Bureau does

The Vicksburg Convention and Visitors Bureau (VCVB) is a government-established destination marketing organization (DMO) created in 1973 by Senate Bill 2322 of the Mississippi Legislature and most recently amended by House Bill 1640 in 2007. Operating under the "Visit Vicksburg" consumer brand, the Bureau serves as the statutory tourism promotion authority for Vicksburg/Warren County, Mississippi. Its mandate is to drive overnight visitation and tourism economic activity through marketing, visitor information services, event promotion, and convention/sports sales outreach.

The Bureau operates a small headquarters team (approximately 13 staff led by Executive Director Laura Beth Strickland) plus an 11-member Board of Directors appointed jointly by the City of Vicksburg and Warren County Board of Supervisors. Its core "products" are marketing and information services rather than commercial goods: the Visit Vicksburg tourism website, visitor guides and e-newsletter, the Vicksburg Attractions Passport, meeting and sports planner services, and a Tourism Grant Program that disburses funds to 17 local event organizers in FY2026. Distribution combines a physical Visitor Information Center at 52 Old Highway 27 with staffed presence at the Vicksburg National Military Park Visitor Center and the Jesse Brent Lower Mississippi River Museum, supplemented by #VisitVicksburg social campaigns, a weekly Team Vicksburg radio show on Newstalk 1490/FM 107.7, and a dedicated press room.

The Bureau does not charge for its services and generates no transactional revenue. Funding flows automatically on a monthly basis from the State of Mississippi Department of Finance & Administration as the Bureau's allocation of a 1% Food & Lodging Tax imposed on the gross proceeds of restaurants, hotels, and motels in Warren County. The Bureau also administers — but does not retain — the Tourism Grant Program, which redistributes portions of tax collections back to local event organizers. Customer-facing segments include leisure travelers, meeting planners, sports planners, group tour operators, and wedding parties; ecosystem partners include major casino hotels (Ameristar, Bally's, Waterview, Riverwalk), the Vicksburg Convention Center, the National Park Service, and the US Army Corps of Engineers Vicksburg District.

Name

Vicksburg Convention and Visitors Bureau

Legal name

Vicksburg Convention and Visitors Bureau

Website

https://visitvicksburg.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1973

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Vicksburg Convention and Visitors Bureau is a government-established destination marketing organization that promotes Vicksburg, Mississippi through visitor services, event marketing, and convention sales, funded by a 1% Food & Lodging Tax on Warren County hospitality businesses.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Destination Marketing and Tourism Promotion

NAICS

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

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Conferences & Conventions Operations Services (Registration, AV, Logistics) (MPAGAGAM)

akta.pro secondary industry

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

Keywords

• Destination marketing organization
• Tourism promotion services
• Visitor information center
• Convention sales services
• Sports tourism marketing

Headquarters

HQ city

Vicksburg

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Food & Lodging Tax Collections: State of MS Dept of Finance & Administration issues monthly payments to VCVB from 1% Food & Lodging Tax collections of gross proceeds from restaurants, hotels and motels in Warren County. This is the primary funding source.
2. Tourism Grant Program: VCVB administers a Tourism Grant Program (FY2026) that provides funding to local events and organizations. While this is an expenditure rather than revenue, it demonstrates the organization's role in distributing tourism-generated funds back into the community.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The Vicksburg Convention and Visitors Bureau (VCVB) is a government-established destination marketing organization that promotes Vicksburg/Warren County, Mississippi as a tourism, convention, and sports destination. It operates a Visitor Information Center, distributes free visitor guides and maps, manages the VisitVicksburg.com website and event calendar, conducts direct sales outreach to meeting and sports planners, and administers a Tourism Grant Program funding local events that drive visitation.

Product overview

The Vicksburg Convention and Visitors Bureau operates a comprehensive tourism promotion platform centered around its Visit Vicksburg website, which serves as the primary hub for visitor information and trip planning. The platform encompasses visitor guides, e-newsletters, event calendars, attraction directories, and dedicated services for meeting planners and sports event organizers. Additional offerings include a Tourism Grant Program supporting local events and the Vicksburg Attractions Passport for self-guided tours.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Visit Vicksburg Tourism Platform (VisitVicksburg.com)

Quantifiable outcome

• $447.4 million economic impact from Warren County tourism
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

18 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Vicksburg Main StreetcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDowntown revitalization organization collaborating with VCVB on heritage tourism initiatives. VCVB supports their efforts and includes their events in the official calendar.
• Vicksburg Convention CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary convention and meeting venue in Vicksburg. VCVB directs meeting planner inquiries to the center and promotes events there.
• Vicksburg-Warren County Chamber of CommercecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBusiness advocacy organization with shared economic development goals. Collaborates on tourism promotion and community events.
• Southern Cultural Heritage CenterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCultural heritage preservation organization hosting events like the Carnaval de Mardi Gras & Gumbo Cook-Off. VCVB includes them in event listings and tourism promotions.
• MSU Extension ServiceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAgricultural and community development extension service offering workshops. Listed as local resource for Vicksburg residents and visitors.
• Vicksburg PartnershipcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEconomic development organization driving the South Port project to attract large businesses to Vicksburg. VCVB collaborates on initiatives that benefit the community.
• Tourism Grant Recipients (2026)minorOthers17 organizations received FY2026 tourism grants including MHSAA Tennis State Championships, Key City Classic, Cruizin' Vicksburg, Vicksburg YMCA's Run Thru History, Summer Chef Series, and various festivals and events. Grant program supports tourism-generating events.
• Key City Park (Sports Force Parks)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSports tourism venue hosting youth tournaments and athletic events. VCVB sports marketing efforts promote events at this venue to drive visitation.
• Ameristar Casino HotelcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor casino hotel with convention space and The End Zone sportsbook. Promotes gaming, dining, and entertainment options. Walter Osborne serves on VCVB Board.
• Waterview Casino HotelcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCasino hotel hosting live entertainment events. VCVB promotes events at the venue and includes in activity suggestions.
• Riverwalk Casino HotelcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCasino hotel with sports betting kiosks and viewing area. Promoted for gaming experiences and included in event calendars.
• Bally's Casino VicksburgcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCasino gaming venue in Vicksburg. Listed as gaming attraction for visitors seeking casino entertainment.
• US Army Corps of Engineers (Vicksburg District)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFederal agency with significant Vicksburg presence. Dr. Christopher Barnett and Claiborne Cooksey from USACE serve on VCVB Board. Patricia Hemphill is joint City/County appointment from USACE. Agency operates Lower Mississippi River Museum.
• National Park ServicecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFederal agency operating Vicksburg National Military Park. Myra Logue serves on VCVB Board as NPS Licensed Battlefield Guide. VCVB team staffed at NPS Visitor Center.
• Vicksburg Foundation for Historic PreservationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHistoric preservation organization hosting events including Carnaval de Mardi Gras & Gumbo Cook-Off at Southern Cultural Heritage Center.
• Warren County State Welcome CenterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerState welcome center receiving EDA grant for renovation. MDOT and Visit Mississippi collaborating with VCVB on enhancing the facility with iconic design capitalizing on river views.
• Quapaw Canoe CompanyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAdventure tourism operator offering Mississippi River canoe and kayak tours. Promoted for outdoor experiences and paddling excursions.
• Blue Cat Guide ServiceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProfessional fishing guide service on the Mississippi River. Promoted as fishing excursion option for visitors.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Visit Baton Rouge: CVB for Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Comparable destination-marketing organization of similar scale, with state-capital convention business and similar Mississippi River corridor heritage positioning to Vicksburg.
• Visit Natchez: Convention and visitors bureau for Natchez, Mississippi. Directly comparable as a Mississippi CVB of similar scale promoting a heritage tourism destination on the Mississippi River, with overlapping attraction mix (historic homes, antebellum history, river cruises) and similar tax-funded operating model.
• Tunica Convention & Visitors Bureau: CVB for Tunica County, Mississippi. Comparable as a Mississippi CVB with a strong casino-tourism emphasis and a similar lodging-tax-funded operating model, competing for some of the same gaming-oriented regional visitors.
• Shreveport-Bossier Convention and Tourist Bureau: Convention and tourist bureau for Shreveport-Bossier City, Louisiana. Comparable CVB of similar scale in a neighboring state with overlapping gaming, river, and Civil War history attractions, and a comparable destination-marketing operating model.
• Visit Tupelo: CVB for Tupelo, Mississippi. Comparable as a Mississippi CVB of similar size promoting a destination with heritage/cultural assets and a similar operating model funded through tourism tax mechanisms and legislative authority.
• Visit Jackson: CVB for Jackson, Mississippi. Directly comparable as a Mississippi CVB promoting state-capital tourism, with similar GTM motion including convention and sports planner outreach, and a tourism-tax-funded operating model.

Broad incumbents

• Memphis Tourism: CVB for Memphis, Tennessee. Larger destination-marketing organization in a neighboring state with overlapping Mississippi River heritage, Civil War, and blues-music positioning that competes for similar regional visitors.
• Visit Mississippi: State-level destination-marketing organization for Mississippi. Operates at broader scale than VCVB with a statewide mandate, but with an overlapping partner ecosystem and complementary promotion of Vicksburg and other MS destinations.
• New Orleans & Company: CVB for New Orleans, Louisiana. Significantly larger destination-marketing organization in a similar regional geography with overlapping river-cruise, heritage, and culinary tourism; competes for similar experiential-travel segments along the Mississippi River corridor.

Others

• U.S. Travel Association: National industry association representing destination-marketing organizations and the broader travel industry. Related as the umbrella industry body for CVBs like VCVB, providing research, advocacy, and best practices rather than competing directly for visitors.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks2 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/visitvicksburg
• Facebookfacebook.com/VisitVicksburg
• Instagraminstagram.com/visitvicksburg
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/visitvicksburg

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 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 Vicksburg Convention and Visitors Bureau